A Better World through Our Young People - Center for Inspired Teaching

November 17, 2016

This piece by Jane Ehrenfeld, Inspired Teaching’s Executive Director, appeared in Inspired Teaching’s November 2016 newsletter.

The problems we face in the world today are immense, and more pressing each day. The issues debated through the presidential campaign — access to economic opportunity, confronting the threat of terrorism, climate change, health care, immigration, and on and on — are complex and wide-reaching. The rhetoric caused many of us to doubt our collective capacity to tolerate difference, listen to opposing viewpoints, and treat others with empathy and kindness.

In the face of these urgent challenges, what is Inspired Teaching doing?

Our answer: it starts in school. For a better world, we must ensure our young people build their capacity as problem solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and empathetic changemakers. We must change the role of the teacher, from a provider of information to an Instigator of Thought™. We must ensure every child is taught how to think, not what to think, in an educational system that prizes students’ engagement, not their compliance. We must show the world a new vision for what school should look like, and invest in teachers to enact that vision.

Over the past month, Inspired Teaching has acted as a model of innovation for the world. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) studied the Inspired Teacher Certification Program as part a survey of best practices across seven nations. A book featuring Founder Aleta Margolis, Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World was made available in the world’s three most commonly spoken languages. A delegation of the best principal in each state of Brazil visited the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School.

We know our work does not stand alone. We’re making a concerted effort to contribute to the field and support the efforts of aligned organizations, so together we can change mindsets about education. Inspired Teaching staff presented at Ashoka’s Changemaker Education Summit, which convened school leaders across Europe with the goal of bringing about a world where every young person is empowered. Inspired Teaching’s Cosby Hunt facilitated a session for educators called Infusing Rigor at Think It Up Live. Think It Up aims to put a spotlight on and generate support for student-powered projects in school.

As we work hard to shift the practice of teachers, we know it is vital to make the case for Inspired Teaching, publicly and persistently — and to support it with evidence. This week, I sat down with Robyn Sperling, Director of Research and Evaluation, to talk about the research that underlies our mission. She gives a preview of our upcoming white paper, which highlights the need to adopt engagement-based, rather than compliance-based, education.

The world needs more empathetic, problem-solving, analytical changemakers. Help make that world a reality today. Donate to Inspired Teaching. If you’re a prospective educator or if you know of any, the Inspired Teacher Certification Program is accepting applicants for its 2017 cohort of Inspired Teaching Fellows. Please share. Thank you for your support.

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.