Teaching with Improvisation Fellowship

Rejuvenate your practice.
Rejuvenate yourself!

The Teaching with Improvisation Fellowship is an invigorating, yearlong learning experience grounded in the art of improvisation and the 5 Core Elements that lead to an engagement-rich classroom. The Fellowship kicks off with the Summer Institute in Washington, DC June 25-27 (9 AM – 3 PM). Fellows learn to listen attentively; hone their observation skills; and engage their curiosity and empathy to deepen their understanding of academic content, and their understanding of their students and how they learn. Following this three-day session, Fellows receive in-classroom support throughout the school year. They are empowered and expected to lead transformative professional development within their own school communities, as well as develop toolkits to engage students using strategies informed and inspired by their experience as Fellows.

What do 2023-2024 Teaching with Improvisation Fellows have to say about the program?

100% of participants rated the learning as useful or very useful for their work and as engaging or very engaging
100% of participants reported that the session was relevant to someone teaching their content area and grade level
Participants learned how to build more meaningful relationships with students

In their own words, here are some of the things teachers had to say after the Summer Institute:

“Your workshops inspire me to connect deeply with my students, and as an administrator, to connect more deeply with our instructors.”

“Thank you for all these life-affirming ideas!”

“This was a reminder that there is still joy in teaching no matter how challenging it has become.”

A square, spiral-bound notebook with a colorful cover that reads "Hooray for 2023" Inspiration for the Year Ahead

Apply Now for the 2024-2025 Teaching with Improvisation Fellowship

Center for Inspired Teaching invites teachers of all subjects and grade levels at Washington, DC schools to an invigorating learning experience grounded in the art of improvisation and the 5 Core Elements that lead to an engagement-rich classroom. Join us in Washington, DC June 25-27, 2024 to build creative teaching practices using improvisational techniques. Lunch will be provided daily and participants will receive a stipend. Apply today; space is limited and fills up quickly!

Apply Now

Due to funding parameters, we are currently prioritizing educators who work at schools in Washington, DC. If you teach outside of DC but would like to participate in and can attend the three-day Teaching with Improvisation program in summer 2024, we will add your name to the waitlist.

We are grateful to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for its support of this program.

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.