Prince George’s County Teacher of the Year for Maryland History Day, Victoria Patch, will be teaching English in Baltimore in the coming school year, but History Day will go on in Greenbelt.
Patch, a ninth-grade teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), together with 10th grade teacher Judith Barrera, brought History Day back to Greenbelt and coordinated it here. For most students the project is part of their school work, though some do it just because they like it.
This year there were 184 projects at the ERHS History Day contest, 23 of which went on to the Prince George’s County contest.
Some students begin work on their projects during the summer, some wait until fall, but in either case research and development of their projects lasts several months. Students choose the topic they will research and decide whether to prepare a paper, documentary, exhibit, performance or website, done individually or as a group. Students show their work at the school contest and if they win there they go on to county contests in March. From those they may go on to Maryland History Day (MHD) in May, a program of Maryland Humanities, and finally to National History Day (NHD) in early June.
NHD is an international program based in College Park. They estimate about 500,000 students compete annually at the school, regional/district and affiliate levels, and around 3,000 each year reach the national competition. Each year NHD picks a theme. For the coming year, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.
Plans and Back Story
Since she isn’t helping students prepare their History Day projects Patch thinks she will become a judge for this year’s contests.
Patch said when she was growing up history was “just there.” Her dad was involved in genealogical research and her mother watched films from the golden age of Hollywood; both parents shared their interests with Patch. Her grandmother took Patch and her sisters to museums, historic sites and on neighborhood history tours. Patch “was hooked.”
When she isn’t teaching Patch reads history but also historical fiction and lots of other things, including time travel and beach reads. She also enjoys dancing, karaoke, taking walks and spending time with her sister and family.
Nomination
History Day Teacher of the Year nominations may come from students, fellow teachers, parents or others involved in the program. From those nominations MHD District Coordinators in each county nominate a teacher, librarian or someone who works to support the program in their county. Agnes Slaugh, a former Greenbelter who is a Prince George’s County Public Schools K-12 literacy coach, is also the MHD Coordinator for Prince George’s County. Excerpts from Patch’s nomination follow:
“By creating opportunities for students to engage with history beyond the classroom, she introduces them to a deeper, hands-on understanding of the past. Her ability to guide students and fellow teachers through the process of developing high-quality History Day projects has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on many students’ academic journeys. … Her commitment to her students is not limited to the classroom; she actively mentors them, offering guidance through every phase of their project creation. … Her impact on students’ historical understanding is further demonstrated by her dedication to integrating the principles of NHD into her classroom year after year.”
Student Compliments
Her students, too, compliment Patch and the support she gives them.
Emerijesu Emakpor, a 10th-grader in the coming school year, put together an individual performance which advanced to MHD. Emakapor said, “I found it fascinating to conduct research on a topic that I was also engaged in. … I had a great time with everyone I met, including the judges and competitors. I do give so much thanks to my teacher Ms. Patch who helped me every step of the process, even when I doubted myself. … Overall, I liked it and would do it 100 times again!”
Aashi Moola, who, during the 2023-24 school year wrote a paper that advanced to NHD, said “My experience with Ms. Patch was always positive. I think one of the reasons I made it so far was because she always pushed us to write about something we were passionate about. This way, all the effort I was putting in didn’t feel like work but something enjoyable. Additionally, she was always there to support and credit our accomplishments which encouraged me to stick with the topic I started researching even when I had doubts. … When we were having trouble finding sources, she put in a lot of effort … I think she is fully deserving of the award and am thankful for the support …”
Collaborator’s Pledge
Patch’s friend and colleague Barrera has pledged that she will coordinate the History Day program in Greenbelt next year. Barrera said, “Ms. Patch is an excellent teacher [who believes] in the academic foundational skills that NHD can teach all students, whether it be college prep skills, developing analysis and critical thinking skills, creativity in designing projects and/or team building skill sets. She made an excellent collaborative partner in making Eleanor Roosevelt’s NHD competition a success.”
She added, “I will miss her ingenuity and her uncanny empathetic nature. She will truly be missed at ERHS.”
