North Hills educator youngest ever to be named National History Teacher of the Year
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
At North Hills Middle School, eighth-grade social studies teacher Joe Welch brings American history to life through zany lesson plans and assignments anchored in storytelling.
His students remix songs and create animated videos to explore historical periods, illustrate children’s books to explain primary sources, and use augmented reality to detail presidential administrations. Mr. Welch and his colleagues bounce lesson plans off each other to stimulate ideas.
It’s only fitting then that Mr. Welch, 33, was in the classroom when he learned that he has been named the National History Teacher of the Year, making him the youngest ever to win the award. He will be honored next month at a ceremony at the Yale Club in New York City and receive a $10,000 prize.
“I try to play things off as being a cool, calm customer in all aspects of my life,” Mr. Welch said Thursday. “But when I got that call, my hands literally started to shake.”
The educator credits his father, a former North Hills teacher, and his teachers in the South Fayette School District for inspiring him. He said he strives to teach history in a way that sends his students back in time to empathize with the people from the past, their struggles and triumphs.
David Lieberman, principal of North Hills Middle School, said Mr. Welch has proven himself to be a reliable, passionate leader eager to take on duties outside the classroom. “Joe Welch is an advocate for each and every student, working to find multiple strategies to reach out, engage, and challenge them at their level while creating the best educational learning environment possible,” Mr. Lieberman said in a news release.
Mr. Welch recently helped create the National History Day program at North Hills and hosted a community event on the Vietnam War with a fellow social studies teacher through a partnership with WQED and PBS.
He cites Alexander Hamilton and John Adams as his favorite historical figures and credits his wife, Sarah, for supporting him.
As for tips to fellow educators, Mr. Welch said he recently imparted the following wisdom from his mother to a young educator, who had trained in his class.
“Life’s like a movie: At the end of the day you get to go home,” he said. “So go out there and give it your best and take some risks. Because at the end of the day, you’ll get another shot even if it fails. Don’t be afraid.”