HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — It’s one thing to learn about history, and it’s another to live it! We meet a teacher who brings the textbook to life.
She’s known for energizing and innovating her students, and making what she’s taught stick. Meet this week’s Top Teacher, Sharon Livingston from Westminster Christian Academy!
In Livingston’s history class students are living out history. “We are reenacting the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British. So this was a pretty large naval battle,” said Livingston.
“We throw paper balls, and how they move depends on if they were Spanish or British,” added Livingston.
Livingston teaches freshmen students. She says she’s spent fourteen years overall in education, and this year being her fourth at Westminster Christian Academy.
“I have always loved history. Probably fell in love with it in middle school when I started reading historical fiction,” said Livingston.
One of her students, Caralee Kauffman, can see Livingston’s love for history. “You can really just tell that she enjoys teaching us. Even if we do go through some rabbit holes, like she enjoys talking about them and she really knows what she's talking about.”
Kauffman says it’s a good start to her freshman year. “So this class really just helps me get excited for the rest of my high school career.”
Like Kauffman, Livingston’s peers appreciate her innovative approach to teaching.
“We're very grateful to have Ms. Livingston. She makes learning fun and she also meets the students where they are. So we feel like as a Christian school, Jesus is the best example of a teacher and he treats his disciples differently based on what they need. Ms. Livingston definitely does that in her classroom,” said Westminster Christian Academy’s Director of Academics, Marshall Ellson.
However, Livingston hopes her lessons carry far beyond acting out history in the moment. “Hopefully, and with my subject in particular is continuing to remind them [students] that this really does connect to them. Like they're a few years from voting. 'What foreign policy do you want the American government to follow?' 'What do you feel on these issues?', and I hope they view my classes as being a piece of that."
Here's another fun fact about Livingston, she teaches podcast to juniors and seniors.
Do you know of a deserving teacher? Nominate them here!
{WEB EXTRA: SHARON LIVINGSTON SURPRISED}
