Jonathan Lopez

2026 Yale & Slavery Teachers Institute Cohort Member

I teach high school social studies in my hometown of West Haven, Connecticut. Having grown up in the same community, I’m especially invested in helping students see how history shapes the places and opportunities around them. My motivation for teaching comes from a desire to help students understand the full complexity of American history and empower them to see themselves as active participants in the ever-unfolding story of our country. 

These commitments shape the courses that I teach, including US History, African American & Latino Studies, and AP African American Studies. In my classes, I emphasize centering marginalized voices and exploring stories that have often been overlooked in textbooks or silenced in traditional curricula. More recently, I have embraced a place-based approach that brings history closer to home for my students, encouraging them to investigate how national and global narratives can intersect with the local communities they inhabit. 

As a proud alumnus of the 2025 Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute, I am honored and excited to continue growing alongside a community of educators committed to finding creative, meaningful, and lasting ways to bring “hard histories” into the classroom.