Congrats to James Percoco

I have never met James Percoco, but I have used his book A Passion for the Past: Creative Teaching of the U.S. History whenever I teach future history teachers.  Thanks to Percoco there are dozens of Messiah College graduates out there who are requiring students to make “historical heads” and history bumper stickers, exploring local historical monuments with their students, and using Skype to bring guest speakers into their classrooms.  If you are a history teacher you need to get this book.

I was thus pleased to see that Percoco, who teaches at West Springfield High School in Virginia, has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.  Here is a blurb from AHA Today:

Percoco received the Association’s James Harvey Robinson Prize for 2000 for his book, A Passion for the Past: Creative Teaching of U.S. History. In the citation, the award committee described it as a “splendid book” that “shows how educators can use a variety of resources . . . to enhance student learning and to challenge their understanding of the past.” Five years later, Percoco again received an AHA award, this time as a member of the American history team of West Springfield High School, which received the Beveridge Family Teaching Prize at the 2006 annual meeting.

Known for his innovative classroom techniques that made history come alive in his AP classes as well as his “applied history” course, Percoco obviously left an enduring impact on his students, One former student told the Fairfax County Times: “[Percoco] is the most inspirational teacher I have ever had,” and said that Percoco was the reason for his choosing to be a history major.

Congratulations!

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