Zuchowski, Of Frazer, Is One Of Five Educators To Join MTHS Teacher Leader Program

Five educators from across Montana are now "history missionaries" as part of the Teacher Leaders in Montana History Program.

The teachers include Chris Dantic, of Terry; Vicky Nytes, of Superior; Mary Zuchowski, of Frazer; Heath Nordquist, of Missoula; and Kim Konen, of Dillon.

They're in addition to 11 existing history Teacher Leaders in Montana, one of which is Laurie Enebo, of Glasgow Schools, who help write lesson plans, mentor teachers in best practices in history education, and share Montana and Indian education-related resources with fellow educators. They do this in one-on-one sessions, as well as by presenting at regional and statewide conference presentations.

The five give a range of reasons for being in the Montana Historical Society's Teacher Leader program.

Zuchowski initially didn't realize how important the training would be for her. "It is fantastic to work with a crew of like-minded fans of history. I'm also excited to have an outlet to inform others of ways to incorporate Montana and Tribal histories in their lesson plans at the high school level. Bringing history alive and relevant in our current world is a blast!"

Konen notes that she loves history and teaching it. "The Teacher Leader program will be very impactful for myself and other teachers to learn how to incorporate Montana history in their curriculums."

Norquist also feels lucky to serve with other educators who try to provide the best and most up-to--date information about Montana's history. "This team is dedicated to making the students of Montana understand and appreciate our unique culture, landscape, human history, and ancient topics as well."

Dantic said he's inspired to learn from the best and share it with others. "I want to be able to present to other teachers what works in the classroom, from lessons to strategies to the most updated methods being used. I'm excited I was selected to be part of this elite group."

Nytes also is excited to join with educators across the state who love teaching history as much as she does. "I look forward to sharing the great resources of the Montana Historical Society with other educators throughout the year."

Martha Kohl, the MTHS Outreach and Education Program manager, noted that since they started the Teacher Leader program in 2017, the fellows have made a real difference.

"MTHS is committed to serving every corner of the state – and working with Teacher Leaders from Culbertson in the east, Eureka in the west, Sunburst in the north, and Dillion in the south makes that possible," she said.