Professionalization of History

I agree with Meryn that I did not know what to expect when I began reading.  At first it was dry but as I began to understand of the professionalization of history it became much more interesting and relatable.  I was especially interested in the "rediscovery" of the primary document in the first couple of pages and how that and the establishment of a scientific method for conducting research contributed to the standardization and development of the teaching profession in history later on.

Townsend definitely changed my understanding of the history profession because now I know how we got to where we are now.  How far the history profession has come is a great testament to those who are passionate not only about history but about teaching as well.  I did not know how far back the standards for the teaching of history were set and continued to grow all the while.  The increase in standards not only in the teaching sphere of history but also in the public history sphere explains why this discipline, and others in the social science realm,  demand high caliber students and professionals in their fields.  Colleges today put a huge amount of effort and time into training their students to become proficient teachers regardless of their specialty interests.

I was surprised to learn that teachers in the early 20th century had little training especially those who were teaching the elementary courses.  I know now that even those who are interested in teaching primary education go through an intense amount of training and education before they can begin to teach on their own.