Favorite Class/Professor

I have had some amazing classes at UNC. Some, if I described them here, would be completely uninteresting to you because you might not ever come close to taking them.

My best class overall – the one that I will remember for years to come – is history 22, American history since 1865.

It’s strange, I know, that a plain-Jane class like history of America would really get me going. But what made this class so amazing was the professor, Peter Filene.

When I had to take history, I feared a class full of memorization of names, places and dates. Prof. Filene’s class was the complete opposite and exactly what I always envisioned history to be about. The expansive history of America became about the stories of different groups of people and how those parallel storylines intersected at important events.

The other great thing about the class was how it was taught. Prof. Filene (who is not necessarily a spring chicken) integrated sound, pictures and videos into the class using the available technology. He did it seamlessly such that these enhancements to our experience didn’t detract from the learning experience.

On a somewhat silly level, I appreciated that we were tested on understanding and applying the material rather than reciting it back on test day. Prof. Filene’s method for doing this was through essays and projects.

Obviously, the reason that history came alive was not just the content of the course but the fact the Prof. Filene was teaching. His teaching epitomizes my ideal college learning environment (which I have found with other teachers, too).

In the class of approximately 80 students, the professor remained in touch with each of us. He learned our names and held small class meetings to make sure that he interacted with everyone at some point. Additionally, which is often lost on some teachers, Prof. Filene was a student advocate. By this I mean that he was in that classroom for us, the students. He was not there because he had to be teaching an into level history course (in fact, he chooses to teach the class). He was there to inspire us and encourage us to become involved and invested in the subject matter and walk away with more than just a final grade.

Apparently I’m not the only person who thought Prof. Filene was amazing. During the semester I was taking his class, Prof. Filene was a prestigious teaching award.

Before I sign off, I want to emphasize again that Prof. Filene is not the only professor who has made a strong impression on me. I chose to tell you about him because it is likely that most of you reading this will be required to take a history. In other professors, I have also found what I wanted when I came to college (to a greater extent than Filene): mentors and friends.