Partner Feature - Professor Amanda Huron - Center for Inspired Teaching

March 11, 2016

(Photo courtesy of Amanda Huron)

Center for Inspired Teaching is pleased to feature Amanda Huron, assistant professor of interdisciplinary social sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Last year, Amanda lent her expertise in DC history as a content expert for BLISS: Building Literacy in the Social Studies, where she supported the work of a BLISS Teacher Leader who was developing a module for use throughout DC Public Schools (DCPS). The module, entitled “Changing Neighborhoods, Changing City,” focuses on the period from the Civil War through post-World War II, using major national events throughout that time to examine the geographical and demographical changes in DC.

Amanda shared her expertise on the District and enjoyed the opportunity to gain a good sense of what DCPS students are learning in their high school classrooms. This information helps her develop her own courses at UDC, as many of her students come from DCPS and charter schools. In addition to assisting the BLISS Teacher Leader, Amanda also enjoyed learning from her, as she believes high school teachers’ pedagogy “is often better than college instructors’.”

Before becoming a content expert with Inspired Teaching, Amanda published an article about her research on the history of DC limited-equity housing cooperatives in the journal Washington History in the fall of 2014. She also recently wrote a chapter on the history of DC tenant organizers who traveled to Johannesburg to help organize housing cooperatives there in the 1990’s. The chapter is a part of Capital Dilemma: Growth and Inequality in Washington, DC, which came out earlier this year. On April 19 at 7pm, she will give a public presentation on her research at The Potter’s House. Currently, she is working on a book, Practicing the Urban Commons, based on her dissertation research into DC’s limited-equity housing cooperatives. For more information on Amanda’s work, please visit her website.

Amanda was drawn to BLISS by her relationships with Inspired Teaching staff members whose work in education she has followed and respected deeply for years. Working with Inspired Teaching was an easy decision, as “it’s been clear to me for a while that it is a great organization.”

Content experts are an essential element for both BLISS and SCALE: Science Curriculum Advancement through Literacy Enhancement, particularly when lesson plans and modules are being developed. The BLISS and SCALE Institute aims to shift practice through shifting mindsets, while strengthening Teacher Leaders’ ability to provide inquiry-based and standards-aligned instruction and to become leaders in their schools. Content expertise further contributes to practical application of the Inspired Teaching model by providing guidance on specific subjects within the immersive summer intensive.

Registration is now open for the 2016-17 Inspired Teaching Institute for charter school educators. Click here for more information about this new path to creating leadership in your school.

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.