RICHMOND, VA. — Samantha Futrell, a social studies teacher at St. Michael's Episcopal School, is making her class exciting for students. While some may think social studies is boring, her teaching style proves otherwise.
"The energy that she brings to the classroom allows for it to be tremendously dynamic. A lot of project based learning," Bob Gregg, the Head of School, said.
Students agree with him.
"She just has so many extra fun activities that she does with the class, and she just makes everything so much more fun," an eighth-grader named Gabby said.
Futrell believes that getting students involved is key.
"A lot of that engagement comes from them," she said. "I think that it's really important that students drive their own learning. And so maybe when Gabby said that class is fun, I think really, maybe I've tricked her."
Futrell is skilled at making serious topics like elections interesting.
"I think that politics is fun. That's why people care so much about it. So it's naturally just something people care about," she explained.
Futrell's students are showcasing their work in the Virginia History Museum's Traveling Bricks exhibit.
They created LEGO models based on Richmond's history by researching historic sites and writing original historical markers.
Futrell's hard work has paid off; she was recently named the National Secondary Social Studies Teacher of the Year.
“This isn't the biggest school, but these are some of the best teachers that I've ever met, and they inspire me every single day to really push students to be their absolute best in the classroom,” she said.
Futrell’s recognition shows how creative teaching can make social studies fun and engaging for students.
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