Faculty Focus – Tim Berg, history instructor

Faculty Focus – Tim Berg, history instructor

A new instructor will be teaching at Columbia College–Lake County this summer.If you are thinking about taking HIST 122 American History since 1871 in the June Session, take a few minutes to learn more about Tim Berg.


1) Where are you from (original hometown)?
I was born in Chicago and grew up in the Northwest suburbs.

2) Tell us about your family.
I am married with two small children.

3) What degrees do you hold, and where did you earn them?
I have earned several college degrees. These include an associate of arts in liberal arts from Oakton Community College, a bachelor of arts in history from Northern Illinois University (NIU), a bachelor of arts in political science/international relations from NIU, and a master of arts in American history from Northeastern Illinois University. I also completed a secondary education certification program from Northeastern Illinois University.

4) Tell us about your teaching experience and work history.
I have had a wide array of teaching experience over the past 12 years. This has included substitute teaching, paraprofessional and summer school social studies teaching in the suburban public schools, two years teaching religion and history in catholic schools, and six years teaching history and humanities courses at the college level. One of those semesters was with Columbia College and the rest were at community colleges and the University of Phoenix.

5) What do you most enjoy about history?
What I most enjoy about history are the lessons that it teaches us, and applying those lessons to today’s challenges.

6) Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
Something interesting about me is that I was in the Navy Reserve for five years, and have been to the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. I was a training petty officer In the Navy as well as an aviation ordnanceman.

7) What advice do you have for students taking your class this summer?
My advice for students taking my class this summer is to come to every class, read the assignments before coming to class and most importantly, have fun with the study of history! It is interesting,challenging and waiting to reveal its secrets if you are willing to do the hard, investigative research that the subject deserves.