John W. Bickel Named 2014 Hawaii History Educator of the Year

John W. Bickel, a history teacher at Iolani School in Honolulu, was named the 2014 Hawaii History Educator of the Year. 

The announcement was made at the first-ever History Education Summer Conference on June 13. The conference was held by History Education Hawaii, Inc., the Hawaii council for the National Council for History Education (NCHE). 

Bickel delivered a well-received presentation on the effective development, use and application of simulations in history instruction at the conference. The session was held in the Old Archives Building next to Iolani Palace. 

A graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of California at Berkeley, Bickel has been a dynamic history teacher in Hawaii’s public and private schools for many years. Presently, he is well-respected history teacher at Iolani School. 

Iolani School was founded in 1863 as the preeminent school of the former Anglican Church of Hawaii. The school was patronized by Kamehameha IV (Alexander Liholiho) and Queen Emma, who gave the school its name in 1870. The name ‘Iolani’ means “heavenly hawk” in the Hawaiian language. Iolani School is one of the largest private schools in the United States of America. 

Besides teaching history courses, John W, Bickel has served as the Hawaii coordinator of the annual Hawaii History Bee and Bowl since History Education Hawaii adopted this program in 2012. A team of Iolani School coached by Bickel recently tied third place in the 2014 National History Bee and Bowl. 

“John Bickel is a tough history teacher,” said Jeffrey Bingham Mead, president and co-founder of History Education Hawaii. 

“He is passionate about the subject of history and an excellent lecturer. His toughness is an asset, not a liability by any means. He effectively balances his demand for academic rigor with a genuine desire to be accessible and constructive to his students. John has a reputation for making history interesting and entertaining. He motivates his students to strive to be the best by driving them forward. John Bickel is an asset to history education and to Iolani School.”