written by Kathryn Ross
This month’s alumna Margaret E. Bartlett earned her degrees from APU in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Armed with her B.A. in Social Science, M.A.Ed in Learning and Technology, and Single Subject Teaching Credential, Bartlett now works as a High School Social Science teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
“I have loved history and the social sciences since sixth grade,” said Bartlett. “Sixth grade was the first year when you had more than one teacher, walked to more than one classroom, and began learning at a higher difficulty level. The transition…was tough for me but my sixth grade social science teacher made life more fun. I looked forward to school every day because she made history more interesting than anything on TV and by the end of that year, I figured there was really no way I could be happier than to be a teacher like her.”
APU was the perfect place to nurture Bartlett’s love for history and social science as well prepare her for her career in teaching. “After getting my B.A. in social science, I moved on to a graduate program at APU,” noted Bartlett. “The process of obtaining a teaching credential culminates in a semester of student teaching and the first week…was intimidating: I was placed in an eighth grade U.S. History classroom halfway through the school year. I didn’t know kids’ names, I was more of a World History person, and I still had night classes and a job to balance. At the end of that first week, though, a student approached my desk and placed down a drawing—it was of me and said, ‘I’m really glad you’re in our class.’”
That moment was a big one for Bartlett and now, looking back, she sees how much it’s prepared her for her current role:
“I'm brand new to my career in SCUSD, but my undergraduate experience in CLAS for my B.A. in Social Science helped me succeed by inspiring me to deepen my love of history and all of the other social sciences (geography, economics, government, etc.). Teaching something that you do not understand or care about is difficult. Even with minimal instruction thus far in the school year, my colleagues and my students alike have commented on how obvious my love for my subject matter is, and lesson planning is not too difficult when you actually understand the content you need to teach.”
What’s more, Bartlett is finding that her APU education has been both meaningful and helpful in other areas as well: “This year, I will begin the process of ‘Induction,’which is a requirement for all new teaching credential-holders in California,” she says. “This is a two-year process by which our preliminary credentials become ‘cleared’ and I am confident that the education I received at APU has prepared me for success in Induction—and I am excited for my career moving forward.”
In addition to academic and career growth, APU was also a space of interpersonal and spiritual development for Bartlett. “Relationally,” she said, “joining APU’s community was such a blessing. In both my undergrad and graduate programs (as well as through my employment at APU), I made lasting friendships.” As for her faith, Bartlett noted that her Christian-based education at APU has had a positive impact on her career: “Though I am teaching in a public school, I am so aware that every student I see throughout the day was made in the image of God—even the ones that don’t want to take out their AirPods or that speak over me. It all really comes down to Imago Dei, and that mindset that every student has intrinsic value and deserves respect, care, and the best education I can possibly give.”
In closing, one meaningful experience from APU that stands out for Bartlett is taking her History 300 course with Dr. Bryan Lamkin. In this class Bartlett was tasked with transcribing an authentic Civil War letter from a Union soldier, researching the letter for references, and writing a paper on the experience. “That assignment has always stuck with me because it was real history. The page before me had been touched by a pen 150 years prior.” Seeing history come alive in this way is something Bartlett strives to recreate in her own classroom now. She wants students to care about history—and she wants them to feel and see how enthusiastic she is about the subject and how it affects our lives.
