Teaching Doctors at Hart - Center for Inspired Teaching

January 6, 2016

(Photo courtesy of Nicole McGill)

This piece was written by Nicole McGill, a Science Secondary Educator and Drama-in-Education Curriculum Specialist at Hart Middle School, a DC Public School in Southeast DC. Nicole is a 2015 Teacher Leader in SCALE: Science Curriculum Advancement through Literacy Enhancement, an Inspired Teaching and DCPS partnership. Nicole is also a theater director and playwright, and her new play Life After Death: Stories of those who Survived Grief opens January 16th.

This year, my colleagues and I re-titled our Life Science course as “Medical School.” The science curriculum we teach has not changed, but the way we teach has.

We refer to our students as doctors, and we strongly encourage them to respect one another by doing the same. Being treated as doctors allows our students to explore their true potential. Every class conversation, discussion, lesson we have is connected to problems doctors discuss and solve. Can changing our diet prevent diabetes? What symptoms can we detect early to help save our kidneys and pancreas from further harm? The students then use what they learn to propose solutions.

Most of our students, attending a Ward 8 school, don’t get the same opportunities as other students in the district. Many students can’t afford Internet in their homes, winter coats, or a regular haircut. Calling them “doctors” may seem like a small change, but it gives students the investment needed to push them to higher goals and to achieve in ways they have never imagined. By giving our students the basics of what medical students and future doctors would know, we empower students to apply their knowledge to current situations, problems, and personal experiences in the real world.

As a SCALE Teacher Leader, I’ve adopted Inspired Teaching’s 4 I’s – Intellect, Inquiry, Imagination, and Integrity – into my instruction. Because of my performing arts background, I’ve always put Drama into my educational practices, and the SCALE program has given me the power to fully embrace who I am as a teacher and how I believe I should teach.

In Medical School, our students are assessed three dimensionally; they must build, engineer, deconstruct and/or dissect, as well as know basic content and concepts such as biological structures and function. This helps us teachers really see what the student knows and understands. Those who may not be as strong in writing can show us what they know in different ways – through the models that they build and their detailed explanations.

My colleagues and I have noticed that when they are called doctors, students have a stronger sense of responsibility, respect, and discipline. They are more empathetic to others and are better able to listen when differences arise. They become more confident in making decisions and in making mistakes and being wrong. They understand the value they carry in the classroom, and this transcends throughout the culture of the school.

Though they may not want to be career doctors, for at least 70 minutes a day our students are more then just seventh graders in Southeast DC. They are told they have the power to be whatever they want to be, and they are treated like professionals. Hopefully, we are able to invest enough in them that they are encouraged to continue to strive for the best.

Tickets to Mrs. McGill’s play are available here. Learn more about SCALE here.

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.