Any student who has ever taken one of Amy Holtsford’s Government or Law classes knows how it feels to be taught by a teacher truly dedicated and experienced in her field of expertise. Holtsford has knowledge beyond her knowledge about politicians, lawmaking, political parties and, most importantly, the significance of being a well-informed person.
Unlike most of the U.S. population, Holtsford has taken time to meet and shake hands with local and state politicians such as Senator Barack Obama (when he was a senator), former Governor Rod Blagojevich, Representative Sandy Cole and Senator Michael Bond. She keeps up to date on incoming politicians by reading local newspapers and taking advantage of LHS’ connection with the County Union.
Even though she didn’t always plan on becoming a high school teacher (she actually declared her Education major at the last second during her sophomore year at University of Illinois, right before enrolling in classes for the following semester), meeting politicians has always been a part of Holtsford’s plan to be a well-versed citizen.
“My parents talked about politics all the time. In fact, one of my first recollections was politics. I just knew I wanted to be informed. That’s important no matter what,” Holtsford said.
One of her biggest tricks of the trade, so to speak, is having a good balance on both sides of the issues. With this goal in mind, Holtsford depends seriously on channels such as C-Span or NPR, which actively stay away from typical media biased news such as MSNBC or FOX.
In Holtsford’s classes, she also encourages students to seek hard news such as legislation and foreign affairs rather than celebrity-focused soft news.
“It’s easier to be entertained than informed because it’s not what you know, it’s what you do with it,” she said.
Holtsford is also a huge enthusiast of LHS and all of its great opportunities-- for teachers and students. For example, in June 2008, Holtsford attended a week-long seminar in Washington DC, where she connected with a former classmate from University of Illinois who is currently an attorney. Holtsford’s old classmate invited her to watch the Supreme Court in session and to witness meeting of the majority leader’s staff. LHS funded the trip as it was a great experience for Holtsford to learn more about the U.S. Government.
All in all, it’s pretty obvious that Holtsford teaches what she loves, but it is even more clear that her students love what she teaches.
photo by Megan Smith