NAME:
Robert Haar
SCHOOL:
Thousand Oaks High School
CLASS:
United States History/Yearbook
SCHOOL PHONE:
805-495-7491 ext. 1801
I began my teaching career at T.O. in 1995. Prior to teaching, I served as an
Assistant Director of Admission at California Lutheran University for seven years.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English and History at CLU in 1987, as
well as my teaching credential in 1995. I completed my Master of Arts in
American Studies at Pepperdine University in December, 2006.
The first three years of my career at Thousand Oaks I taught literature in the
English Department. For the past 14 years I have been in the Social Science
Department teaching AP US History and CP US History.
Since coming to the school I have been and still am the current adviser of the
school's yearbook, The Lancer Legend. According to school lore, my 17 years as
adviser is the longest running tenure of anyone serving in this position. I am
not sure I should be praised or pitied for such a distinction!
I have listed a few quotes from well-noted historians Ken Burns and David
McCullough which I believe reflect my philosophy as a history teacher.
Quote from Ken Burns:
"History is not the memorization of dates and facts that have little meaning.
History is a set of questions we in the present ask of the past. Those
questions are fears we have, the hopes and dreams we have, that really help to
figure out who we are now and where we're going. The study of history is as
much about our future as it is about our past."
Quotes from David McCullough:
"History teaches and reinforces what we believe in, what we stand for, and
what we ought to be willing to stand up for."
"History teaches with specific examples the evils of injustice, ignorance or
demagoguery, just as it shows how potent is plain courage, or one simple
illuminating idea."
"Everything we have, all our great institutions, our laws, our music, art and
poetry, our freedoms, everything is because somebody went before us and did
the hard work, provided the creative energy, faced the storms, made the
sacrifices, kept the faith. Indifference to history isn’t just ignorant; it’s
a form of ingratitude."
