Teacher Feature - Mr. Adam Evans - Center for Inspired Teaching

February 11, 2016

(Roberts map of DC via Michael Neubert; photo below courtesy of Adam Evans)

Inspired Teaching spoke with Mr. Adam Evans, a social studies teacher at Ballou High School (DCPS) and a 2014 Teacher Leader in the BLISS: Building Literacy in the Social Studies program. The following is a condensed version of this conversation:

Inspired Teaching: When you decide you wanted to be a teacher?

Mr. Evans: I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was a college undergrad. I had a really positive high school experience as a student, and I knew I wanted to stay in education. Social studies appealed to me because I have a passion for digging through historical documents, uncovering facts and new information.

I figured out where I wanted to teach when I realized that not every student (especially in DC, especially in Southeast DC) was as prepared for college as I had been. I recognized that this was a right that every student should have.

What’s the most fulfilling part of being a teacher?

It’s the look on students’ faces when they make a connection between what we’re studying and their own lives. There are so many ways current events in our city relate to history and historical figures and seeing students uncover those relationships is powerful.

I was the product of a public education, and I wanted to continue to be part of that. I’ve built strong, invaluable relationships with Ballou staff and colleagues, and I absolutely believe in the direction my school is headed.

How were you connected to Inspired Teaching?

During my first year teaching in DC, someone recommended that I assist writing social studies curriculum for the district. This was in the opening years of the BLISS Middle School program in 2011 and 2012. I got involved and from then on, whenever there was an opportunity to stay connected with Inspired Teaching, I jumped at the chance. When the BLISS program expanded to high school in 2014, I applied to be a Teacher Leader.

What have you gained from being part of BLISS?

Everything. BLISS was a great recharge for me, and it breathed new life into my curriculum and teaching practice. My most important goal as a teacher has always been getting my students to be the ones doing the thinking, so Inspired Teaching’s Instigator of Thought framework really resonated with me. After BLISS, I’ve tried to move away from any type of lecture where students are only sitting and listening, and you can see the results in my class.

My students now are thinking about history. They’re writing about history. They’re analyzing and applying content as opposed to only memorizing it. They’re interpreting information instead of parroting what someone else wrote. As a teacher, I love it when student takes a text or a question in a direction I wasn’t even thinking about.

What challenges are you facing as a teacher right now?

There’s a strong push to have data-driven instruction. I have no problem with that in principle, but the metrics we use to measure student achievement aren’t equitable; they don’t adequately reflect who the students are or their growth. Until we change that, we’ll just be running around chasing information that we can’t actually use to improve how we teach our students.

What does it mean to be a Teacher Leader?

To me, a Teacher Leader is someone who not only identifies areas for growth, but also commits to helping teachers address these areas. Teacher Leaders instigate thought in teachers the same way they would in students; they ask the right questions, provoke thinking, and then provide the resources to help individuals uncover the answers.

What would you tell teachers considering whether to join an Inspired Teaching program?

I’d tell them to jump at the opportunity. It’s refreshing and valuable to your practice. The people you work with – Inspired Teaching staff and teachers from across the city – are going to be your support system in the future. You’re not alone.

In school year 2016-17, BLISS will expand to include public charter schools. Learn more and register to receive more information today.

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.