Bill Coate is a veteran of 36 years in the classroom. He has been published in several educational and historical journals as well as many well-known newspapers across the United States. He was named “National History Teacher of the Year” by the Daughters of the American Revolution and was a California Teacher of the Year finalist.
Over the years, Bill has been the recipient of numerous other awards for his innovative teaching. He was one of 39 educators who were recognized nationally by the Disney Company for creativity in the classroom and given the Disney American Teacher Award. Disney later featured Bill in a national public service spot entitled “The Power of Teaching.” It aired on ABC, Disney Channel, and ESPN.
Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education featured Bill in a documentary entitled, “Inside the Creative Classroom.”
When he is not teaching, Bill spends his time writing and speaking. He is the author of Twist in Time: History’s Mysteries Revealed, History’s Shocking Secrets, and History’s Outrageous Oddities. In addition, for 16 years he was the host of “Twist in Time,” a twice weekly television show aired on KMPH Fox 26 in Fresno.
Bill is the founder of the Madera Method, a research based educational program that utilizes primary source material to bring students face to face with history on its own terms. He is also the founder of the Madera Method Wagon Train, which provides young people with “real life” learning experiences on the trail.