Knightly News

Did you know that photos of Josephine Bonaparte always feature a closed-mouth smile because the former French empress’ teeth were rotten due to growing up on a Caribbean sugar plantation? Upper School history students learn so much more than dates and timelines in Clara Howell’s classroom. Easygoing and approachable, Howell is a natural storyteller and works trivia-type tidbits like Bonaparte’s into discussions with ease. “Lecture is a dirty word,” she says. “But they love story time. History can be stranger and as interesting as fiction.”

Creating Wonder in the Classroom

Howell deploys a range of tactics to make history interesting and engaging for students. Under her classroom window stands a trunk holding props fit for the theater. As she cracks open the lid, a flurry of fabrics and materials appear, including everything from Knight shields, wigs, and robes to a crown, a papal hat, and a replica of Winston Churchill’s bowler hat. On any given day, students dress in these historical implements as they act out scenes from the past.

Ninth and twelfth grade students wholeheartedly embrace Howell’s enthusiasm. Her teaching style and the museum-like feeling of her classroom create a sense of wonder. Over the years, students have constructed everything from Galileo’s telescope and the Rosetta Stone to the Trojan Horse and a plague doctor mask. Howell displays these artifacts and souvenirs students gave her from their travels, including a replica terra cotta Chinese soldier and global currency. An avid traveler, Howell also shares photos from her explorations, and students enjoy seeing shots of her in the places they are currently studying.

“History is the family business.”

It’s no surprise that Howell is a history teacher. Her family tree is filled with history buffs – her dad taught history, her mom taught social studies, her brother majored in history and her cousin earned a doctorate in history. Howell also grew up in a historic home in Jackson, Louisiana, and took family vacations based on a shared love of the past. What may come as a surprise is that despite this, Howell was initially a musical theater major.

In high school, Howell was a show choir member and served as the tech person for the theater department. She enjoyed performing and participating in productions and entered Northwestern State University as a musical theater major with a vocal scholarship. However, she couldn’t resist the family business long, so she transferred to LSU, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history.

“I know history’s not going to be everybody’s favorite subject.”

While not everyone is meant to be a historian, Howell has a unique view of the profession that makes it relevant to most. “Historians have two roles – detective and lawyer,” she says. She points out that, like a detective, historians examine clues from the past, and, like a lawyer, they offer their closest observation of the truth. She says both are transferable skills that serve Episcopal students well in other classes and future careers. That’s not to say she isn’t thrilled when a former student chooses to major or minor in history. “I always get so tickled when someone is a history major,” she says with a smile.

“I am the teacher that Episcopal made me.”

Howell began her Episcopal teaching career straight out of graduate school. She recalls skipping the graduation ceremony to teach her first class. More than a decade later, she has had incredible experiences, including chaperoning six European trips for Episcopal students. Perhaps the most powerful of those excursions was a visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. She still remembers the quiet and the profound feeling of teaching impromptu lessons where everything occurred. She says the students were engaged and interested, and the visit was incredible. “And that’s why I travel with students,” she says. In 2026, Howell will team up with Episcopal art teacher Veronica Hallock to chaperone a group of Episcopal students on an Italian art history trip. The combination of a historian and an artist makes the trip an incredible learning opportunity for student travelers.  

Whether wearing a crown in the classroom, encouraging others to think like a history detective or traveling across the ocean to bring history to life, Howell gives Episcopal students a lifelong appreciation for the past. Her unique combination of storytelling, theatrical talent and historical expertise makes her an incredible mentor and teacher for the next generation.

Do you remember Ms. Howell’s storytime approach to history? Please share a comment with her below about the impact those lessons had on you.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.