Congratulations to Mrs. Kathleen Dunseith, a history teacher at Jemison High School, who has been selected as an HCS Changemaker!
Mrs. Dunseith says, “it took a little while to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up,” so she spent some time studying radiology and x-rays, psychology, and even served in the military. By the time she finished her service, however, she had finally realized that she wanted to become a teacher. She credits her Grissom science and AP history teachers for inspiring her to the craft of teaching, but also admits that she was always incredibly interested in studying history. Mrs. Dunseith says that her goal is to help inspire that interest in her students as well.
“She is the teacher that every parent wants for their child” says Jemison Principal Dr. Demetris Leverette, adding that “the kids absolutely love her.”
While some lecture time is unavoidable in any high school history classroom, Mrs. Dunseith employs a lot of structured activities for students to participate in as well. These might include group jigsaw assignments, creating WW1 propaganda posters, creating great depression era newspapers, or even searching the classroom for hidden QR codes which lead to important information. (For any students reading this, we recommend you check under the desks!)
When she isn’t teaching, Mrs. Dunseith spends most of her time being the mother of an eight-year-old son who is very active. She says she is “pretty crafty” and enjoys knitting, crocheting, painting, and even writing. She’s a bit of a Sci-Fi and Dr. Who fan and has met several of the actors at various conventions. She also enjoys playing video games with her son and husband.
Mrs. Dunseith does her best to help students relate history to present day events, thus reinforcing the very importance of the subject itself. She tells them that “history doesn’t happen in a bubble,” and points out how most of the things going on today can be traced back to important historical events which help us better understand the world around us.
Ultimately, though, she says that she hopes students will remember that she cared about them. Given that many students come back to see her after they’ve gone on to the next grade level, it seems clear that they do remember both how much she cared and the important lessons she guided them through.