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E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute 2012

Primarily Virginia

Teachers Institute participants

Past Teachers Institute participants and VHS staff pose for a picture.

The 2012 E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute, Primarily Virginia, is an examination of Virginia’s history through primary sources from the collections of the Virginia Historical Society. The institute will explore how objects, both on their own and in concert with others, can tell the rich story of Virginia’s past. Each session will examine an object and use it as well as supporting primary materials as a window into a specific era of the commonwealth’s history. Participants will then learn the historical context for the object through lectures from experts and exploration of the society’s permanent exhibition, The Story of Virginia. Finally, participants will examine additional primary sources from the VHS archives and develop strategies for using these documents in the classroom. Together, the six sessions of the institute will provide new and additional information about Virginia’s history and will generate new ideas about how we teach the past.

The 2012 Robins Institute will consist of six separate evening programs held on Thursdays in the fall. Teachers will have the opportunity to attend some or all of the programs.

The E. Claiborne Robins, Jr., Teachers Institute is targeted to teachers of Virginia Studies, USI and USII, and VA/US History. However, teachers of other disciplines across the curriculum are encouraged to attend—the resources at the Virginia Historical Society relate to a number of topics, and the skills of teaching with primary sources are important for all educators.

Tenative Schedule:
Session 1: October 11, 2012: “Contact and Conflict” (16000 BC to 1700 AD)
Session 2: October 18, 2012: “Imperial Outpost to Young Republic” (1650 to 1787)
Session 3: October 25, 2012: “Virginia after the Founders” (1787 to 1861)
Session 4: November 1, 2012: “Civil War and Reconstruction” (1850 to 1877)
Session 5: November 8, 2012: “Progress, Preservation, and War” (1865 to 1945)
Session 6: November 15, 2012: “A New Old Dominion” (1930 to 2010)

Testimonials from past institutes

I've been meaning to write you all and properly express my thanks for the fantastic job you all did with the summer institute. I have participated in many of these, but this was by far the most professional, well-planned, and engaging seminar that I've attended in my career. I recently used many of the resources from the institute in planning a county-wide inservice on teaching the Brown decision. I'm also planning on replicating the Farmville walking-tour on a field trip with my students this Spring. The institute greatly influenced my classroom teaching because I now use the Farmville story as a case-study for students to learn about Plessy, Brown, and Massive Resistance. I'm not trying to write a resume here, but I only mention this because I believe it is a testament to the hard work of you and your staff.
—Beau Dickenson, Rockingham County

"This topic was of particular interest to me—I loved the way so many aspects of Virginia Indians were examined. I was very excited to participate—the week exceeded my expectations! I learned more in one week about Virginia than I have in twenty years of living here. This was better than any college course I have taken. It was a true gift. Thank you."
— Marcia Hunt

"Exceptionally well-planned, executed institute that provides a history teacher with superb tools, regardless of the subject he/she teaches. My enhanced knowledge of archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and linguistics will definitely benefit me in my World History classroom."
— Milondra Coleman

"The afternoon with Doug Owsley was a powerful experience. It was a privilege to meet a man who is so passionate about his work. Working with human skeletons was an unforgettable experience."
— Betsy Saunders

"I can't wait to share your wealth of resources with other staff members at my school!"
— Melissa Hallowell

Past Institutes

Read about previous Teachers Institutes