Teacher Feature: Ms. Fasciano - Center for Inspired Teaching

Amanda Fasciano is a 2018 Inspired Teaching Fellow, teaching 5th and 6th graders at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School. She shares about her mission to create more equitable education systems.

Hometown: Lincoln, MA – outside of Boston
Undergrad & Major: Bates College, Anthropology
Your favorite book to read as a child & why: The Mitten by Jan Brent, because I loved the illustrations and how you could tell what was coming next based on them!

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

I minored in educational studies in college because I knew I was interested in education, but didn’t yet know if I wanted to be a teacher. I was fascinated by issues in education and during my studies, I started to realize that I wanted to devote my life work to changing educational structures to make them more equitable. By senior year, I decided teaching was the best place to start with that goal. I want experience in the classroom, on the ground, working directly with children. Teaching might be how I work towards educational equity for my entire career, or I may end up elsewhere creating systemic change, but regardless, I know that the classroom is where I want to start.

Why did you choose the Inspired Teaching Residency?

Everything I had read about Inspired Teaching’s model, the Residency Year, and the way Inspired Teaching teaches students and teachers, made me feel so excited! The philosophy aligned with all of my beliefs about teaching and learning. I couldn’t find a single thing I disagreed with. I also loved the support that the Residency model offers.

How has the cohort model affected your experience so far?

I think it’s been really great to have other people going through the same experience that I’m going through. They understand the program’s intensity and workload, and they are there for you to lean on. Having so many people from varying backgrounds in our cohort, also means I can hear a variety of perspectives on (and solutions for) any problem.

Are there any takeaways from Summer Institute that have already impacted the way you think about teaching & learning?

Summer Institute was a unique experience, because I was able to learn from people with so many different perspectives. In a matter of days, I felt like I knew the other members of my cohort like I know my closest friends. Now that I’m in the classroom, I continue to appreciate all that I learned from my peers this summer. In particular, I think a lot about the many different ideas of what an Inspired Teacher is and can be.

What is something you’ve learned in your first few months as a Resident at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School?

I have really gravitated towards Inspired Teaching’s asset-based approach to working with kids. I have already experienced working with kids who are struggling with the transition to middle school, or having difficulty adjusting to the bigger class sizes. The asset-based model helps me think about what strategies I can employ to address these issues rather than seeing the children themselves as the problem. I think seeing every student as an individual will make me a better teacher in the long run.

How do you see your role as a changemaker?I’m excited to continue to learn more about how I can be a changemaker as a teacher. For me, a a big part of taking on the role of changemaker is meeting each student where they are as individuals. Students all have different experiences that impact who they are as a whole person.The balance is keeping individual needs in mind, while still pushing everyone to the same high expectations.

What advice would you give to a 2019 Inspired Teaching Fellow?

Take advantage of every experience that is offered to you, or that you can reach for, because it all will be helpful at some point! There are so many opportunities that the Inspired Teaching Residency offers; take advantage 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.