The Joys and Challenges of Teaching Biographies

We are seeking two additional panelists to join us for a roundtable session at the 2024 American Historical Association conference in San Francisco, entitled, "The Joys and Challenges of Teaching Biographies."  The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2023.

History and biography are inextricably linked and yet many instructors of introductory undergraduate and advanced high school courses resist including them in their reading lists and overall course pedagogy.  The session will examine the ways in which biographies are and are not used in classrooms at both the college and high school levels.  We will focus on the benefits and limitations of the genre with an eye for including a variety of perspectives.  We seek to address questions such as, "Why do biographies appeal to students?" "Why don't more classes utilize them?" "How can instructors compensate for periods with limited source materials?" "How can we manage the bias of hagiography?"

We (Dr. Nancy S. Kollmann of Stanford University, Dr. M.A. Claussen of the University of San Francisco and Derek Dwight Anderson of Marin Academy) are especially interested in the ideas and expereinces of historians teaching at all levels.  Those interested in participating as a panelist should contact Derek soon.