History as a discipline may be facing a crisis. Class enrollments are down and compared to many disciplines the number of students declaring a history major is suffering. Collectively, we are concerned about the perceived waning popularity of the study of history, however at this watershed moment we should look to develop collaboration across groups that have been siloed in the past. This roundtable, Bridging Historians and Teachers: The Role of History Educators in a Time of Crisis, will examine the role that history educators can play in bridging the divide between history and social studies teachers in secondary schools and historians in the academy. The primary question that the roundtable will explore: What is history education and why is it more important than ever?

This roundtable will discuss how and why history educators are in a position to best assist in the development of a sustained dialogue between secondary teachers and practicing historians. By doing so educators in different settings and at different levels will be better equipped to identify best practices for teaching students to do history and to engender a love of the discipline. History educators, scholars who have been trained to study how people make meaning in the discipline are in the best position to identify effective methods, tools, and strategies for teaching historical thinking.

The roundtable will bring together a representative from a large urban school district to frame the need for increased engagement between teachers and historians and the role for history educators to facilitate these conversations, several trained history educators, and commentary by a historian with extensive experience working with K-12 teachers. During the roundtable each participant will discuss an aspect of their research and how this work can the provide guidance to further a dialogue across the divide between secondary school-academy.