A revolution in history education is propelling historical thinking and knowing to the forefront of history and social studies education in North America and beyond. Teachers, teacher education programs, schools, and ministries of education across Canada are all among those embracing the idea that knowing history means knowing how to think historically.

Becoming a History Teacher is a collection of thoughtful essays by history teachers, historians, and teacher educators on how to prepare student teachers to think historically and to teach historical thinking. Covering the teacher’s experience before, during, and after formal certification, Becoming a History Teacher contains a wide range of resources for teachers and educators, including information on the latest research in history education and examples of successful history teaching activities.

Ruth Sandwell is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Ruth Sandwell's profile page

Amy von Heyking is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. She is a member of the executive board of the History Education Network (THEN/HiER). Her areas of research include history teaching and learning, and the history of school curricula in Canada. She is the author of the teaching resource Teaching with Dear Canada (Scholastic Canada, 3 vols.), head author of the Teaching Social Studies Through Literature series (Scholastic Canada), and author of Creating Citizens: History and Identity in Alberta’s Schools (University of Calgary Press, 2006).

Amy von Heyking's profile page

‘The book offers practical illustrations on how to best learn and cultivate historical thinking in schools…Rich in information, I know how I would incorporate some of the book’s ideas into my own work…This book will have an impact.’

Historical Studies in Education Spring 2016

‘Becoming a History Teacher is an excellent book …. Ruth Sandwell and Amy von Heyking have made a compelling argument about the general failure of history departments in Canada to teach their undergraduates how to think historically.’

Canadian Historical Review vol 96:02:2015