Changemakers in Action 2018 - Center for Inspired Teaching

What does it mean to be a changemaker?

On Tuesday, Inspired Teaching had a fabulous evening celebrating Changemakers in Action at the National Museum of American History. Local education leaders, community members, and educators to discovered how Inspired Teachers and students in our 2017-18 programs are changemakers in their schools, communities, and society. Throughout the evening, guests learned about the importance of authentic engagement from all angles. We were proud to present our new white paper which describes the urgent need to make engagement-based education the new norm: The critical need for replacing compliance-based teaching with engagement-based teaching.

It was an honor to feature remarks from the DCPS Chief of Equity, Bren Elliot, who thoughtfully expressed how her experience attending Inspired Teaching’s Speak Truth Program was eye-opening, saying, “Young people were the teachers that day and I left there so inspired by both the potential of our young people to lead and with the realization that I have to step up my game as a teacher because young people were teaching me so much. And shouldn’t that be what happens in education?”

Bren Elliot then introduced two student speakers, Dimilah, a junior at Ballou High School, and Julian, a senior at Georgetown Day School, who both spoke eloquently and passionately. Their reflections on how Inspired Teaching’s youth programming has engaged them in transformative conversations and learning experiences were a true highlight of the evening.

“From my experience, society feels divided, by class, race, and even by school. Educational opportunities need to bring people together to relate to one another. That is what I have experienced with Real World History. By diversifying the people I interact with, I’ve discovered that being a changemaker is about breaking barriers and bridging these societal divides.”
Dimilah
Ballou High School & Real World History Student
1st Place Winner for Individual Exhibit
at National History Day

During the evening, Teacher Leaders in the Institute, Fellows graduating from the Residency, and students in Real World History all shared their accomplishments from the past school year.

Inspired Teacher Leaders presented how they incorporate student-driven and engagement-based initiatives into their school communities. One Inspired Teacher Leader, Malcolm Poole, the Behavior Intervention Manager at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School, focused on incorporating peer mediation into the middle school discipline efforts. Malcolm brought two enthusiastic students who shared how serving as peer mentors has helped them grow and support their entire community. Throughout the year, Malcolm, like his fellow Inspired Teacher Leaders, influence their schools to emphasize more authentic engagement and student voice.

Inspired Teaching Fellows highlighted how they act as changemakers from within their classrooms by using research to enhance their practice. As Fellows presented action research projects, it was clear how passionate the teachers are about crafting engagement-based classrooms. Each Fellow chose a topic that related to authentic engagement to fully explore. Their research topics covered a variety of themes, ranging from The Impact of Yoga and Meditative Breathing on the Behavior of Kindergarten Students to Using Self-Regulation Strategies to Increase Math Confidence and Achievement. The Fellows proudly shared how their findings contribute to the field.

The evening also showcased how young people, with the right tools and experiences, grow as critical thinkers and active citizens. Real World History students demonstrated how they put theory to practice and bring history to life through their internships at historical sites across DC, including the National Museum of American History who generously hosted us for the evening.

One student, Cheyenne, demonstrated how the Real World History course gave her the freedom to build on her passion and experiences. As a part of the course, each student participated in National History Day, a city-wide competition. Cheyenne chose to craft her exhibit on African American Entrepreneurship in Georgetown to complement her internship experience at Tudor Place and further explore her interest in business. Her exhibit specifically underscores the story of John Luckett, a formerly enslaved man who gained his freedom working at Tudor Place.

Laura Brandt, Cheyenne’s internship supervisor, explains how Cheyenne blossomed as she directed her own learning and research at Tudor Place. “Cheyenne grew tremendously this semester—as a scholar, historian, and person. Especially in her research of John Luckett, an escaped slave who was employed as a gardener at Tudor Place during the Civil War, Cheyenne proved herself an adept social historian. Her choice was particularly meaningful because studying someone who isn’t as explored in national narratives can help students discover the ways in which ‘ordinary’ people are extraordinary. You realize that anyone can make a difference.”

At Changemakers in Action, it was clear that, like Cheyenne, Inspired Teachers and students are empowered to make a difference as fierce advocates for authentic engagement. In the hands of these remarkable young people and passionate educators, we excited for the future of engagement-based education.

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.