From Real World History to the Real World - Center for Inspired Teaching

February 29, 2016

(Photo: second from left, 2014 Real World History student Zawadi Carroll shown with (L to R) her mother, Real World History course instructor Mr. Cosby Hunt, and Zawadi’s brother and 2015 Real World History student Kenneth Carroll )

This piece was written by Zawadi Carroll. Zawadi, a native Washingtonian, attended DC Public Schools and was a Real World History student in school year 2014-15. She is now a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

There are certain moments in our lives that make us conscious of the fact that we’ve grown; that we are growing. Adulting can be hard, but it’s in these moments that we become our own proud parent, truly appreciating the strides we’ve made.

My moment came this January in a Real World History interschool seminar at Cardozo High School in my home city of Washington, DC. I was sitting in a circle with high school students from different DC Public, Public Charter, and private schools. On the desk in front of me were writing utensils, the passage we’d all read (from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me), and some evaluation sheets. These were almost the exact items that’d been on my desk in a Cardozo High School classroom a year prior when I was a senior at the School Without Walls taking Real World History myself. Except this time, instead of a student evaluation sheet, I had a facilitator’s script and discussion questions. There I was, just a year after graduating, facilitating a discussion I’d previously been a participant in. I saw my younger self in each of the students sitting in front of me. With the knowledge I’d gained and experiences I’ve had since high school, I was ready to plant in them what’d been planted in me a year prior by Mr. Hunt. As the facilitator, my job was not simply to lead the discussion, but to stimulate ideas – helping those students take everything they had learned thus far, develop that information into an argument, and then apply that to the real world.

Being back in DC for winter break was nostalgic in a lot of ways. I was not the same Zawadi that I’d been when I left. I had a lot of new perspectives and a new appreciation for DC and what it had to offer me. One of those things was Real World History. The Great Migration is something so few people know about, yet it is something that that transformed American society in the North and the South. If this class didn’t change my life, it most definitely changed the way I think about history; it solidified the fact that Black history is American history.

Participating in the interschool seminar as a high school senior was nerve-wracking. I had so many ideas, opinions, and concepts in my head that I was worried about sharing. I did not know if my peers’ thoughts would align with mine and wanted to be cautious of offending anyone with conflicting views. What made all the difference and gave me the space to be okay with sharing all my thoughts, even the not-so-popular ones, was having a good facilitator. Mr. Hunt was my facilitator that year as we read “The Case for Reparations” with students from Maret High School. Mr. Hunt was able to create a platform for all students to share their own ideas and present parts of the text for discussion. Everyone’s voice mattered. This facilitation not only allowed me to share some of my thoughts, but also allowed me to learn from my peers. By the end of our discussion I had received almost more than I’d given. My mind was filled with new insights and information. This was the kind of mind I would need to succeed in college.

My younger brother, who is now taking Real World History, mentioned to me over winter break that it was time in the course for interschool seminars. I was probably more excited for him than he was for the seminars. I knew this would be a pivotal moment in his learning career, helping him apply history to the present day and form educated opinions surrounding controversial topics. This excitement led me to call Mr. Hunt to ask if I could attend. When I called, Mr. Hunt not only highly encouraged me to attend, but also asked me to be a facilitator for the group reading Between the World and Me. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity. I knew how important facilitation was in creating a safe space and ensuring that learning along with listening are constants.

Attending the Real World History interschool seminar for the second time, I could tell the students were nervous. I saw some scribble or look over notes, re-read parts of the text, and fiddle with writing utensils as they waited for the discussion to start. I was worried that my young age would result in a lack of respect or trust from the students, but the exact opposite occurred. When Mr. Hunt announced that I, a former Real World History student, would be facilitating, I saw some faces light up and some backs become a little less slouched. Conveying to the students that they could incorporate their own personal experiences and ideas in relation to the text – as opposed to using the text solely to develop an opinion – was vital. I loved having the power to stimulate students’ minds in a way that was accessible for each of them. It was so appropriate to be discussing the issue of race and its intersections as many of them were minority students, most likely going to enter an institution of higher learning where they would probably not be the majority and would possibly be subject to racism. Having these difficult discussions now amongst a diverse group before being thrown into that environment is so necessary.

I feel sure that each student left the discussion I facilitated more confident in his or her ability to express ideas in a group, respectfully challenge opinions, and use history as context for the issues of the modern day. I was told by Mr. Hunt and other adults that my facilitating was very strong, but it was from the dialogue between students, their trust, and their readiness to take chances and step into some of the final stages of adolescence that we all learned the most.

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.