As part of our core classes, history and social studies often get a bad reputation for being boring. Why focus on the past when we’ve got the present? However, the LMHS Social Studies department has managed to entertain and motivate students without fail, no matter what year or which class you find yourself in, from Human Geography to Government and all the others in between. Not to mention the great relationship we’ve probably all seen amongst them which has impacted beyond a few amusing memories on both the students and the teachers.

So what’s the best part of the department? Well, a common answer amongst the teachers are the teachers themselves. As coworkers, they motivate each other and better their abilities but as friends they can hang out at lunch, share opinions, and “appreciate each other’s humor,” as mentioned by Mrs. Dershimer, AP Art History teacher. Not only that, but the wide range of topics and their applicability also holds a certain appeal. “Social studies involve the past but it’s always applicable. That innately makes it interesting,” said Ms. Barnette, U.S. History.

We’ve all had at least one experience with these classes before and it’s almost always memorable. The passion and innovation in each teaching experience is apparent. Turns out, we as students may be some of the most important motivators to an enjoyable classroom. Our engagement often makes teachers more excited to teach. Mrs. Dershimer gets a chance to interact with students from sophomore year to senior year and enjoys the different ways of thinking that each one brings. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lerza admires her freshmen as “they’re willing to work hard” because it’s their first year here. Ms. Barnette likes working with the older juniors who know the ropes but have yet to be affected by the dreaded “senioritis”. Mr. Fratrik prefers seniors as his humor and conversation topics tend to resonate better with the older crowd. Either way, all the teachers find reasons to appreciate their students and we should do our best to do the same.