I. SELF-ASSESSMENT: Current Strengths in Scholarship, Teaching and Citizenship
A. Scholarship
I have begun my professional career at BYU by writing two articles on subjects related to my dissertation. Both articles are being reviewed by top journals at this time. I am also working on turning my dissertation into a book manuscript. I believe that my research in the field of primary and religious education in early modern France can make a significant contribution to the history of the Catholic Reformation in Europe, emphasizing the long-term process of religious change in the post-Reformation era. I have also uncovered evidence that sheds light on the development of literacy skills in rural areas–most historians believe that this process took place only in the nineteenth century, but I have shown that the eighteenth century was the key time for changes in both educational and religious theories that contributed to increasing literacy long before the establishment of state-supported primary schools. Another one of my strengths is my commitment to archival research in rural areas of France. Provincial archives are often neglected by scholars who prefer to work in urban centers like Paris or Lyon, but my love for rural France has led me to work in underused yet crucial archives. My love for the history of the neglected, the marginal, and the unusual also provides a unique perspective in my teaching, as I hope to provide multiple perspectives of the past for my students.

B. Teaching
During the 2006-2007 academic year, I taught four different courses: World Civilizations, a small seminar course entitled Persecution and Toleration in Early Modern Europe, History of France, and the Historian’s Craft. With the addition of Reformation Europe in Fall 2007, this is the repertoire of courses that I plan on teaching for the next several years.

I believe my training as a teacher has been quite extensive for a new assistant professor. Although I came to BYU having taught just one university course on my own, I had worked for eleven different professors as a teaching assistant in nineteen courses. I gave several lectures and led my own Friday discussion sections for several years. In addition, I began my career as a high school history teacher, so I have had a good deal of experience in front of a classroom. All of these experiences provided me with good ideas about how a class should be organized, what kinds of readings and materials are useful, and what kinds of assessments work best. Of course, I am constantly revising my ideas about what works and what does not (see goals section, below), but I love teaching and enjoy doing the work required to teach a good course. I especially enjoy teaching History 201–our World Civilizations course. I worked with excellent world historians in graduate school, and learned the important lesson that world history is not a history of the whole world–it is a history of global processes and trends, and how humans react to larger social, economic, political, and environmental challenges. I am very enthusiastic about teaching this GE course, and I don’t consider it to be a “service” course in any way. In fact, at some point I would like to teach a course on teaching world history, designed for history teaching majors, to help spark a passion for teaching world history in some of my students.

C. Citizenship
M y greatest strength in citizenship is my willingness to serve. Because my father is an academic, and has served as department chair at two different universities for a total of about twelve years, I grew up hearing stories of faculty who refused to pull their own weight, to serve on committees, or to mentor new colleagues. Once I entered academia I resolved to do what was needed so that no department chair would ever have anything to complain about as far as my citizenship was concerned. This year I served on two committees but my responsibilities were fairly light–I’m sure they will increase in the coming years, but I will complete all tasks assigned to me promptly and thoroughly. Our department is very collegial, and I have enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and their work.

II. PROFESSIONAL GOALS
A. Scholarship
My current research project is turning my dissertation, “Creating Catholics: Catechism and Primary Education in Early Modern France,” into a book. I have completed some revisions in the last few months, and I have two research assistants who are getting some archival data for me this summer. Other than that, the project requires very little additional research, and any loose ends can be tied up here without any further research trips. I will have a prospectus ready to send to publishers by the end of August 2007, and hope that it will be accepted by a university press by December 2008.

I have several ideas for my next book project, but as of yet I am unsure of the sources that I will use. I would like to do some research on the relationship between the laity and their parish priest in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France. I have some evidence that contradicts the current scholarship on the subject, but I need to decide what sort of sources will help me to answer this question. I would also like to examine the intersection between religion and village politics. Another interest of mine is the way that religion influenced rural medical care, especially in hospitals run by religious orders and in regard to village midwives. My goal is to begin narrowing down the types of archival sources that may be available, and to spend Spring 2008 in France gathering initial data. I can cover the secondary literature while teaching, and plan on spending my free semester (after passing the third-year review) completing the bulk of the archival research in France. I hope to have most of the initial manuscript finished by the time I come up for sixth-year review.

I plan to be active in professional historical organizations as well. I presented a paper at the Sixteenth Century Studies conference in October of 2006, and another paper has been accepted for the 2007 conference. This summer I will attend a meeting of the Society for the History of Children and Youth in Sweden. I also intend to participate in the meeting of the Society for French Historical Studies in March 2008. My overall goal is to attend at least two professional conferences each year. While I have not generally looked forward to conferences in the past, I do understand the benefits from attending and networking with other scholars. I was also quite pleased with the fact that writing a conference paper for Sixteenth Century Studies last fall was able to help me refine my thinking on an article I was writing, and was overall a very positive experience. I’m sure I will have similar experiences in the future.

B. Teaching
When I began teaching at BYU, I had a good deal of confidence in myself as a teacher. Then I got my student evaluations. What a shock! The ratings for my History of France class (50 students) were fine, but quite poor for my World Civilizations course (130 students). After a lot of soul-searching (mainly during the spring seminar) I have come to several different conclusions. (1) I have been teaching the material, rather than the students. I believed that since I had been given such a large class, it would be impossible for me to get to know my students on a personal level. No matter how difficult the task, I need to put in more effort into learning what my students need, and what I can do to make this class a more enlightening experience for them. (2) I need to modify the content of the course so that I can go over material more slowly and more in depth, instead of trying to cover everything. Along the same lines, I need to assign less reading. I feel like the texts that I assign are so important, but I had forgotten how difficult reading primary sources written before 1500 can be for the uninitiated student. Students haven’t been taught to read these types of texts, so I need to spend more time teaching them those skills instead of just expecting that they will pick them up on their own. (3) I need to vary my teaching techniques to make sure that I can engage all of the students in the class, not just the ones who like history anyway and want to participate. In the future (perhaps not next year, but a bit later in my career), I plan on using the “iclicker” system to engage students during lectures, and provide more opportunities for them to think about issues and then discuss them with their classmates. This will require a big leap of faith for me, since it means relinquishing control over discussions in many cases. (4) I am also working on new ways to assess students’ work that will be more useful to them but still rigorous. I also plan on assigning fewer papers so that I can grade more of them myself (instead of turning them over to teaching assistants) and provide feedback. I want to give students plenty of opportunity to revise their work as well, so that they can improve their writing. (5) I need to share my enthusiasm for my subject better with the students. I seem to have done this in my smaller classes, but somehow many of my World Civ students were under the impression that I did not want to teach the course at all. This is simply not true, and I need to do a better job at communicating my love for world history. Even more specifically, I hope that I can convey to students how spiritually challenging, but ultimately satisfying, studying world history can be. I have at times avoided broaching challenging subjects in class for fear that students will complain or misunderstand what I have to say about how to reconcile the secular subjects in world history with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have never been very good at expressing my spirituality in front of large groups, but I plan to try to improve this skill by being more open. I hope that if I get to know my students better from the beginning, I will feel more comfortable in doing this. (6) I want to find a balance between helping students and spoon-feeding them. I believe very strongly that at some point, no matter what I or any other professor does, students have to be responsible for their own learning. College students are going through the difficult process of growing up–learning how to handle things on their own. If I coddle them, I won’t be doing them any favors. The key is to do this in a balanced, loving manner. I’m still working on the best way to do this, but I have confidence that if I keep trying new things, I will eventually find the way to do it.

C. Citizenship
I have had the least experience with citizenship so far, so it is difficult to know exactly what my goals are at this point. I plan to accept and carry out the department assignments that are given to me, with enthusiasm and dedication. Although I don’t anticipate being given any college or university assignments for a number of years yet, I will accept those when they come (with the guidance of my department chair). I hope to be as positive and collegial as possible, to ensure an atmosphere of cooperation and satisfaction within our department.

III. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY GOALS AND UNIVERSITY NEEDS
I feel that I can meet the needs of the university in at least three ways, two in regards to teaching and one in regards to my research. (1) The document “Aims of a BYU Education” states that students’ education should be intellectually enlarging, and that undergraduate students should be educated in five areas of human knowledge: religion (including an awareness of other religious traditions), historical perspective, science, arts and letters, and global awareness. By teaching the World Civilizations course, I plan to deal with five out of six of those areas (although I may also cover some of the history of science, it does not get a major emphasis in my course). One of my primary goals in teaching World Civ is to increase students’ appreciation for the history of religions other than the LDS faith. My own testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been strengthened by my study of world religions, and I am anxious to communicate with the students the wonderful variety of ways that Heavenly Father has built relationships with his children–all of his children, not just those who are privileged to live in the latter days. All men and women who have ever lived on this earth are our Heavenly Father’s children, and I hope to demonstrate to my students that this fact alone makes the study of history worthwhile. I believe that a study of world history will also increase understanding of the process of globalization that is occurring in our time, with all of its benefits and dangers. Finally, I deal with religious history in all of the smaller courses that I teach, and plan to communicate these same ideas there as well. (2) I hope to be an example to all of my students of a faithful, active, and committed member of the LDS church. Students have many examples here on campus of wonderful men and women who pursue challenging careers but also create a wonderful home in which to raise their families. Although I have not had the opportunity to raise a family yet, I hope I will in the future, and in the meantime I believe I can serve as an example to other single young women who may also have to live a good number of years without a family or companion. My small example may show them that being single is not an excuse to ease one’s commitment to the gospel or to sit idly by, waiting for the future without embracing the present. (3) I study primarily religious history, and many people in the historical profession seem to feel that all “believers,” past and present, are fanatics or under the influence of irrational individuals. One of the things that is often discounted in religious studies is that real people truly do believe in God and in their religious faith. Many historians try to find economic, social, or cultural factors that explain away religious belief, but recently some scholars have been fighting against that practice. In my research, I plan to join those scholars, and emphasize the importance of belief and relationships between humans and the divine in historical settings. I believe this research is valuable for the historical profession, and it will help me to contribute to the overall spirit of the university.

IV. RESOURCES NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH PROFESSIONAL GOALS
I have been very satisfied with the resources that the university and the department have provided for me so far. I appreciate the faculty center programs (especially the writing seminar financed by the faculty center and given by Tara Gray), and I plan to participate in the “Writing across the Curriculum,” and GE Academy seminars this summer. There are abundant resources available to help with teaching. Technical and computer support have been excellent as well. My main concern is with the fact that my research requires significant time in European archives. Many of our colleagues in the college are able to do their research here in the US or even online, and thus do not have to spend the time or money for foreign travel. Research funds are fairly abundant, but I fear that I will not be granted enough time off from teaching. This will require me to make my research trips less frequent but more intensive, and I may look into having documents microfilmed or digitized to make my research easier.

COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
2007

For my course development project, I will answer the questions provided by the document, “Planning Your Course: A Decision Guide,” for History 303, “The Reformation,” a course I have been assigned to teach in the Fall of 2007.

1. Where am I?

A. What kind of students enroll in this course?
The class has 40 students, all but a few are either European Studies or History majors. They should be fairly motivated, since this is an elective course and most have prior interest in the subject. Most will have taken History 201 and 202, the World Civilizations courses.

B. What role does this course play in the overall educational experience of the students who take it?
History 303 is an upper division course, but it also counts for GE credit.

C. In what kind of curriculum is this course embedded?
For history majors, the course builds on skills they should have obtained in History 200, the introduction to the major course. As they take upper division courses, students should also be preparing for their capstone course, History 490. They may decide to write their major research papers on a Reformation topic. For the non-history majors, I’m not sure how this course fits into their curriculum.

D. What external professional standards (if any) need to be met?
None

E. How does this course contribute to the Mission of BYU and The Aims of a BYU Education? In what ways can it assist students in their eternal progression?
This course will help students with their critical thinking skills, provide them with information about other cultures and religions, and help them to think about how people in the past who did not have the advantage of the restored gospel built and maintained a relationship with Heavenly Father. Learning to appreciate people of other faiths can be intellectually enlarging as well as character-building. Studying other religions in their historical contexts has been a faith-promoting experience for me, and I hope that it will be for my students as well.

F. What are your own attitudes, beliefs, and values about teaching? What are your strengths as a teacher?
I believe that at the college level a teacher should be more of a facilitator rather than an instructor. I can provide structured learning activities, but students need to take responsibility for their own learning as well. I also believe that classroom time should not be spent simply lecturing to students, and I don’t like the idea of creating elaborate PowerPoint slides of material that they could get from their textbook. I try to structure class time so that I can reinforce what the students read, but offer other perspectives as well. I encourage students to ask questions, and one class period out of three is always devoted to student-led discussions of historical texts. I believe that one of my greatest strengths as a teacher is my commitment to the idea that education should be about thinking—discovering new ways to view a historical event or person, and relating that new perspective to one’s own life. If I can teach my students to think—to read, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize, the course will be much more valuable than if they memorized a lot of dates and facts.

G. What kind of learning space will you have?
A classroom with moveable desks, equipped with a computer and projector. The classroom holds exactly 40 desks, so space will be somewhat limited.

2. Where do I want to go? What do I want students to learn from my course?

A. What do you want students to be able to DO, once the course is over?

1. Students should be able to explain the major religious developments in Europe during the Reformation (1500-1700).
2. Students should be able to analyze primary source documents dealing with the Reformation.
3. Students should be able to analyze secondary source documents dealing with the Reformation.
4. Students should develop skills in expressing themselves orally, in a group discussion setting.
5. Students should improve their writing skills.

B. What would students have to KNOW in order to do the items listed in question "2.A" above?
Students will need to know what the major events of the Reformation were, and what some of the current historiography of the subject is. They should know how to read different historical texts and analyze them creatively yet responsibly. They should know the elements that constitute the historical method, and how to apply that method to their reading and writing. They should know how to express their ideas appropriately in group discussion settings. In order to write acceptable essays, they will need to understand the basics of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and essay organization.

C. What implications does the gospel have for student learning in this course? What spiritual/religious goals do you hope the students will realize?
When I was working on my master’s degree at BYU, I was a teaching assistant for this course during two different semesters. I found that studying the Reformation can be a little bit tricky for LDS students. They are constantly trying to pin down what truths reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin had (as if this in itself would justify the truth of the restored gospel), and they often have a hard time understanding that the reformers were doing the best that they could with limited resources. Some may believe that the only reason to study these reformers is because they were paving the way for Joseph Smith. Then when they find out that many individuals in history didn’t follow the BYU honor code, they are apt to judge them rather harshly. My task is to help the students to try to understand historical individuals within the context of their historical setting. I hope that the process of learning to reconcile secular learning with their spiritual beliefs will make them kinder, more understanding, and more forgiving individuals in the future.

3. How will I know if they got there?

A. For each goal specified above, what information can you gather that shows how well the goal was achieved for each student individually? For the class as a whole?
I will construct assignments that will help me to determine if students have met their goals. Two essay exams will cover the basic material of the course—events, historiography, etc. I will assign papers that require students to analyze both types of historical documents and exercise their writing skills. Students will also be evaluated on class participation.

B. For which goals are multiple-choice exams sufficient? Essay exams? Project assignments? Writing assignments? Other "products"?
The types of goals I have for this course cannot be met with multiple-choice exams. I need to be able to evaluate students’ writing, since this is one of the primary elements of history itself. So my exams are all essay (they are given the topics beforehand), and all of the assignments (except for a short map quiz) are papers. I do give participation points as well, so that students who participate in class discussions (in small groups and with the whole class as well) will be rewarded.

4. How can I help them get there? (What general structure of learning activities will best assist the students in achieving the goals you have established?)

The strategy that best suits the goals of this course is strategy B.: “read – write – talk.” After some basic background from me (usually in lecture format), students will read historical documents, write about them, and then talk about them with me and their classmates.

5. What are the students going to do?

A. For each goal listed in #2, what learning activities will generate the kind of learning you envision?
In order to understand the elements of the Reformation, students will need to listen to lectures, take notes, and read and study some texts. Class discussions will also help them to understand the material. I believe that students should have the opportunity to improve their work so the final exam will be weighted more heavily than the midterm. There will be several opportunities for students to turn in papers throughout the semester, so students who feel more comfortable with the material can do papers early, and others might do later papers. Students who wish to improve their grade can do an extra paper to replace a low score. I will also use some in-class writing activities to help students improve their writing skills. I will make available some materials on writing that students can read if they wish (John Trimble’s Writing with Style is excellent), and we will have a writing workshop early in the semester so that students will know exactly what my expectations are. As far as participation is concerned, I plan on using general class discussions as well as small-group discussions so that students who might not feel comfortable talking in front of the whole class can still participate.

B. Is "hearing" sufficient? Or "reading"? Or "doing"? Or does the learning goal require some combination of activities?
I don’t believe that hearing, reading, or doing are sufficient on their own. Students should have the opportunity for all three.

C. How much hearing, reading, doing, etc., is needed?
This course will require more reading and doing than anything else. Reading and writing are at the heart of history, and the best way to become a better reader and/or writer is simply through practice.

6. When will I do what?

Mondays and Wednesdays will be devoted to lecture and some general class discussion. Fridays will be devoted entirely to discussion of a specified text.

See attached syllabus for more details.

7. Resources.

One important resource is a teaching assistant. I should have a graduate student as a TA in the fall, and he will be a great help with grading and organization. Because I require so much writing, the grading can be somewhat onerous, but if he can do the preliminary editing it will save me a lot of time. Students can also go to him for help in getting started with their papers. I also plan on recommending the students visit the writing center if they need help with basic writing skills.

As of now, I have very few images that will be useful in class lectures. I need to find out what resources our department has available for scanning images for use in PowerPoint presentations.

8. How are you going to grade?

See attached syllabus.

9. What could go wrong?

A. What kinds of situations might arise as you implement this course? e.g., Will students be motivated to do the work? What if they're not?
This course is designed primarily for history majors, and students from other majors may not appreciate my emphasis on historiography. Some may worry about the amount of reading involved, and others may not want to put in the time needed to improve their writing. In fact, some may not understand the necessity of improving their writing at all. I don’t believe that this means I should change my goals for the course, but rather explain from day one where I am coming from. I should also ask students to help me to understand what their goals are, and if there are ways that I can meet individual students’ needs.

B. Does the design encourage student involvement?
Yes, I believe that by focusing on discussion I should get a significant amount of student involvement. I am also working on a more active lecture style—asking more questions and trying to get feedback on how well students have understood a subject.

C. Will students get sufficient feedback on their performance?
Yes, I am committed to providing good feedback on all graded work, including exams and papers. Students are also free to speak with me or the teaching assistant about their work.

D. How can you prevent (or at least minimize) problems?
I plan to use a variety of texts that students without history backgrounds can appreciate, and to use discussions to relate the material to situations they might have to deal with in their own lives. I will also limit the number of pages of reading that I assign—the history department guidelines specify that 300-level courses should include between 1500 and 2000 pages of reading, and I will require approximately 1800 pages. As far as writing is concerned, I have found that as long as students feel like they will get adequate feedback on what they write, and that they aren’t being asked to do busywork, they generally appreciate opportunities to improve their writing. I can’t force students to be better writers, but I can try to help them understand the importance of good written communication.

10. How will I know how the course is going? How it went?

A. What kinds of mid-term and end-of-term feedback will you need?
The midterm exam should provide good feedback on how well students understand the basic concepts of the course, and if I need to make any adjustments I will have time in the last half of the semester to do so. Because students have to write papers on two primary sources (the first half of the semester) and two secondary sources (the second half of the semester), no student will be able to wait until the very end of the semester to turn in written work. This way I can see what kind of progress students are making, and provide extra help for those who need it.

B. What specific questions about the course do you have? How effective are the particular learning activities? To what degree are the goals for the course achieved?
I need to know if students are just reading and taking down notes only so that they can pass the test, instead of truly engaging with the subject matter. I should be able to gauge this from the discussions and the papers, but perhaps not fully. I would really like students to come away from the course with a true appreciation for the history of the Reformation, not just a notebook full of facts that will be easily forgotten.

C. What sources of information can help you answer these questions?
I plan on asking students to submit a midterm evaluation of me, so that I can pinpoint areas that I need to work on. I also plan to have my mentor visit my class a couple of times, and I will ask the individual who also teaches this class to sit in as well.

11. Syllabus

See attached.

SCHOLARSHIP STRATEGIES PROJECT PROPOSAL
MAY 2007

A. My program of scholarship
I believe that my research in the field of primary and religious education in early modern France can make a significant contribution to the history of the Catholic Reformation in Europe, emphasizing the long-term process of religious change in the post-Reformation era. I have also uncovered evidence that sheds light on the development of literacy skills in rural areas–most historians believe that this process took place only in the nineteenth century, but I have shown that the eighteenth century was the key time for changes in both educational and religious theories that contributed to increasing literacy long before the establishment of state-supported primary schools. Another one of my strengths is my commitment to archival research in rural areas of France. Provincial archives are often neglected by scholars who prefer to work in urban centers like Paris or Lyon, but my love for rural France has led me to work in underused yet crucial archives. My love for the history of the neglected, the marginal, and the unusual also provides a unique perspective in the field.

My current research project is turning my dissertation, “Creating Catholics: Catechism and Primary Education in Early Modern France,” into a book. I have completed some revisions in the last few months, and I have two research assistants who are getting some archival data for me this summer. Other than that, the project requires very little additional research, and any loose ends can be tied up here without any further research trips. I will have a prospectus ready to send to publishers by the end of August 2007, and hope that it will be accepted by a university press by December 2008.

B. Scholarly Goals for 2007-2008

1. Complete and submit revisions for my article, “‘Les garçons et les filles sont pêle mêle dans l’école:’ Gender and Primary Education in Early Modern France.” The manuscript was initially submitted to French Historical Studies in January 2007. In March I was asked to revise and resubmit, which I did in April 2007.
2. Complete and submit revisions for my article, “The Science of Salvation: Catechisms and Catholic Reform in Early Modern France.” I submitted the article to Sixteenth Century Studies the first week of May 2007.
3. Present a paper at the Society for French Historical Studies in March 2008.
4. Write a book prospectus and send it to publishers. Possible publishers include Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, University of California, Chicago, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Catholic.
5. Complete all necessary revisions and additions on the existing book manuscript, including a new introduction and a new chapter on gender and education. Incorporate new data gathered by research assistants this summer. This manuscript should then be ready to send to reviewers when a press expresses interest.
6. Begin narrowing down archival sources for a new project, on either parish priests, religion and village politics, or religious hospitals, and plan a research trip to evaluate those sources (Spring 2008).

C. Strategies for Increasing Scholarly Productivity

1. Set aside one hour every week to read journals and browse h-net in order to stay current in the field.
2. Set aside one evening each week to read a research-related book.
3. Continue to follow the Tara Gray writing program and write for at least 30 minutes each day. Continue to meet for one hour weekly with writing team members.
4. Set aside two hours each week to begin developing my next book project.
5. Share drafts of book chapters with the history department writing group.
6. Use time at conferences to speak with book publishers, and network with other scholars in my field.

D. Evaluation Methods

I will create charts that I can use to mark the amount of time that I spend on research throughout the year (see attached).

The tangible results of my work will be shown in the completed book prospectus, the revised book manuscript, correspondence with journals and/or presses, and a brief write-up of ideas for a new project.

 

CITIZENSHIP PROJECT
MAY 2007

Teaching

• I will ask my mentor or another colleague to visit my classes at least once a semester.
• I will visit my colleagues’ History 201 classes and ask if they would mind sharing some ideas on how they have improved the course.
• I will talk with my department chair or associate department chair about developing a course that I could team-teach with another professor in the department. I will also talk with colleagues who might want to team-teach with me.

Scholarship

• I will participate in our bi-monthly department writing group, reading and commenting on other faculty members’ work. I will also present my own work on at least one occasion.

Service

• I have not yet received a committee assignment for next year, but I anticipate that I will once again serve on our student awards committee. One change that I plan to make this coming year is to do a better job of persuading both students and faculty to submit their papers for the awards.
• Our department will conduct at least three searches in the Fall of 2007, and I will participate fully in meetings and activities associated with those searches.
• I will participate in our Rank and Status meetings.

Collegiality

1. I will attend the department social activities that we regularly have.
2. I will go out to lunch with colleagues at least twice a month.
3. I will speak with every member of the faculty and find out what their current research projects are. I will also make an effort to read my colleagues’ new books.

Collaborating with Colleagues Outside of BYU

• I will regularly attend the conferences of the Society for French Historical Studies, and Sixteenth Century Studies.
• At conferences, I will work on making contacts with scholars in my field.