Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Glankler.
Hi Emily, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been teaching high school history in Austin for over a decade. Every time I would tell someone what I did for a living, I heard one of two responses: “I hated history class when I was in school,” or, “I don’t remember anything from history class!” It can be overwhelming trying to understand current events or even just enjoy movies or shows set in the past without having any historical context. And, if you wanted to go teach yourself US history as an adult, for example, there weren’t a lot of easy places to start. So I founded Anti-Social Studies as a way to make my expertise accessible to people beyond my classroom. Originally, I created a podcast that walked listeners through World History (Season 1), Current Events (Season 2), and US History (Season 3).
When the pandemic hit, there was all of a sudden a huge need across the country for good educational resources that students and teachers could use remotely. Many teachers had already been using my podcast and website as a resource for them and their students but in 2020 I created a YouTube channel as well to provide “lectures” and guidance directly aimed at current students, especially taking AP History courses. Finally, my students convinced me to join TikTok where I attempt to teach history in 3 minutes increments (with GIFs!) No matter what platform I’m using, I just want to make history more accessible. Not only is history infinitely entertaining, but it’s so important for people to understand their community, its shared history and contextualize the crazy world we live in today.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest difficulty has come in the past year as I’ve grown my audience and become more of a “public figure” (-ish) on YouTube and TikTok. History is inherently political and I am often trying to expand our traditional understanding of the past. I don’t shy away from “controversial” topics like race, gender, sexuality when I discuss history. As Texas, and other states, push to limit what students can learn in the classroom, it presents both an opportunity and a challenge for me. There are a ton of students and families who now need my materials more than ever to supplement the history they’re learning (or not learning) in the classroom. But, there are also people out there who don’t like my approach or interpretation of history. In the end, I’m really grateful that I work at a school (Griffin School in Hyde Park) that is entirely supportive and wants me teaching our students about difficult issues in our history. And the debate and pushback from some communities has only confirmed that my work is more important than ever.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I teach at Griffin School and also run a small business called Anti-Social Studies that provides history education and resources through various platforms including YouTube, TikTok and a podcast (also called “Anti-Social Studies.”)
My area of expertise is AP World History – my YouTube channel provides support for thousands of students each year who are preparing to take the AP Exam. I’m most proud of the way my resources have helped other teachers navigate the last few crazy school years. Whether it’s using my materials and content in class with their students or to help them better learn the content they are required to teach, I’m so happy that I’ve been able to share my experience and expertise to make other teachers’ lives a tiny bit easier.
I think that my content really resonates with people because I try to teach history in a way that’s fun, relatable, and entertaining. Why not sort the US presidents into Hogwarts Houses or make a song-for-song historical parody of Taylor Swift’s newest album? I also think my content stands out because I make connections to our world today and help people understand why we should learn about the past. It’s hard to understand a lot of the news without some context and I’ve found a lot of people who appreciate the way break down complex issues so that they are easy to understand and then learn more about.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Between starting a podcast with no experience and putting out an entire 17-episode season in two months, jumping onto Live YouTube reviews with 5,000 anxious AP students, and braving the wild world of TikTok, I think I’m definitely a risk taker. Putting myself out there on various platforms has definitely caused some anxiety – I’m a people pleaser who will spend more time thinking about one negative comment over one hundred positive ones. But I also really passionately believe in my motto that most of the world’s problems could be solved if we all paid more attention in social studies class. So even when I’m posting a video that I know might be controversial (for example, I did a series on YouTube exploring the historical relationship between Black Americans and law enforcement) I’m willing to take the risk because I see the value and importance of what I’m doing.
Contact Info:
- Email: antisocstudies@gmail.com
- Website: www.antisocialstudies.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antisocstudies/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/antisocialstudies
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@antisocialstudies
