Inspired Teaching Fellows share findings from yearlong inquiry, research projects

June 3, 2015

(Photos: Kien Nguyen/Center for Inspired Teaching)

On June 2, the 2013 Inspired Teaching Fellows presented their classroom-based action research, sharing their findings from these yearlong, teacher inquiry projects.

In their interactive presentations, Fellows shared the research questions that had intrigued them all school year; their conclusions and unanswered questions; and possible next steps for expanding their projects. Their work highlighted the role of teachers as changemakers in classrooms, schools, and society.

One of the final requirements for completion of the Inspired Teacher Certification Program, these projects provided Fellows with the opportunity to ask and answer authentic questions throughout the school year while studying their own practice. After program completion, the 2013 cohort of Inspired Teaching Fellows will continue teaching in DC Public and Public Charter Schools as they continue their careers as educators.

A full list of projects and photos from the event appears below. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact inspired2teach@inspiredteaching.org.

A Novel Idea: Book Clubs in the Elementary Classroom

Alli Gilden, 4th grade, Key Elementary School (DCPS)

Managing Transitions in the Early Childhood Classroom

Alexis Aldridge, Preschool, School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens

“Raise your Hand” : The Impact of Gender on Participation

Juliana Klein, 4th grade, Bancroft Elementary School (DCPS)

“The bus! Come on, the bus leave you!”

Carlos Duque, PreK, Capital City Public Charter School

The Effect of Responsive Classroom Practices on Children with Impulses

Katie Korinek, 4th grade, Capital City PUblic Charter School

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Children with Anxiety

Vanessa Robin, 1st grade, Murch Elementary School (DCPS)

It’s Never Enough: A Qualitative Study of the Impact of Teacher Work Hours on Job Satisfaction and Effectiveness in an Urban, Title I School

Jessie Papalia, 3rd grade, Capital City Public Charter School

Questioning as a Strategy to Promote Deeper Learning

Beth Carmichael, Kindergarten, Powell Elementary School (DCPS)

The Effect of Student Autonomy on Writing Development

Melissa Aponte, Kendergarten, Bancroft Elementary School (DCPS)

Students as Content Creators

Zia Hassan, 3rd grade, Truesdell Education Campus (DCPS)

Brain Breaks and Behavior

Nicole Jennings, Kindergarten, King Elementary School (DCPS)

The Power of Effective Transitions

Brittney Henderson, Kindergarten, West Education Campus (DCPS)

How Student Interest Affects Homework Completion

Samantha Clark, 4th grade, Takoma Education Campus (DCPS)

The Falcons’ Tree House

Alicia Ronquillo, 1st grade, Creative Minds International Public Charter School

Classroom Transitions: How Teacher Expectations Impact Classroom Efficiency

Elizabeth McNamee, 4th grade, Capital City Public Charter School

Differentiated Instruction: Increasing Student Engagement in Math Centers

Tess Burns, Kindergarten Plummer Elementary School (DCPS)

The Language of Reengagement

Anna Greenstone, Literacy, Plummer Elementary School (DCPS)

The Music Effect

Mike White II, PreK, Capital City Public Charter School

Helpful or Hurtful?

Renee Richardson, Kindergarten, Capital City Public Charter 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.