HENRY STEELE COMMAGER once remarked that "teaching is a function of the knowledge of the subject matter and personality." 1 I have learned that there is much truth in Professor Commanger's statement, for many of us have been enriched by people with warm and wonderful personalities, who seemed to have a great command of their subjects. Yet it is also true that it is possible to learn from people with terrible personalities and even from those with a limited knowledge of their field. Teaching areas we ostensibly know little about has forced some of us to do our best teaching. Perhaps all this is true in part because teaching history per se may not be as important as teaching ourselves and others how to learn history. In this essay I suggest some ways to foster learning by adopting a learner-centered approach to the teaching of history.