Twenty years ago, when she was considering a career change to become a teacher, Betsy Gottschalk worried that she might bore her students.

“Boring” is not a word anyone would use to describe Gottschalk, an eighth-grade instructor of history, literature and art at Assumption Catholic School.

The proof? She was recently honored as the Gilder-Lehrman Washington State American History Teacher of the Year.

“(She) uses primary documents, artifacts, field trips and art to bring history to life,” Assumption Principal Rose Goeres said in her letter of support.

Gottschalk is in her 19th year of teaching after formerly working with developmentally delayed adults. She completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the University of Victory and her teaching certification at Western Washington University.

Question: Looking around your classroom, you have so many ways to challenge your students.

Answer: I love to incorporate literature and art. I also love to have our students delve into primary sources of all kinds. This helps history come alive.

For example, I brought in a grandfather who served in World War II military intelligence. He became very emotional when he talked about the first dead American soldier he saw. That really touched the students.

Q: Do you connect current events with history?

A: I try to make history as relevant as possible by showing students how the past and present can connect, such as showing how President Lincoln and Senator Obama both emerged from state politics in Illinois without much experience.

Q: Why did you think you might be boring?

A: To be honest, my grandmother and my aunt were teachers for a long time, and they were the most boring teachers in the world. Somewhere along the line I realized I could be a teacher and that “Gottschalk” did not have to equal “boring.”

Q: Do you run across students who consider history as less than relevant?

A: I remember this girl who told me, “I hate history.” By the end of the year, she said, “I really like learning history.” In her case, she really got the chance to dig into primary sources. Getting students to understand the link between the past and present is very important, because these are our future leaders.

Q: Did your students understand the significance of having an African-American and a woman competing for a presidential nomination?

A: They know it’s unusual, but they see the choices as a campaign, not as a miracle. They’re accepting of people’s differences.

Q: What do you think of your award?

A: I look at this as our award, for the whole Assumption community. After I was nominated, I was asked to submit a video and one of my students, Drew Ronson, did a marvelous job as a videographer. Then I had to submit students’ work, my philosophical statement, and letters of support.

Q: Rose, what’s your view of Betsy’s honor?

A: She’s an exemplary teacher, exactly the kind of teacher you would hope to have for your child.