History teacher specialising in Ancient History, with a background making award winning historical documentaries

I have a BA in Ancient History and an MA with Distinction in Military History from the University of Birmingham. My areas of expertise focus on Classical, Graeco-Roman history between 500BCE - 400CE and later Religious-Military history from 1050CE up to the present day. I have spent the 15 years since my graduation producing award winning history documentaries for broadcast television and historical dramas for both TV and cinema. In all the screen work I've done I've prided myself on ensuring stringent historical accuracy across the scripting and production design. I'm passionate about History for the following reasons: 1) It teaches students how to think critically. It's a discipline that demands the careful structuring of argument, building evidence-based conclusions obtained through analysis of primary sources. It enables people to write a case that is clear and compelling and is a must for any one who wants to master essay writing. It's not a subject that teaches students what to think, but how to think. 2) Understanding how we came to be where we are is integral to understand who we are as a society and how the world came to look as it does. 3) A proper understanding of yesterday is useful in helping make the best decisions today and predict what may lie ahead of us tomorrow. My lessons feature discussions around primary sources, utilising tools such as timelines to help understand the sequence of events and detailed assistance with how to structure essays for maximum impact.