Inspired for Life: Inspired Teacher Leader Josiane Blackman

Josiane Blackman recently retired from E.W. Stokes Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., but she’s still a familiar face there. She works a few mornings each week to observe classes and help teachers solve problems. “After I retired, there was no question of my severing my relationship with Stokes,” she says. “When I was hired twenty years ago, I committed myself totally to the growth of my school. So, I feel privileged to be still contributing.” Josiane participated in one of the earliest Inspired Teaching Institutes 20 years ago.

How would you describe your experience at the Inspired Teaching Institute?

Inspired Teaching was transformational in my life. I have vivid memories of the amazing work. There were many wonderful activities, but for me one of the huge shifts I remember having to make as a teacher was sharing power with students. I came from culture with adult-centered classrooms, and respect for elders was a given. Here children were more independent thinkers, and adults really had to assert themselves. The Center for Artistry in Teaching [now Inspired Teaching] gave me real tools that I could start using right away. The tools were more mental tools, shifting my thinking on many things, like the idea that learning could involve the whole body, and the whole child. To me, that was revolutionary.

Most of all, it was the idea of sharing power, through practices like the class constitution, that was key to my growth. Focusing on self-awareness and reflection was also crucial. Self-assessment remains the bedrock of any growth for a teacher.

When you go into a classroom to observe, what do you identify as the characteristics of a really great learning experience?

For me the first thing is getting a sense of peace and comfort in the classroom. You walk in and it is palpable.

I remember walking into a 2nd grade classroom that was co-taught. Co-teaching is complex with several teachers planning together, and at Stokes, they’re planning together in several different languages. It’s easy for things to get chaotic. However, when I walked into this room, I was awestruck. I was happy to be there. It was comfortable, peaceful — you felt like you could breathe. The teacher was relaxed. She had everybody engaged. She planned carefully, and ensured that she and her co-teacher had the same expectations for their children.

I recall the teacher helpfully redirecting a child, “Your friend is new to French. Help your friend float, not sink, as we discussed in science.” I thought that was amazing, the way she connected her redirection to the science content they’d been discussing earlier.

The level of engagement would be something I would also look for very intentionally. How excited are students about what they’re doing? How does the teacher instigate participation in appropriate ways?

What does it mean to you to be a Teacher Leader?

I’m still connected with my school and I go back a couple mornings a week to observe in classrooms and coach teachers. It’s not my nature to be front and center, but to me, being a leader means pushing that self-reflection. Teacher Leaders are self-reflective and committed to growth — and inspire others to do the same.

What advice would you give to a first year teacher?

I would say, use the greater part of your energy in becoming the best manager of your classroom that you can be. We are so caught up in the content and the deadlines, because they’re thrown at us all the time. The school year is like a never-ending treadmill because there is so much to cover. I would say, step back and be clear about your priorities – one of them should be being the best manager you can be. I don’t mean manager in a paternalistic sense, but in terms of building deep relationships. Think of the children you have in front of you and work on creating a strong, trusting relationship with each of them.

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.