Lincoln Rener: how APSUH teacher inspired senior to choose a career in history teaching at the secondary level

An endless stack of DBQ’s and WW1 annotations dominated senior Lincoln Rener’s middle school and early high school career, leaving him stressed and dreading history as a subject. But after entering AP U.S. History class his junior year, essay responses, fact memorization and note-taking became more enjoyable with each annotation. 

Rener accredits the shift in his appreciation to history teacher Jennifer Jordan’s undeniable passion for teaching, which inspired Rener to spend his lockdown listening to audiobooks and reading up on history, ultimately leading him to the decision to pursue teaching.

Jordan’s teaching style consists of circling back to how each topic relates to present-day situations by telling personal stories and providing up-to-date analogies. Rener listened with unwavering focus as he saw his future self in her shoes giving the next generation that same in-depth understanding of history. 

Rener will be attending Cornell College in the fall, planning to major in history and secondary education in order to create the same environment for future students that was created for him in Jordan’s class. 

“She was really the person who finalized and put it in my mind that this is what I want to do,” Rener said. “I can tell she has fun [teaching] and I was just like, ‘I think that’s what I want to do.’” 

Rener admired Jordan’s modern teaching styles and relationship with every student as both a teacher and a friend. 

For Jordan, establishing the classroom as an accepting environment where students can ask questions, grow in curiosity and have a good laugh is instinctual. 

“It’s not anything I’ve really done intentionally,” Jordan said. “I really like history and I do a lot of stuff about history and watch a lot of stuff about history so I just have all these weird little side stories I can go off into… just to kind of keep some interest and engagement. I think that’s kind of something you just have to do with history is draw those connections.”

Watching Jordan’s love for history, Rener was not only inspired to grow his own passion for history, but to learn how to step out of his comfort zone during the eight months he spent in Jordan’s class last year. 

“The beginning of the year, he was kind of shy and didn’t really talk much and kept to himself,” Jordan said. “Then as the year progressed… I got to see him come out of his shell a little bit more. I definitely could tell that he had an interest in history, he went a little bit deeper than some other students did, beyond the basic connecting the dots.”

Rener hasn’t given up on the spark that history has found in him, deciding to officially dedicate the next four years to learning how to be a secondary-level history teacher, keeping students involved, interested and always laughing — just like Jordan.