Learning to Respond to Uncertainty - Center for Inspired Teaching

April 19, 2017

This piece by Jane Ehrenfeld, Inspired Teaching’s Executive Director, appeared in Inspired Teaching’s April 2017 newsletter.

The Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution recently convened leaders from the fields of education research, practice, policy, and philanthropy at around a provocative topic: Meaningful Education in Times of Uncertainty. As we talked through this concept, a fellow participant noted that we were approaching the topic as a problem to be solved. But uncertainty is wildly unlikely to ever disappear. So rather than focus on the uncertainty itself, shouldn’t we be focusing on how to effectively teach kids how to approach uncertainty, manage it, and even turn it into opportunity?

This question hits on one of the main ideas of Inspired Teaching: that kids who are taught to be changemakers become adults who need never fear uncertainty, because they have the tools to handle it. A massive change is needed in the way we approach educating children so that we can truly prepare them for a highly uncertain world.

The retreat’s leaders emphasized that, in order to make such a massive change in the education system, we will need to “leapfrog” over perceived and historical obstacles and constraints, in order to impact millions of children around the world (particularly in developing countries and high poverty areas). At Inspired Teaching, we believe that it is imperative to make a major shift in the way we perceive and train teachers: not only must we see all teachers as changemakers, but we must also help them to be changemakers. Teachers who are changemakers not only have the ability to change whole systems, they are the best hope we have of building changemaking skills in children around the world

Change in education is not going to come from the top down, at least not without a huge push from the bottom up. And that means giving teachers the skills and tools they need to effectively identify the areas where change is needed, and to bring change to their peers, their schools, their broader communities, and beyond. At Inspired Teaching, our aim is not simply to make a difference in a few classrooms; we are working to bring about holistic change in the education landscape. We equip teachers with engagement-based classroom practices, and we empower them to lead their colleagues, schools, and districts toward a future where every student has an Inspired Teacher.

We continue to engage Inspired Teachers as changemakers after they complete our training programs. This month, we began work with a collaborative of local education leaders and practitioners, convened by Ashoka, with the aim of shifting the education landscape in Washington, DC, so that every young person becomes a changemaker. Inspired Teachers were heavily involved, contributing their ideas and energy, identifying systemic barriers, and recognizing where their skills and expertise can support their peers. In the collaborative, they are able to build their own skills and leverage their power as changemakers.

To bring about a world in which we collectively respond positively and productively to uncertainty, we need to build our individual skills as changemakers. We need to be critical and creative thinkers, problem solvers, effective and empathetic collaborators, and lifelong learners. These are the skills of an Inspired Teacher, and they are the skills that an Inspired Teacher builds in his or her students.

In the coming weeks and months, we will stay involved with these fellow changemaking organizations. Stay tuned for an upcoming essay series published by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education, including my essay on engagement and changemaking, and look forward to news about Ashoka’s locally based education collaborative. We thank you for continuing to support Inspired Teaching, and all of the changemakers in your lives, dedicated to building a better future for our young people.

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.