A postsecondary history teacher helps students think like historians: ask questions, weigh evidence, and argue clearly. The path is long but clear. You build deep historical knowledge and research skill, earn a master's or PhD, learn to teach well, and then compete for faculty jobs. About 70% of people in this job hold a doctorate and 30% a master's. Master's holders are usually hired at community colleges, so decide early which door you are aiming for. Everything below is free to learn, and you can start today by reading, writing, and practicing explaining the past out loud.
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Every stage from beginner to expert, with lessons, practice drills, projects, interview questions and free resources. Free with a Rolearch account.
Stage 1 of 3 · about 16 weeks
Learn to read, question, and write about the past like a historian, and decide on your field and degree route.
Historical thinking and source analysis
Historians do not memorize facts; they judge evidence. Every lecture, paper, and exam you will later write rests on telling a primary source from a secondary one and asking who made it, why, and for whom.
Historical writing and argument
A historian's main product is a clear, evidence-based argument. Learning to write a thesis and support it with sources is the skill you will teach and be judged on.
Broad content knowledge across eras and regions
You will be asked to teach survey courses, so you need a framework wider than your specialty. This also helps you choose a field.
Reading efficiently and critically
Graduate programs assign several books a week. You must extract an author's argument, evidence, and method quickly.
Then 2 more stages (about 172 weeks in all) with lessons, drills, projects, 6 interview questions with strong answers and free resources.