What does a history instructor do?
History instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real history instructor resumes:
- Develop lesson plans, teach mechanics and creativity in writing, teach reading, math and manage resource room as needed.
- Create syllabus, tests, and writing assignments.
- Instruct the college students in macro and micro economics.
- Create online economics course (essentials) using the blackboard and the desire to learn (D2L) systems.
- Instruct upper level mathematics courses, include calculus, trigonometry, geometry and probability and statistics
- Incorporate multidimensional, multicultural curriculum that link geography, the arts, history, language, culture, and society.
- Instruct students in summarization, rhetorical analysis, and research methods focusing on MLA documentation.
History instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of History Instructors are proficient in Classroom Management, Syllabus, and Student Learning. They’re also known for soft skills such as Critical-thinking skills, Interpersonal skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of History Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Classroom Management, 13%
Mentored younger teachers in classroom management and preparation of lesson plans.
- Syllabus, 10%
Designed and implemented a syllabus curriculum that reflects the University mission-critical information.
- Student Learning, 9%
Negotiated and communicated with parents to improve student learning.
- World History, 8%
Worked with faculty to develop inclusive World History core curricula to assist department in meeting Department of Defense directives.
- Academic Support, 7%
Provided academic support and enrichment as a long-term ESL Substitute Teacher.
- Curriculum Development, 7%
Provide an excellent teaching experience as well as student advisement, recruitment activities and program/curriculum development.
"classroom management," "syllabus," and "student learning" are among the most common skills that history instructors use at work. You can find even more history instructor responsibilities below, including:
Critical-thinking skills. The most essential soft skill for a history instructor to carry out their responsibilities is critical-thinking skills. This skill is important for the role because "to conduct original research and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need to analyze information logically." Additionally, a history instructor resume shows how their duties depend on critical-thinking skills: "helped non-traditional students develop critical-thinking abilities via mathematical concepts. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling history instructor duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." According to a history instructor resume, here's how history instructors can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "created and delivered lectures on communication including public speaking and speech writing, interpersonal communication and group communication"
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for history instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how history instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a history instructor: "represented online adjunct faculty in quarterly division meetings maintain online instructional skills through a professional development and growth plan".
Writing skills. For certain history instructor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "writing skills." The day-to-day duties of a history instructor rely on this skill, as "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what history instructors do: "prepared assignments for student reports; assisted students in organizing and writing research findings, bibliographies and final reports. "
The three companies that hire the most history instructors are:
- Suffolk University2 history instructors jobs
- Metropolitan State University of Denver2 history instructors jobs
- Proviso Township Schools2 history instructors jobs
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Compare different history instructors
History instructor vs. Assistant professor of history
An assistant professor of history focuses on teaching history courses among undergraduate and graduate students in a university or college. Besides teaching, they also provide assistance to professors and other staff through various clerical tasks such as conducting research and analyses, handling calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, organizing events and activities, and liaising with internal and external parties. In the absence of the professor, an assistant professor of history may also assume their duties to maintain an efficient office workflow and an effective learning environment for the students.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a history instructor are more likely to require skills like "syllabus," "student learning," "world history," and "academic support." On the other hand, a job as an assistant professor of history requires skills like "philosophy," "graduate courses," "colleges," and "african american history." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Assistant professors of history really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $68,211. Comparatively, history instructors tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $52,546.The education levels that assistant professors of history earn slightly differ from history instructors. In particular, assistant professors of history are 7.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a history instructor. Additionally, they're 12.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.History instructor vs. American history teacher
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, history instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "classroom management," "student learning," "world history," and "academic support." Meanwhile, an american history teacher has duties that require skills in areas such as "instructional methods," "enhance student learning," "administrative regulations," and "social studies curriculum." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. American history teachers tend to reach similar levels of education than history instructors. In fact, they're 3.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for history instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Joseph M. Snyder Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History, Southeast Missouri State University
It's worth mentioning, though, that the widespread popularity of these tools has been subject to institutional resource availability and individual proclivities among the professoriate. Recent studies have demonstrated, though, that the trend in the use of these tools has been increasing, most perceptibly, among cohorts who've recently entered the field. The trend suggests that familiarity with these tools will become increasingly important for research and publication, both of which are necessary components of promotion at universities and most colleges.
In addition, history professors do a great deal of teaching, and the online/hybrid learning revolution is well underway, a trend accelerated by the pandemic. While most institutions have typically offered online and/or hybrid learning modalities, the foundation of instruction has traditionally tended toward in-class/face-to-face modality. While this is still a very important component of learning in higher ed, we are increasingly using telelecturing software and devices to reach students who aren't physically present in our classrooms. I teach multiple online courses each semester, as well as face-to-face sections that are hybridized asynchronous with telelecturing components. I expect that this trend will continue unabated, at least for the foreseeable future.
Many aspects of learning have, of necessity, entered the digital realm for the first time when before there was no real need to or indeed belief they could be delivered via any other modality. Recent graduates will likely need to prepare themselves for this altered learning landscape and so develop skills in the usage of video-conferencing software (such as Zoom) and learning management software (such as Moodle, Blackboard, and Canvas).
History instructor vs. Economic history teacher
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a history instructor is likely to be skilled in "classroom management," "syllabus," "academic support," and "political science," while a typical economic history teacher is skilled in "class performance," "economic theories," "data analysis," and "professional learning communities."
Economic history teachers typically earn lower educational levels compared to history instructors. Specifically, they're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 4.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.History instructor vs. Church history teacher
Types of history instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
