This blog has been written by Otis Blaize, History & Politics Teacher at Trinity School, Croydon. Otis is presenting at the Conference, which takes place in Newcastle Gateshead on 15-16 May, on the topic of Contesting the crown: empire, independence and identity in the Caribbean.

Each year, the Historical Association Conference offers a combination of inspiration, challenge and practical takeaways for the classroom. This year will be my first time attending as part of the Secondary Committee and my first time presenting, which makes this year feel particularly significant. But more than anything, I’m looking forward to being in a space where history teachers can discuss together and share best practice about how we teach history.

What stands out from this year’s programme is the range of sessions that engage with recent developments in historiography and current debates. These sessions provide space for discussions beyond what we teach, but also how to, and to consider how these ideas may be framed within the classroom.

On the Friday, I’m keen to attend Teaching migration histories with confidence at Key Stage 3 by Helen Ward, Liberty Melly and Abdul Mohamud. This session promises to support teachers in building more meaningful and coherent narratives. Later in the day, Beyond ‘rebirth’ and ‘Nakba’: interpreting events leading to the foundation of Israel in 1948 by Rob Kanter. Also, Similar and different: how historical sources can reveal colonised experiences of the British Empire by Emma McKenna, Helen Ward, Robin Whitburn. These sessions feel particularly important right now, supporting teachers in helping students make sense of the present, whilst recognising how differing perspectives and interpretations shape the past.

I’ll also be delivering my own session, Contesting the Crown: empire, independence and identity in the Caribbean. The session has grown directly out of my work on the Teacher Fellowship this year focusing on The Caribbean, Monarchy and Legacies of Empire. The session focuses on a key issue I’ve found increasingly compelling: what did and what does the monarchy actually mean in the Caribbean after formal independence? Rather than treating independence as a neat endpoint, the session explores how the Crown continued to hold political, cultural and symbolic significance and how these meanings were contested in different ways across the region. I’m looking forward to sharing some of that thinking, as well as hearing how others approach similar questions about empire, identity and continuity in their own classrooms.

Saturday’s programme continues this focus on complexity and enquiry. I’m particularly interested in Teaching slavery and its legacies and Reimagining local, national and imperial histories in the classroom by Colin McCormick and Caitlyn Palmer, which seem to connect closely with ongoing conversations about the importance of engaging with the legacies of the British empire. Meanwhile, Entangled histories: teaching the partition of British India through emotion and enquiry by Kiran Mahil looks like it will offer a powerful example of how to frame histories with sensitivity and how to approach this in an enquiry.

Ultimately, what I’m most looking forward to is the atmosphere of the conference itself. There’s something energising about being surrounded by people who care deeply about history as a discipline that continues to evolve. By attending, you’ll hopefully come away with new ideas, new questions and a renewed sense of purpose in the classroom.