Anna Lenardson Loves to Learn and Teach
If you ask Anna Lenardson, a 2023 graduate of Ashland University鈥檚 Master of Arts in American History and Government (MAHG) program, why she enrolled in the challenging program, she replies, 鈥淚 love to learn. I loved being with other teachers, talking about history and government.鈥 True, she had to complete a lot of reading before arriving at the weeklong residential summer courses. But doing so prepared her for a week of intense, revelatory conversation. Online interactive evening courses during the school year required a different kind of focus鈥攅ngaging in discussion after a long school day. 鈥淏ut the online courses allowed us to spread out our reading over eight weeks,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 enjoyed every minute of the program.鈥
She learned about MAHG in 2018, at a one-day TAH seminar offered in Tulsa on the American Founding. As the facilitator, Professor Jason Stevens, drew all the teachers in the room into discussion, she wondered, 鈥淲here can I get more interaction like this?鈥 At the end of the seminar, a TAH representative told participants about Ashland鈥檚 Master鈥檚 program and the possibility of funding MAHG studies through a .
Intrigued, Lenardson attended a residential MAHG seminar in Ashland the next summer on 鈥淭he Civil War in History and Literature,鈥 taught by Professors and Kathy Pfeiffer. A week of constant conversation鈥攄uring seminar sessions, meals, and evening study time鈥斺渓ed to a couple of lasting relationships鈥 with fellow teachers. She applied for the Madison fellowship, was awarded it in the spring of 2020, and enrolled at once in MAHG.
A Learner Called to Teach
People who love to learn often find joy in helping others learn, especially if they like 鈥渂eing around kids,鈥 as Lenardson does. Both Lenardson and her husband Robb鈥攚hose first career was in business鈥攆elt called to teach in mid-life. They moved their family, including children aged sixteen, nine and seven, to Portugal, in order to teach at Cascais International Christian School. Robb taught math, while Anna taught high school English and history, to students from around the world.
After four years overseas, the Lenardsons returned home to work at a boarding school for at-risk students from around the United States, in Oklahoma. They enjoyed helping students from difficult family situations find their strengths in a safe and supportive environment. 鈥淭he hardest part was seeing kids leave and return home, which could happen suddenly, mid-year,鈥 Lenardson said. 鈥淵ou knew you might never see them again.鈥 She taught history and American government at Cookson Hills for ten years, beginning her MAHG studies during that time.
Now she teaches at the , a charter school in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood that promotes college readiness. 鈥淚鈥檝e found my sweet spot, where I can help kids on the brink of adulthood. I watch them spread their wings.鈥
How MAHG Enhanced Lenardson鈥檚 Teaching
Lenardson teaches semester-long courses in Oklahoma History and US Government, and the year-long elective AP US Government course. Her MAHG studies have helped her better serve her students. 鈥淚 learned enough to pull out a ready answer when a student asks a question,鈥 she says. MAHG offered a wide range of courses on American government. 鈥淢y course on the Supreme Court with Professor Sikkenga was probably the best I took,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淚 expected it to be difficult and dry, but not a minute was boring. Whatever issue came up, Sikkenga had a case at his fingertips to offer as an example.鈥
She benefited equally from the history component of the MAHG curriculum. 鈥淚 weave a lot of history into my teaching of government, especially the history of the founding era.鈥 Teaching ideas keep coming, because 鈥渆ach class in MAHG built my history nerd network (of fellow teachers) out deeper and wider. This is especially nice when it comes to a last-minute search for resources or lesson ideas. There’s always someone out there with a great idea at their fingertips.鈥
An Academy for Ambitious Immigrants
Tulsa Honor Academy is a Title I school; about 95% of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch. The school was founded in 2015 by a woman who grew up in the community, who was dismayed that only three youths in her neighborhood鈥攕he and her two brothers鈥攚ent on to college. Too few of the founder鈥檚 fellow students even made it to graduation. The honor academy has changed that pattern. 鈥淭he school started with a fifth-grade class, building out each subsequent grade year by year,鈥 Lenardson explains. 鈥淟ast June, when we graduated our first class of seniors, 65% of them were the first in their families to complete high school.鈥 Most of the graduates went on to local and state college programs, while a few were accepted to prestigious out-of-state schools, such as George Washington and Emory universities.
Most of Lenardson鈥檚 students are first- or second-generation immigrants. They split their days between school and work. 鈥淢ost take after-school jobs to help their families pay the bills.鈥 They stock shelves in groceries and convenience stores, serve tables in restaurants, help on construction sites or in mechanical repair shops. 鈥淲hen a student asks for an extension on an assignment, I always say yes. I know their work schedules limit study time.鈥
Learning American History for the First Time
Her students鈥 families gave them a strong 鈥渨ork ethic,鈥 but few assumptions about American history and government. Unlike those who started school in America, they don鈥檛 begin the required high school government course expecting to rehearse old, boring lessons about the three branches of government. And unlike students whose families have been in America for generations, they don鈥檛 find high school鈥檚 more candid discussions of the unflattering aspects of American history unsettling to their sense of identity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all news to them; their parents didn鈥檛 know to tell them about it,鈥 Lenardson explains. They are curious about the careful structuring of our constitutional system and about constitutional guarantees of rights. When they learn about American failures to protect these rights, they react with surprise and simple 鈥渙utrage.鈥
In Oklahoma history, students learn about slavery and the denial of rights during Jim Crow. Instead of struggling to grasp an understanding of federalism that allowed the court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, they conclude 鈥渢hat the 14th amendment was violated by Jim Crow; that the arguments made by the majority in Plessy were disingenuous. But I don鈥檛 think this history discourages them,鈥 Lenardson continues. 鈥淚t motivates them to guard against violations of their own rights.鈥
When Lenardson tells students they are responsible for maintaining our democracy, they 鈥済et it,鈥 she says. 鈥淟ast week, one of my students asked, 鈥業s this an election year?鈥 鈥榊es,鈥 I said, and then I asked, 鈥楬ow many of you will be 18 by election day?鈥 It turned out all of them will be. In Oklahoma, if you will be 18 by election day, you can register to vote at age 17 and a half. So, I said, 鈥楢ll right, I鈥檒l bring in registration cards for you all.鈥 When I did, every student registered.鈥
Learning to Think for Themselves
Each year, Lenardson reads through the entire Declaration and Constitution with her students. 鈥淚 like that they can say that they’ve read the Constitution. I give them each a pocket constitution to keep. I tell them to bring it out at Thanksgiving dinner when their uncle gets crazy and to say, 鈥業’ve read the Constitution, and I don’t think that’s what it says.鈥”
Her government students read a long excerpt of Federalist 10 and shorter excerpts of Federalist 51 and 33, along with excerpts from some of the Antifederalists–Brutus II and Patrick Henry. These are ambitious assignments, given that some of Lenardson鈥檚 students are learning English as a second language. 鈥淓ighteenth century language is difficult even for native English speakers,鈥 Lenardson says. Working as a class or in small groups, students read the excerpts out loud, small segments at a time, parsing out each argument carefully. Then they fill out a chart listing the reasons Americans gave for supporting or opposing ratification of the Constitution. 鈥淪tudents find it difficult at first, but then they get into a groove and begin to understand. My classes tend to be harder than the others they take. But colleagues tell me that my students say they like being challenged. They learn better when they have to figure things out for themselves.鈥
That is what she hopes for them鈥攖hat they learn to think for themselves. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to maintain an open mind. To do so, you have to be willing to seek information on all sides of an issue. I recently talked with my AP students about this鈥攈ow we all want short cuts. It鈥檚 easy to attach ourselves to a particular political group and accept a single set of answers to all the problems of government.鈥 But these problems are different, and complicated. Self-governing people 鈥渉ave to put in the work to understand all the options,鈥 Lenardson tells her students. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the active participation that democracy requires.鈥
