2008 Midyear Retreat: Teachers Enjoy a Harmonious Weekend at the Beach!

In February, participants in the Teaching American History in South Carolina (TAHSC) program assembled at Springmaid Beach Resort and Conference Center at Myrtle Beach for the 2008 Midyear Retreat.  The event provided an opportunity for teachers to share lesson plans and teaching strategies with colleagues from the Summer Institutes held in the Midlands, Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina.  The two-day event focused on the theme “Harmony & Disharmony in American History”.

Dr. Charles Joyner, Professor of Southern History and Director of the Waccamaw Center for Cultural and Historical Studies at Coastal Carolina University, kicked off the event Friday evening with a presentation entitled “A Region in Harmony: Southern Music and the Sound Track of Freedom” that discussed culture and race along with the development of beach, blues, and jazz music in the South.  Joyner reflected upon his younger days in Myrtle Beach during the Jim Crow era and of black and white dancers joyfully shagging together while, down the street, Ku Klux Klan members attacked a dance-hall owner who allowed racial mixing.  His account, although startling, reminded attendees that many events in history create harmony and disharmony at the same time.

On Saturday, the participants reflected upon their TAHSC experiences since the Summer Institutes. Meeting in both regional and grade-level groups, teachers shared their successes and challenges with the program along with creative solutions developed along the way. John Hook, author of Shagging in the Carolinas, closed the event with a discussion on beach music accompanied by a lively demonstration of shag dancing. Reminding teachers that music and dance can be used in the classroom to teach history. A slide show of the summer's activities concluded the 2008 Midyear Retreat and offered a chance for all to look back at the successes of the past year and to look forward to new challenges in the classroom.