Being the Change, thanks to Center for Inspired Teaching

May 18, 2016

(Photo credit: Center for Inspired Teaching)

This piece was written by Jennifer Brown, an 11th/12th grade social studies teacher at Roosevelt STAY High School (DCPS) and a 2014 Teacher Leader in Inspired Teaching’s BLISS: Building Literacy in the Social Studies program. Jennifer is finishing her third year at Roosevelt STAY High School, one of the District’s alternative public high schools for adult students. She is the 2016 recipient of the Senior Division Patricia Behring Teacher for the District of Columbia. Jennifer’s biggest passion, aside from working with her students, is educating others about Fair Trade products and advocating for the end of slave and child labor.

“If you are not invited to the table, then make your own table” These remarkable words, spoken by Arne Duncan, have stuck with me ever since hearing them at the Teaching and Learning Conference in the spring of 2015. At that point, I was a BLISS Teacher Leader and had completed nearly a year of professional development and coaching, thanks to Center for Inspired Teaching. Had I encountered the former Secretary of Education’s speech just a year prior, before joining BLISS, I would have snorted at the seeming absurdity that I could make any impact in my school, let alone my school district.

The 2013-14 school year was rough for me, to say the least. It was my first year teaching full-time in the US. I was teaching six different preps that year and was assigned to chair my school’s Student Activities Committee. It was a year of no sleep, multiple breakdowns, and feelings of failure, and I was almost ready to give up by the end of that year. As a last-ditch attempt to revitalize my enthusiasm for teaching, I signed up to be a BLISS Teacher Leader that summer. I thought I was signing up for curriculum development, but what I got was so much more.

Through a series of thought-provoking discussions and exercises that challenged my thinking, BLISS revolutionized my classroom pedagogy. It wasn’t only my teaching that changed; it was also my learned ability to speak up for teachers at my school and to get more involved in my school district. Center for Inspired Teaching taught me that we can all be “changemakers,” and that being a changemaker can be as simple as taking your ideas and doing something with them instead of only complaining about problems in the teachers’ lounge.

At last month’s Chocolate Inspiration gala, which celebrated Inspired Teaching’s 20th Anniversary, I had the opportunity to share with some attendees how my life has become so much more exciting since becoming a changemaker. I told them, as one example, about the informal mentorship program for new social studies teachers in the District that I started after realizing that many new teachers were leaving due to lack of support from their colleagues. Without Center for Inspired Teaching, I would still be pondering the what if’s instead of focusing on how can I change it.

Next year, as I begin my new position as a Teacher Leader at my school, I will try to spread the positive and action-taking mentality that Center for Inspired Teaching instilled in me. It is time for teachers to start being the change they want to see.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.