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During every interview, I also made sure to ask the students what was the most surprising or interesting thing they had learned while working on their History Day project. Sometimes it was about the topic, but nearly all of them learned something about themselves. Some learned how to work in groups, others felt inspired by an aspect of the person they studied and then made changes in their own lives, others learned more about their family.


All the students learned more than just how to build a website.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the students and I felt privileged to help the students talk about their projects. When I had originally thought about the interviews, I was wary. What would I ask them? What could the students tell me that was not in the website? It turned out that the interviews were a lot easier than I had expected. After having formulated a few basic starter questions, conversation usually took its own course. Each interview was different and each interview was fascinating.

I have heard that there are some people who argue that the interviews are superfluous. It is an easy statement to make since 98% of the judging in the website category is done prior to the interviews. However, I found the interviews to be an incredible opportunity for both students and judges and I came to the conclusion that I think it is one of the most important aspects of History Day. First and foremost, interviewing skills are a very important, because students who have had practice at presenting themselves in front of total strangers will have an easier time during future job interviews.

However, I also believe these interviews helped the students realize the importance of the process rather than just the final project and most left History Day proud of the work they had done.

Next Year

Judging the students' websites was a lengthy process but so very rewarding. I'm going to make sure I sign up for them again. I can't believe I waited so long to be a History Day judge!