Trusting Yourself - Center for Inspired Teaching

By Jaqueta Abbey

Every day we’re constantly bombarded by external noise that emotionally drains us, causes self-doubt, and sends us looking for validation from others. Think about the amount of time you spend aimlessly scrolling through social media, watching the news, or listening to the opinions of well-meaning family and friends about your life choices. In an age where it’s easy to get swept up in collective negativity, seeking joy and celebrating one’s strengths and accomplishments are radical acts.

Center for Inspired Teaching’s July Institute, “Trusting Yourself,” aimed to help participants do just that through a blend of mindfulness techniques, discussion, improvisation-based activity, and song. The session was held both online and in-person. The photos in this post come from the in-person session.

Walking Meditation

Our session began with a walking meditation, a mindfulness activity that can be done at home, in the classroom, or wherever you like. The goal of the walking meditation is to bring awareness to your body and mind in the moment. How does your body feel as you walk around? What thoughts pop into your head? What sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations are you noticing?

When thinking about how we might incorporate this activity into the classroom, one early childhood educator mentioned “using physical space as a teacher.” She suggested students do a mindful walk in the morning after arriving at school to see what draws their attention. You can find guidance for doing your own walking meditation here.

Reflective Writing & Discussion: Positive Learning Experiences from this Year

Director of Teacher and Learning, Jenna Fournel, asked us the following questions to guide us in writing about a personal positive learning experience from this school year: What about the experience was transformative? Was choice or freedom involved? Did you feel like you were capable? Why or why not?

After jotting down our thoughts, we broke into small groups to share for a few minutes before rejoining the larger group to debrief. My aha moment from our discussion was that learning experiences accumulate over time and help build our strengths as teachers. Sharing these experiences and lessons with colleagues is important because you realize your competence which then increases your confidence.

ABCDE of Learner Needs

As we shared our stories, conversation turned to Inspired Teaching’s ABCDE of Learner Needs. We explored this concept by thinking about needs that were and weren’t met in the stories.

As an educator, I’ve always thought about my students’ needs, but never considered my coworkers’. For example, it never occurred to me that a colleague might be acting grumpy because they’re unable to figure out how to use a new piece of technology, and therefore their need for Competence is unmet.

a group of teachers sitting on the ground in a circle

“I Am From” Poems

Aleta Margolis, President of Inspired Teaching, led us in an oral poetry activity based around asset-framing, the concept of shifting your perspective so that your impressions about people come from places of strength. In this activity, we did some personal reflection and free-writing in response to verbal prompts such as “What words would you use to describe this year?” and “What did you do to keep yourself healthy?” before going around the circle and reading our lists out as poems.

For example, my free-written list contained things like: frustrating, exhausting, fun, self-regulation, perseverance, emotional support, hugs. In poem-form, it translated to: “I am from frustrating. I am from exhausting. I am from fun. I am from self-regulation. I am from perseverance. I am from emotional support. I am from hugs.”

It was reassuring to find that other participants had some of the same words and themes in their poems as well.

“Who Are You?” Song

We closed out our session by learning a sweet, simple song called “Who Are You?” and its accompanying sign language gestures. No matter the grade level, singing has a number of benefits in the classroom, including sparking joy and building community. If you can speak, you can sing!

My main takeaway from this Institute is that when you feel confident about who you are, you’re in a position to create a safe space for students and the other special people in your life. It’s time to trust yourself and let your inner light shine brighter for the world to see.

Interested in attending an Inspired Teaching Institute?

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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.