Lisa Hawkins Reviews
Parent (AP U.S. History) – May 4, 2023
Great teacher. Thorough, clear expectations, supportive, effectively taught materials, included great academic support and resources. Interesting to listen to and thoroughness in approach without overkill.
Parent (Modern European History) – May 3, 2023
My son’s previous history classes have been less than thorough and despite being led by an instructor, he was on his own to learn most of the material. During this course Mrs. Hawkins gave great explanations of events while also giving room for the students’ interpretations. She challenged students’ to questions their own assumptions. The class was well taught, and the assignments allowed the students to demonstrate their learning. Thorough explanations of historical events along with encouraging students to view history from multiple perspectives. Strong emphasis on forming historical questions.
Student (AP U.S. History) – May 3, 2023
Lisa’s great at making material interesting — and her lectures were great. Lisa genuinely loves the material, but isn’t a total stickler for accuracy. She literally taught us what to do if we don’t know something on the test. She’s also an overpreparer — while my public-school friends are still learning material, my entire last unit was review that’s really helped me to feel prepared for the exam. Lisa is one of the best educators I’ve had.
Student (AP U.S. History) – May 2, 2023
Mrs. Hawkins gives you material beyond what you expect from this class. You go in depth in the material and she really over prepares you for the AP exam (which is a good thing). She also makes the class super engaging and fun and the live classes really help. The live sessions for me were the most helpful as I was able to ask in-person questions and get to know Mrs. Hawkins more. Also, the way she sets up the workload, you know what you will have to do each week, and each assignment is a more in-depth study and practice of the skills you will need for the AP test. She starts preparing you to have a historically thinking mind before you even realize it. One specific thing that helped me was the PDAs. I did not realize that we were practicing the HIPP analysis, which is what you need to have for the AP test, so when it came time to practice it, I was already prepared for that. I’m so thankful for this class, especially because I have not had a history teacher that I liked since I started home schooling in 7th grade. So, I am so thankful for that, and it just makes the class more enjoyable as well. Mrs. Hawkins really knows what she is talking about and you can tell she really loves history and it makes you also love it, too. I did not love history before this, as I am more of a STEM personality. However, Mrs. Hawkins made me really enjoy US history. She is also super nice about extensions, if you just let her know what is going on, she will be lenient. However, you should do your part to make up the work (as honestly, I have failed to do and I am sorry for that).
Parent (U.S. History) – May 2, 2023
My daughter had some struggles at the beginning of the school year, and she was very understanding and worked with my daughter to help her be successful. Excellent curriculum and high expectations but was also flexible and understanding are the courses greatest benefits.
Student (U.S. History) – May 2, 2023
The classes are never boring, she goes into parts of history I never knew about before, explaining the lives of people I didn’t know existed but should have. I learned the necessities but she didn’t stop once I had. She gave us room to explore concepts, she’d ask us questions in class on what we’d do and I think that as we continued the class our answers started to change because we were learning the benefits of what had been done and the consequences. I think she gave us room to explore history more. Mrs. Hawkins is my favorite teacher!
Parent (U.S. History) – April 21, 2023
This class taught my daughter what she needs to know, while allowing for creativity as she considered topics discussed. She came to the dinner table with thoughts about historical and social issues that she wanted to discuss. She had a greater depth of understanding because of the way Mrs. Hawkins presented the material in class. The assignments were regular enough to provide a steady rhythm in the course but varied enough that my daughter’s interest remained high.
Parent (World History I) – April 21, 2023
My daughter has learned a huge amount, and has really enjoyed learning with Ms. Hawkins for another year! Ms. Hawkins effectively uses the Zoom format to provide information while still getting a lot of feedback from students. Thanks again for excellent materials and another successful year!
Parent (U.S. History) – April 21, 2023
The class is so well organized, with very clear expectations and a very clear timeline. In my household that is super helpful for reducing stress and making plans. My son really enjoyed the extra honors projects, also, and found they added some really interesting information and perspective to the class. My kids have taken other classes with Ms. Hawkins and so my high expectations were met. My son did the honors version of the class, and I felt like it was an appropriate level of challenge for him. It was also nice to see his growth. As a freshman, he took Ms. Hawkins World History course and struggled to keep up with the work and do well. This year, as a junior, he took the honors level of US History and, while it was appropriately challenging, did not find it stressful at all.
Parent (World History I) – April 19, 2023
Ms. Hawkins is very flexible and accommodating. Due to time difference my son could not join live class and I was a bit worried but even through recording and close communication Ms. Hawkins has with my son, he really enjoyed this entire semester. I appreciate the prompt and personal/helpful feedback Ms. Hawkins gives my son for every assignment
Parent (U.S. History) – September 28, 2022
Love this class and teacher and my kid loves this class and teacher. Mrs. Hawkins has a way of sharing the history lessons in an interesting way and she engages the students with questions and appropriate assignments to help them absorb the information and process it.
Parent (AP U.S. History) – September 28, 2022
Great teaching, excellent material–amount, nature of, variety. Organized and thorough.
Student (Modern European History) – September 26, 2022
I love history, but many courses leave out a lot of information that goes on around the rest of the world because they focus on big events. This course covers a ton of below the surface details that I love. They are great lectures and the homework is easy enough that I can go beyond what it’s asking for and do my best.
Parent (World History 1: Ancient to Early Modern) – September 20, 2022
We love Mrs. Hawkins! As a high school teacher myself, I appreciate the work she puts in and the quality of the coursework she offers.
Student (AP U.S. History) – September 20, 2022
This class went far beyond my expectations. I don’t like the humanities subjects as much, but Mrs. Hawkins really makes the class engaging and interesting. I am learning a lot because there is so much material, but Mrs. Hawkins covers it well and helps you understand everything and even goes in depth for some of the details to help you better understand what was going on in that time period. I think Mrs. Hawkins’s greatest benefits is that she is such a fun and engaging teacher, so even if you are someone like me who is not really into the humanities, I can still learn a lot and be engaged in the class. Also, the live classes are really helpful because if there are things in the material that I don’t understand, Mrs. Hawkins goes over the material in the class and I can also ask questions live.
Student (World History 1: Ancient to Early Modern) – September 20, 2022
Mrs. Hawkins presents the material in a fun, easy-to understand way, and she asks lots of interesting questions in class! Mrs. Hawkins explains why things happened the way they did instead of just telling us what happened, which I like a lot.
Lisa Hawkins is absolutely incredible! I have had 3 children who took her AP US History course- the oldest got a 4 and my next two got 5’s! Her course not only helped them receive such high scores on their AP tests, but they also helped to prepare them for colleges. My daughter currently is taking her World History Course this year and she has learned so much!
We love how thorough Mrs. Hawkins is and the lectures are very enjoyable. She cares about the students and makes the class fun and informative. She teaches them at a very high level. She also encourages questions which my daughter appreciates very much! Mrs. Hawkins is wonderful! You are so blessed to have her at Aim Academy!
Student (World History 1: Ancient to Early Modern) – April 3, 2022
this is the best history class I’ve ever taken! the format is engaging and unlike some other history classes I’ve take I’m actually learning and remembering the information, and it’s not hard! I feel like one mistake people make is that high school classes have to be difficult for you to learn things but they don’t, and I feel like Mrs. Hawkins really gets that. Yeah, there is a reasonable amount of work but it’s manageable and gives you time to enjoy it (and the projects are the best!)
Parent (U.S. History) – April 1, 2022
Instructor is great at making history interesting and relevant. Course is rigorous without overwhelming my student. My daughter loved this class and Mrs. Hawkins! My daughter is science oriented and history is not her favorite subject. Mrs Hawkins’ class is engaging and my daughter loves attending. I am very appreciative that she made history interesting for my daughter!!
Student (AP U.S. History) – April 1, 2022
My teacher is great at explaining concepts, addresses class questions, and provides engaging material. The classes are very well constructed and the teacher answers class questions very well.
Parent (U.S. History) – March 29, 2022
Mrs. Hawkins helps students love history. She is the reason my first daughter is studying history in college. My second daughter has absolutely loved her class as well. Thank you! Mrs. Hawkins is so organized. Her class is set up so well in Canvas. She provides such dynamic lessons and really tries to make history relatable to the students. My daughter looks forward to her class every week; it has increased her love of history.
Parent (U.S. History) – March 30, 2022
My child has not been a history fan in the past, but she has enjoyed this class. She likes the teacher a lot and appreciates the consistent structure of the class. She has liked the class so much that she requested to take this teacher’s class again next year.
Student (World History 1: Ancient to Early Modern) – March 25, 2022
Ms. Hawkins is such an amazing teacher! She asks very interesting and thought-provoking questions during class. It encourages me to study hard because being able to answer her questions during class makes me feel pretty smart. Ms. Hawkins always makes her class so engaging and inclusive and I love that the class is more about understanding what happened in history, and the thought process of those in the lead, rather than memorizing tons of dates.
Cade B. (Student, Modern European History) – April 6, 2021
This class is really amazing! I have always loved history, but Mrs. Hawkins made it even more engaging and interesting. The classes were excellent teaching not just what happened but the why it happened. Questions made me really think about why events happened. The homework was great and challenged me to not just learn but to understand historical events. The quizzes are perfect – if all the questions Mrs. Hawkins gives to answer for notes are written down and remembered then the test will go well. But if you don’t do the work of answering them, it is hard to do well. This means you get a test grade that really reflects whether you learned the material. The point of studying history is to learn from past mistakes and successes, and Mrs. Hawkins is great at tying history into today’s events. This is a great class; I very much recommend it!
Hoyoun L. (Student in U.S. History) – April 28, 2021
Being the science nerd that I am, it is quite rare for me to find history teachers who make the subject intriguing and engaging. This said, I was extremely delighted by how Mrs. Hawkins makes this homeschool course very engaging despite the class meeting for only an hour each week. The weekly assignments allowed me to approach history in ways I find interesting, and Mrs. Hawkins’ five-stars-out-of-five lectures made history so much more enjoyable than ever before. I definitely recommend this course to students looking for a US History course!
Angelic H. (Student in US History and World History II) – May 26, 2020
I have taken Mrs. Hawkins for both 10th and 11th grade, in US History and World History II. Her lectures are interactive and she encouraged a sort of community between the students as her questions and student answers were discussion oriented. Everyone had a say, even if it was just carrot tops! She was also considerate and understanding of extensions and time conflicts when needed! She is always willing to help aid students in lectures and with resources in order to give us the greatest chance to succeed!
G. Hocker (Parent in World History I: Ancient to Early Modern Times) – May 18th, 2020
Lisa Hawkins is the teacher I always wanted when I was in high school. We have had two girls complete two years each of history with Lisa, so we’ve all been learning as a family for several years now. Lisa loves history, so now our girls do. The assignments are challenging but doable, and the testing is fair. Some of the highlights are reading the original sources (Nietzsche, Marx, Hobbes) and trying to make sense of the big ideas of history as a family. One of my daughters did a project this year and it was perfect timing as she chose China. I will also add personally that it is fun to trade some historical observations with Lisa on the American Revolution and good reads. She’s very accessible and brings the right energy to the class.
Mya J. (Student in U.S. History) – May 5th, 2020
This course was designed very nicely and gave the student the ability to fully understand and analyze what was going on in the world during that time. The assignments provoked deep reflection and thought which was very beneficial for my learning. In addition, the questions that were posed to the students during live sessions was a favorite part of the course for me as a learner. It not only opened the opportunity to share my perspective or thought(s), but also see and open my mind to the viewpoints of my peers.
Anonymous (Student in Modern European History) – April 28th, 2020
This was a very engaging, informative class, and I have a much better understanding of world history, particularly more recent history, after having taken it. My favorite part was definitely the weekly live sessions–Mrs. Hawkins really knows how to make the material interesting, and the questions she posed to the class kept the sessions fun and interactive. In particular, the sessions gave me a strong understanding of how various historical topics relate to the present day. Besides the live sessions, there are also some assignments involving reading and analysis, but there are only a few of these each week, so I never felt bogged down with work. I recommend this course to anyone who hopes to gain an understanding of how the world, primarily Europe, has developed from the end of the Middle Ages to the present day.
Raymond P. (Parent in World History I: Ancient to Early Modern Times) –
Mrs. Hawkins is a really good teacher. She’s the kind of teacher that you wished you had in school – the one who taught AP classes and received teacher of the year awards, but not everyone had the chance to learn from. Well, I’m grateful that both my kids have had the opportunity to learn from her. Her classes are dynamic, insightful, and fun. She loves history, and she loves teaching, and she’s great at it. My kids actually understand and can discuss world history now, and honestly, I think they are better people for having been in her classes.
Hannah C. (Student in World History I: Ancient to Early Modern Times)) – May 4th, 2020
The class is awesome! You do such a great job of keeping everything interesting and fun, and I think that your teaching style is effective and informative.
Julie Wolf (Parent in World History I: Ancient to Early Modern Times) –
I have had two sons that have been students in Mrs. Hawkin’s class, and they both LOVED it! She made it interesting and fun for them-you can hear the passion she has for history in her classroom instruction-she will not just ask them to read and hand in assignments. She engages the students and encourages participation. She engages her students in a creative way, too. One of my sons who already loved history grew to love it more, and the other one who wasn’t that interested loves history now. I really appreciate this as I know how dry classroom instruction and boring assignments can kill a student’s love for history. I highly recommend this class!!!!!
Sophia C. (Parent in U.S. History) –
Mrs. Hawkins is an engaging, thoughtful, and more than qualified teacher. You can tell she is passionate about history and teaching by the way she gets excited about topics and how she interacts with her students. She shows genuine care for every student, ensuring that nobody has unanswered questions and that everyone has a chance to share their thoughts. That is my favorite part of this class; her classroom is a safe place for students to share their opinions and ideas. Mrs. Hawkins asks intriguing questions and cultivates discussions that really make you think about history and how it affects us today. If you want a history class that isn’t just about memorizing dates and names but actually understanding the ideas, human beings, and events that have shaped our country (while having some fun!), this class is a most excellent choice and I cannot recommend it enough.
Emily H. (Parent in World History I: Ancient to Early Modern Times) –
After a well-respected friend raved about her student’s experience with Mrs. Hawkins, my daughters took World History with Mrs. Hawkins, and they both had a great experience. Mrs. Hawkins knows the subject inside and out, and it shows in her enthusiasm for teaching it to her students. She makes class time exciting and motivates the students to enjoy the lessons. I’m sure we’ll register my son for Mrs. Hawkins’s World History when he’s in high school.
Lindy Thompson (Parent in U.S. History) –
My son has enjoyed this class and says Mrs. Hawkins is a teacher who really knows her material and makes it interesting and engaging for the student. He (and I) have appreciated the variety of ways he has been able to interact with the information — excellent written material, multiple primary sources, and outstanding documentaries. He highly recommends this class.
Samuel J. (Student in Modern European History) –
I have never been a fan of history until this class! Mrs. Hawkins fills her presentations with thoughtful questions and relates historical events to understandable situations. Instead of just looking at what merely happened in history and memorizing boring information, I found myself genuinely interesting. Mrs. Hawkins brings these events to life, taking you below the surface to see everything from a different perspective. I realized that I started wondering why people acted the way they did in history. This class contains meaningful work and will make you crave to understand the complexity of history and see how it applies to the current events in the world you live in.
Wow! I cannot thank Mrs Hawkins enough. Her US History class has been inspirational and very thought provoking. The Socratic discussions led by Mrs Hawkins invited thoughtful participation. The assignments were carefully designed and helped deepen understanding of important topics and concepts. My son (a history buff) enjoyed every minute of this class. I only wish Mrs Hawkins would offer summer workshops on topics like Current Events, History of Europe, Intro Econ etc so that kids can keep learning all through the year. I cannot recommend this class enough. Mrs Hawkins is a treasure.
My daughter has absolutely loved Mrs. Hawkins’ US History class. She has learned so much and loves telling me everything the class talked about in the lively weekly lectures. She has been challenged by the assignments and feels Mrs. Hawkins gave her great feedback. My daughter already loved history, but Mrs. Hawkins has helped her develop a much deeper appreciation for the subject.
Nicely done, Mrs. Hawkins! Thank you again for working with our family to have our daughter in the US History course right for her. It was always good to hear your voice, the upbeat tone, how you engaged the students, the lighthearted moments, and how you responded to each student. (After our daughter returned to homeschooling in Feb’17 I could hear you when the earbuds were off!) The study of history comes alive through a great storyteller like you. With much gratitude.
This was the first class my daughter took with Mrs. Hawkins, two years ago. (The original review is tied to the US History class.) Since that time she has also taken US History as well. I cannot say enough about her teaching style. Her classes have made it an enjoyable high school experience for her and an enriching one. She intensely disliked history prior to Mrs Hawkins’ classes.I am really grateful for that as I wanted her to enjoy her homeschool journey. Her love of history definitely comes out in her teaching. I have no problem keeping up with how she is doing as the grades are available for parents to view, along with the entire course requirements. She is also quite accessible and responded well to all of my inquiries. I only wish she was teaching economics/government or another type of history class so that I can sign her up for it. I also hope her college teachers are exactly like Mrs. Hawkins.
I have two high school students that took Mrs. Hawkins Western Civ I class this past year and they loved it. My 9th grader will be taking her Western Civ II class in the Fall and my 10th grader will be moving on to her American History class. She is a wonderful teacher, a pleasure to listen to and has given both of my children a deeper love of history and learning. They worked harder for Mrs. Hawkins than they had previously in their homeschool co-op and I appreciated her level of expectations and assignments. Additionally, Mrs. Hawkins is very thorough in her explanations and responds immediately to emails. Aim Academy has been a wonderful experience and we will continue to pursue classes here because of the quality of teachers like Mrs. Hawkins.
I had Mrs. Hawkins for an online AP US History class. I hoped to learn a lot about the history of America, and Mrs. Hawkins did not disappoint. I felt completely confident when I went to take the AP exam, thanks to her instruction. The class was a lot of work, more than I ever thought that I could do. I gained new confidence with each assignment I completed and, by the end, the assignments that were so daunting in the beginning became effortless. While I could tell that others taking the AP test around me were frightened by the essay section, I actually looked forward to it. Mrs. Hawkins assignments, and excellent feedback, allowed me to be unperturbed by a task that most students equated with torture. Mrs. Hawkins didn’t just prepare her students for the AP test; she also refined student’s skills in areas other than history. I could feel that my writing improved over the duration of the course, and I could complete assignments from other classes much more easily and successfully. Mrs. Hawkins is very knowledgeable about history, and can effectively teach the material to students in a way that builds their skills, knowledge, and confidence. In my opinion, that is what makes a great teacher. I highly recommend both Mrs. Hawkins and her AP US History course.
This is my third history class with Mrs. Hawkins and I loved it! The lectures are interesting, engaging, and very interactive. We have all kinds of discussions in the class about history and how it play into current events. The homework is (dare I say) FUN! I personally enjoy the quizzes and essay questions, as they help us to explore the reading more thoroughly. There is no busy work, so you never feel bogged down with homework. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested, as well as any of Mrs. Hawkins other courses. She is a wonderful teacher and will help you fall in love with history!!!
Mrs. Hawkins is a phenomenal teacher and this was hands down my favorite class this year! Classes involve lots of student participation and a fun but content-filled lesson! It helps nurture a love of history, and the homework is very low-stress but helps you gain a better mastery of the content. Overall a superb class!