Alan is one of only two non-tribe members ever invited to the Nimkish Tribe’s Big House

Kindergartners at John M. Moriarty Elementary in Norwich, CT, sit on carpet squares in a circle, passing a stuffed turtle around and saying one nice thing about their class. The activity is in response to one student showing a lack of respect for their teacher, Alan Reichle; it is also modeling the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe‘s restorative circle Alan witnessed during his fellowship on Vancouver Island. And soon, students throughout Connecticut will learn this skill as part of a new curriculum Alan developed to help students develop their identity and impact the community.

Alan chose to research those living on Vancouver Island because of the resident tribes’ successful amalgamation of histories and traditions. Fifty years ago, seven tribes that originally lived inland were forced onto this land by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who torched their homes and farms and stole their artifacts. Nearly 150,000 children were sent to residential schools to enculturate them as “Canadians.” (The government destroyed the final such school two months before Alan arrived on his fellowship.) In the face of colonization efforts, disparate tribes unified as one (the Kwakwaka’wakw), maintaining unique attributes while furthering their efforts to survive and thrive.

The logo for Alan’s new wellness curriculum

“My time spent with the First Nation tribes in British Columbia changed the course of my life and career,” said Alan who, before his fellowship, taught second grade. Now he’s the lead special education teacher and promoting with his students wellness and collaboration, like the tribes taught him. To do so, he’s collaborating with a superintendent of schools and the Mohegan and Mashaneucket-beuuot tribes which are constructing a casino nearby. He created a curriculum and named it after the otter, an animal known for its protective nature of family. “Otter” is also the nickname given him by the Nimkish tribe in recognition of his intention to protect its history and culture with students.

For now, Alan’s K-1 students continue using the restorative circle to talk about, not pass blame on, one’s individual impact on the group. Additionally, they emulate First Tribes’ pride of heritage by researching their own, expanding students’ appreciation of their peers from Tibet, China, Cambodia, Africa and three First Nations tribes near the school.

“Everyone I met on Vancouver Island is connected and they give back to one another,” said Alan. “In our political climate, this is a great example that no matter what, we can all come together and learn something new and great every day.”

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Alan holds a Bachelor in Science and Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education. His teaching philosophy is a hybrid of new age thinking, old school values, and positive kid-center learning, all while having as much fun as he and his students can have each and every day. He’s also a fifth generation Connecticut farmer and integrated aspects of this heritage into his new Otter curriculum.

The name of our 49th state derives from the Aleut word alyeska, or “great land.” Many FFT Fellows would agree after experiencing the culture and ecology of the land that – 151 years ago today – was acquired from Russia for $7.2 million. In celebration of Alaska Day, enjoy the following images, insights and impact of grant recipients’ learning in “The Last Frontier.”

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2018

Panning for gold in Mineral Creek.

Robin Barboza-Josephson & Catherine Gardner (New Milford High School – New Milford, CT) joined an expedition through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Denali National Park to demonstrate the work of scientists and move ecology education to a model supporting Next Generation Science Standards. (Featured in clip above.)

“We hope to trigger a need for changes in human behavior to try and combat global warming before it is too late. I hope that by sharing my photos and experiences with them, they will realize that their behavior here (4000 miles away) still has an impact on environments they have never seen before.”

Listening to a lecture by Sheeren on Glacier Bay.

Two weeks ago, Fund for Teachers opened the 2019 grant application. Have you been thinking about where you want to go and what you want to learn? For a little inspiration, today we share excerpts from a piece produced by the Stamford (CT) Education Association highlighting the learning of FFT Fellows from the area. Maybe you’ll see yourself in them and be inspired to start your online application, due January 31, 2019.

Kristin Baldovin above the Theatre of Dionysis at the Acropolis.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] wanted to travel to a place I had not been before to expand on my world view, and I wanted the location to be relevant to curriculum for my fourth graders. Our first literacy unit of study centers around Greek mythology, so going to Greece seemed like a natural fit. I also noticed that my students often struggled with some of the historical context that I knew I could gain going to Greece myself.

Do it! Apply! I would highly suggest submitting a proposal if you are interested in furthering your knowledge and learning as an educator or person in general. Choose a place and/or topic you’re passionate about. When you have passion, it makes the writing/work easy.

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Diane with founder of Rainbows Within Reach.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”M[/minti_dropcap]y main goal in applying for an FFT grant was to improve how I teach writing to English Language Learners. Thanks to Fund for Teachers, I was able to attend the I Teach K! conference in Las Vegas. I attended a variety of sessions on writing, guided reading, and helping ELL students, as well as those with behavior issues. Now, more than a year later, I still refer to the strategies and techniques I learned.

I would urge anyone who has a desire to learn and explore to take a chance and submit a proposal. You just might get some exciting news in April!

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Sarah spent the day interacting with 35 orphans living at a children’s shelter in Atenas.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] chose this experience because, very simply, I realized that I could be far more effective in my work with families if I could speak basic conversational Spanish. I spent two weeks in Grecia, Costa Rica, attending Academia Centroamericana de Espanol’s program specifically designed for social workers. Through classes and living with a host family, I developed a small sense of how some of our families must feel when they can’t advocate for their children due to a language barrier. I am much more mindful of this now and also have found that if I make an effort to speak Spanish, parents are often willing to try a bit of English. Just making an effort opens a lot of doors.

Whatever program you design for yourself, you need to make a strong case for how your fellowship will benefit students, their families, and/or your school community. If you want to know more about my fellowship, visit my blog at https://costaricasarahblog.wordpress.com.”

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Jenna Cinelli developed a global network of peers during her fellowship.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] had the amazing opportunity to attend the Hawaii National Great Teachers Seminar in Hilo. This was unlike any other conference I’ve attended: Gone were the rows of desks, teachers on laptops and lectures. It was just 60 teachers from around the world meeting together in small groups to talk about education, the issues we face as educators and how to become that “great teacher” our students need. By deciding what learning would be best for your teaching, you are in control of your own growth. No one dictates what you are learning or how you should take it back to your classroom. I was able to decide what I was going to learn and what I was going to take away from it.”

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Connie in the Boyne Valley with a Neolithic monument built in 3,200 B.C.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]”I[/minti_dropcap] kept it simple and didn’t try to see 10 cities in 10 days, but was still able to explore 9,000 years of Irish landscape, mythology and culture through the country’s national treasure of storytelling. I experienced UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the largest Anglo Norman castle, attended evenings of music and storytelling and learned that storytelling is not only just active for the teller, but also the listener. If you are going to apply, first read about other people’s fellowships. There are some amazing ideas! Then start your dream. You do not have to leave the USA. The trip is about YOUR personal growth as an educator!”

Columbus may have sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety two, but South Dakota instituted October 8 as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in nineteen hundred eighty nine as a counter-celebration. This is the holiday Rebecca Zisook’s students will be commemorating today due, in large part, to her FFT fellowship this summer.

“Previously, our third grade curriculum included an ‘Explorers’ unit that glorified post-Columbus imperialism and oppression of those colonized under a mask of purported bravery and achievement,” said Rebecca. “I wanted my Latinx students to be aware of the bravery and achievements of their ancestors, and I wanted to communicate with them more fluently beyond conversational Spanish.”

At the Library of Congress, reading, with a magnifying glass, an 1860’s issue of the Frederick Douglass Papers.

With her $5,000 Fund for Teachers grant, Rebecca investigated the richness of Mesoamerica’s indigenous peoples, first using primary sources from  the Library of Congress and the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, and then through language and cultural immersion in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her goal was to gain a nuanced perspective of Mesoamerican peoples and bring this knowledge to students in a way that applies to a broader American and global perspective.

Through guided tours of sites like the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, Rebecca learned the dominant narratives about customs and peoples from the region. She sought out primary source materials as taught at the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute she attended prior to departing for Mexico, and enrolled in a four-week language school while living with a host family in Oaxaca. Her experience there included touring the Ethnobotanical Gardens and partaking in cultural events, such as a Guelaguetza, the annual celebration uniting representatives from 16 different ethnolinguistic groups.

Rebecca’s view of the Guelaguetza, watching performances from people from across the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Rebecca plans to host her own Guelaguetza at Chicago’s Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies this year. She’s also collaborating with colleagues on an enhanced International Night in keeping with the school’s International Baccalaureate tradition and is in the process of replacing the “Explorers” unit with a “Culture” one.

“We can change the mindset of those who believe that speaking Spanish is somehow a hindrance to learning or identity,” said Rebecca. “We can break the pattern of Spanish-speaking immigrants feeling shame instead of pride for their home language. We can reclaim our histories, our languages, and our identities. We can build a more empathic world.”

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In honor of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday today, we share the thoughts of teachers who analyzed his practice of ahimsa, or non-violence on their 2015 FFT fellowship. Katie Seltzer and Eric Berge spent five weeks in India learning about the teaching of non-harm present in Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. They share some of their experiences and insights below:

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] Can you briefly describe your fellowship — where you went and why?

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]A[/minti_dropcap] We were truly immersed in the culture of non-violence during our participation in the International School for Jain Studies Teaching for Peace Program by living, (even eating!) and studying nonviolence. Additionally, with our side trip to Varanasi, we explored the Buddhist roots of nonviolence in India by visiting Sarnath, the site of the Buddha’s first sermon, where he taught the origins of suffering and the method for overcoming suffering. In Varanasi, we explored the Hindu practice of cremation on the sacred Ganges River—a returning of body and soul to the earth in a non-violent burial practice. From these experiences, we deepened our understanding of ahimsa through the study of Gandhi’s writing and visiting his home in Mumbai, his home in New Delhi and site of his assassination, and the site of his cremation. We were impressed with Gandhi’s commitment to simple living, exemplified by the exhibit on his few possessions. The inspiration for our learning was to determine how schools and students can be agents of peace in the midst of diverse cultures and religious illiteracy.

On the Ganges River in Varanasi.

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] How did your fellowship translate to the classroom?

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Eric: I incorporated the religion of Jainism into my teaching of World Religions. In India, we had the opportunity to learn about the Jain teaching of nonviolence directly by spending a month living in Jain communities. Students were fascinated to learn about how the Jain teaching of nonviolence extends to animal and plant life. I shared with students the strictures of the Jain vegetarian diet—eating no meat, leafy green vegetables, and root vegetables. I had the students read the story of the Mango Tree, which we learned about in India, to teach about why Jains follow this diet. Students read the story, which talks about a group of friends walking through the forest and encountering a mango tree. In order to get the mangos, one friend suggests cutting down the tree, another cutting down a branch, and another picking the mangos off the tree. However, the final friend tells them that if they look around, there are enough mangos on the ground to feed all of them. This friend illustrates ahimsa by limiting his harm of the natural world, and ensuring that there will be enough for everyone to go around. We also learned about the Jain commitment to nonviolence by learning about the lives of Jain monks. After watching an Indian cartoon about Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, and his commitment to nonviolence, students looked at photos of Jain monks and nuns that I took in India. I shared stories of the Jain monks that we met, and we watched a short video I filmed of a woman taking the vows to become a Jain nun. Students then reflected on what Jainism can teach them about nonviolence. Students realize that nonviolence can include what we eat, how we interact with others, and living simply. These Jain truths are relevant to all students regardless of religious traditions.

Katie: I incorporated my experience of Gandhi into my teaching of Religion and Social Justice.  We begin by studying the life of Gandhi through images of him, a brief documentary on his movement, and primary source documents, including his own writings. Students explore how nonviolence is an active, not a passive, method of working for social change. A new student project has students find their own injustice in society and create the idea for a nonviolent movement to address the problem, using the methods of Gandhi. Additionally, students look at how Gandhi’s methods can help them resolve conflicts in their own lives. We watch a Bollywood movie, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, about Gandhi coming back to life to teach a mobster about how ahimsa is more powerful than physical force. The humorous movie builds on the concepts of Gandhi that students explore earlier in the unit. The students then work on applying Gandhi’s techniques in case studies of interpersonal conflicts and then to conflicts in their own life. The goal is to make Gandhi’s teachings of ahimsa relevant, and have his movement educate a new generation of students.

Katie and Eric pictured with FFT Fellow Monica Shah (Chevy Chase, MD) who participated in the same nonviolence immersion program at the Mahaveer Public School in Jaipur.

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]Q[/minti_dropcap] What do you consider the lasting impact of your learning in India?

[minti_dropcap style=”circle”]A[/minti_dropcap]In a sense, words fail to describe how fully we were able to deepen our study of ahimsa by experiencing it in our daily life. We maintained a strict vegetarian diet, which may not sound life-altering, but the impetus behind it (that non-violence starts with how you sustain your life at the most basic level) is a completely different world view from an American one. Participating in the ISJS Teaching for Peace Program enabled us to live as and among Jains who are firmly committed in all that they do to reducing violence in the world. While we won’t be testing our students on how to be vegetarian, we will be better equipped to answer questions about belief-systems that are so radically different from mainstream American views. Our fellowship enabled us to meet and with students, teachers, monks and lay people daily striving for ahimsa. Their example became an example to us—ahimsa made visible in their welcoming of us and their daily practices. So our main take away from the fellowship really came from those whom we met as living examples of Gandhi’s quote: “There is no path to peace, peace is the path.”

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At the time of their fellowship, Eric and Katie both taught at Cristo Rey New York High School in Harlem, but have since moved to Portland Oregon and teach at Valley Catholic High School and Oregon Episcopal High School, respectively. They are proud that that their fellowship is affecting three schools on two coasts. Eric received his BA in Religious Studies from Gonzaga University and an MS in Conflict Resolution from Portland State University. Katie is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Harvard Divinity School.

Last week in Chicago, our board of directors meeting agenda included a special guest – 2017 FFT Fellow Paula Dell, teacher at Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School in the city’s South Side. Paula used her grant to work with researchers and professors active in current excavation, research and teaching of human evolution in South Africa’s Gauteng Province – also known as the “Cradle of Human Kind.” In addition to sharing about her experiences, Paula also talked about her unique path to becoming both a teacher and an FFT Fellow.

Homo naledi on display at Maropeng. The discovery of this new species has brought much into question of what we have previously thought about human development.

“I came to education and teaching science later in my working career when a friend who worked in CPS told me that they were looking for science teachers,” said Paula. “I was eager to use my science background so I jumped at the chance. What a great job – teaching science and critical thinking to our youth.”

Over the past 14 years, Paula has led student expeditions to Cuba, China and Iceland. She also researched in the Antarctica with a PolarTREC grant, earned her National Board Certification and applied for a Fund for Teachers grant three times before being awarded.

“Each time I improved my proposal with the insight of Martie Sanders, professor for the School of Science Education at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,” said Paula. “By the time I received the FFT grant, we had been corresponding for three years!” When Paula finally arrived in South Africa, Martie introduced her to Marina Elliott, world-renowned biological anthropologist and lead researcher at the Rising Star dig. Marina spent one morning showing Paula around the excavation, including the cave where the 250,000-year-old Homo naledi was found.

With Marina Elliott at Rising Star.

Paula leveraged her time spent in the field with leading researchers, asking questions, visiting dig sites, and learning about the latest technologies in dating and analyzing the fossils to create a revised, phenomenon-based unit based on the most current scientific understanding. Marina Elliott even Skyped with her students during one lesson. Paula says her biggest accomplishment, however, centers around “the big picture.”

“The relationships with professors and scientists that I formed while in South Africa are real and we have kept the collaboration alive,” said Paula. “We established a network which include teachers in Canada and America. Maintaining an ongoing collaboration with these impressive researchers is so motivating and translating all of that into the classroom is equally exciting.”

After our board meeting, Paula sent a note of thanks and added the following:

“The Fund for Teachers fellowship has been such an amazing experience for me and, in turn, my students and colleagues. I cannot stress enough that the success of FFT is not measured just through analytics, which I think you know. I don’t think the greatest impact is truly quantifiable – how we bring it back to our classroom in a thousand ways, sometimes bold and obvious, sometimes more subtle. I don’t think the majority of FFT Fellows are any less committed than myself or that I am some sort of outlier. My hat is off to FFT for being one of the (too few) entities that truly places trust in teachers to know what is best for our kids. Not a bad rep to have among teachers!”

Paula with staff at the Tanajane Senior Secondary School in Bushbuck Ridge, Mpumalanga Province, after serving as a guest speaker.

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Paula (pictured Skyping with her Chicago students from Antarctica) believes that scientific exploration at all ages is crucial in understanding the world in which we live. She is a strong proponent of teaching science through inquiry, as evidenced by her students’ design of a successful underwater camera system, Fish Spy, recently deployed in Antarctica. 

Fund for Teachers fellowships are NOT vacations. So when a teacher applies for a grant to learn in Hawaii, selection committees raise an eyebrow. The proposal has to be extra convincing that teacher learning and student impact will extend beyond beautiful sunsets and drinks with tiny umbrellas. Christa Phillips’ proposal passed muster.

A first-grade teacher at Marshall Primary School, Christa used her Fund for Teachers grant to compare and contrast the culture, natural resources and geography of Hawaii with Belton, SC, to create an integrated unit that increases students’ curiosity, global awareness, appreciation of diversity, and helps make connections between people and their environment.

At first glance, South Carolina and Hawaii have little in common; however, both are home to endangered sea turtles and both lie on faults in the Earth’s crust. (Marshall Primary School performs multiple earthquake drills throughout the year!) Both states also have petroglyphs dating back thousands of years; Christa photographed the markings carved into lava rock by ancient Hawaiians to compare with symbols created by Native Americans in South Carolina’s red clay. She’ll incorporate all of these topics, as well Polynesian culture and the history behind Pearl Harbor, into a new multi-week course that directly addresses state standards for Science and Social Studies.

“I have been in the teacher role for nearly two decades. As an FFT Fellow, I became the student,” said Christa. “This new perspective gave me an appreciation for the challenges of my students in seeking knowledge and understanding of the natural world and the diversity within it. It also inspired me to challenge myself to do things I was previously too afraid to do: flying around the world, hiking through a rain forest, driving up steep mountains at high elevations, walking on lava fields, seeing endangered species in their natural environment, and exploring 8 out of the world’s 13 climate zones! I have a new excitement for learning and teaching stemming from this wonderful experience.”

Christa is a National Board Certified Early Childhood Generalist. For nearly two decades, she’s demonstrated a passion for learning- both personally and professionally. Since 2007, she has partnered with the WebbCraft Family Foundation to provide tens of thousands of free books to children in the community. You can see more images from her fellowship on the dedicated Instagram account.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]A[/minti_dropcap]s part of the “follow up” portion of an FFT fellowship, grant recipients complete a Passport that documents their learning and where they plan to go from here. Teachers answer brief questions in three categories:

1. Personal and Professional Growth
2. Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community, and,
3. Imagining the Future.

During the month of August, we’ll share some of our Fellows’ Passports to get us all in the “Back to School” mode. Today, we’re proud to share the reflections of Nolan Hanson, teacher at Oscar F. Mayer Elementary in Chicago, IL. He described the threefold nature of this fellowship in his grant proposal:

Shopping for paints at Sennelier, where Picasso purchased supplies.

The knowledge and insights I gained into the cultures and environments that impacted Picasso’s life and art have grown immeasurably as a result of my fellowship. Coupling this with my newfound knowledge of him as a person and an artist, as well as the complexity of his background, provided me with an understanding of how each of these elements are displayed in his work. I now feel capable of presenting these characteristics and experiences to my students and school community effectively.

First and foremost, my capacity to teach art in Spanish now exists, which it previously did not (except on a superficial level) as a result of: 1) the instruction I received from multiple museum staff members on art creation, appreciation and analyzation; and 2) having now observed, analyzed and appreciated the art of so many Spanish and Latin artists. Where I previously included art in my instruction, I will now be able to embed art in my instruction as a means for dialogue and inspiration.

Living for a month in Spain has to be the greatest personal accomplishment of my fellowship. During the writing of my proposal, I regarded being a Spanish teacher who had never been to Spain as a personal and professional deficiency. I can now state that deficiency has been satisfied with incredibly memorable experiences and professional growth. The fact that the entire fellowship was centered around the study of one of my Spanish heroes enhances the richness of each experience.

Impact on Your Students, School & Community

On a walking tour of Picasso’s Paris, at the St. Germain studio where he painted “Guernica.”

I will now be able to provide my students with the opportunity to use art in their weekly Spanish instruction. The authentic resources I was able to collect during my fellowship will provide them with quality enrichment tools to better connect with the experiences of Picasso and the culture of Spain. Using all of these resources together will allow us to create a positive social emotional learning environment that up to this point has been challenging to build within a language classroom.

In collaboration with the humanities teachers at my school we developed an interdisciplinary unit to cover the life and times of Picasso. Students will research and discuss the major world events that parallel Picasso’s lifetime in tandem with a micro focus on specific events that happened to Picasso. We will then combine these into an evaluation of his work and what influences we can see in his choice of subject, color, technique and message before students begin making their own artwork.

“Why?” is the response of elementary-aged students to virtually every statement, which is why many parents are happily walking their kids back through the school doors right about now. When Lori Lyn’s second graders at Houston’s Hicks Elementary used to ask WHY Texas was so great, she quoted the usual (ranks second in population and size, ecological diversity, Willie Nelson, Whataburger, etc.) These answers failed to convince her cynical social studies students. So this summer, Lori set out on a road trip to prove WHY all should hail the mighty state.

“Most of my students have had very limited, if any, opportunities to experience Texas’ landmarks and monuments, but are still required to learn and understand their historical significance,” said Lori. “I needed engaging answers to their questions of WHY Texas’ history, symbols and landscapes have meaning in order to make the learning last.”

Three thousand miles and multiple nights at Days Inn, Econolodge, Motel 6 and a tent later, Lori is ready for this year’s class of inquiring minds. Her sedan took her to 11 cities, where she collected artifacts from sites including, but not limited to:

• Fort Worth’s Stockyards National Historic District and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
• Dallas’ Sixth Floor Museum
• Austin’s State Capitol, Governor’s Mansion and Bob Bullock Museum
• San Antonio’s Institute of Texas Cultures
• Port Isabel’s Historical Museum and Point Isabel Lighthouse
• Galveston’s Texas Seaport Museum and the state’s oldest public library
• La Porte’s Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument
• Houston’s George Ranch Historical Park, and,
• Big Bend National Park

Lori is one of 489 Fund for Teachers grant recipients who designed experiences to impact student achievement this summer. Since its founding in 1981, the national non-profit has awarded more than $28 million in self-designed fellowships to 8,000 prek-12 teachers across the country – impacting approximately a quarter of a million students.

This fall, Lori’s students will model her adventure by charting their own Texas Tour, using maps and brochures she brought back from the road. They will also create journals and postcards to document and share what the “see.”

“Not only will I be teaching about the knowledge I gained, but my students will be empowered and excited to teach others in the school community about the state in which we live,” said Lori. “The ultimate goal is that they will ‘Remember the Alamo’ and a whole lot more.”

If you know a dedicated, innovative teacher like Lori who would be interested in designing their own Fund for Teachers fellowship, encourage them to apply using the online application available on October 1 at fundforteachers.org. And if you would like to be from Texas, but aren’t, here’s a song just for you.

Pictured above at Battleship Texas, the last of its kind that served in World War I & II and a National Historic Landmark. Collage (clockwise): Johnson Space Center in Houston; Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge; 10,000 year-old Inner Space Cavern, discovered in 1963 when the Texas Highway Department built I-35; by the world’s tallest statue of an American Hero – two-time Texas president Sam Houston; The Sixth Floor Museum; the State Capitol; and Sea Center Texas – the world’s largest redfish hatchery.

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Lori is a second grade teacher at Hicks Elementary School in Alief, outside of Houston. This is her 16th year in the district, in which she has been a team leader, as well as a lead teacher in both Reading and Science. Lori is one of the few three-time FFT Fellows and has also been awarded five Donors Choose grants and an Association of Texas Professional Educators grant. Follow her on Twitter here [minti_social icon=”fa-twitter” url=”https://www.twitter.com/_MrsLyn” target=”_self”]

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]A[/minti_dropcap]s part of the “follow up” portion of an FFT fellowship, grant recipients complete a Passport that documents their learning and where they plan to go from here. Teachers answer brief questions in three categories:

1. Personal and Professional Growth
2. Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community, and,
3. Imagining the Future

During the month of August, we’ll share some of our Fellows’ Passports to get us all in the “Back to School” mode. Today, we’re proud to share the reflections of Carly Connor and Jill Padfield, teachers at Franklin School of Innovation in Ashveille, CT. They described the purpose of the fellowship in their grant proposal:

Students view our school as a place they have to be, and despite our “leave no trace” school norm, they don’t take ownership or pride over the spaces in which they learn. Part of this is most certainly due to the fact that our school is currently a collection of trailers–a temporary campus while we work toward funding for our permanent building. We have tried small improvements to make the campus more visually appealing, but these have not changed the students’ habits of kicking holes in the thin walls of the classrooms, writing on bathroom stalls, and leaving trash all over campus. We desperately need a culture change, especially as it comes to students owning school as their own space.

This fellowship will lead to a project that will allow students to have a voice in biophilic and sustainable features that could be added to our new school building. Research shows that buildings incorporating biophilia, a person’s innate biological connection with nature, can not only reduce stress, but also improve cognitive function and creativity. We will task the students with incorporating both biophilic and sustainable ideas into a real, physical structure in our new school building for the benefit of everyone in our school community.

Sun Pipes filter sun into classrooms and offices with no windows at Dover Court International School in Singapore.

Impact on Your Students, School & Community

Student-run gardens at Brentwood Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia.

Before this fellowship, we led student projects that were interesting, but they always seemed to fall short of truly authentic. Projects rarely included a service component and never positively affected our community. This fellowship and resulting project will be the start of helping students to connect their learning to their community in a meaningful way.

This project will require collaborative work in order for it to be successful. My partner and I plan to get the rest of the 10th grade team on board on our first day back by telling them about our learning, our project idea, and getting them to feel as excited as we feel. We are already organizing all of our photos and creating a presentation for the students, but we both feel like we can’t move forward at this point without the rest of our team, since the project will live in all of our classes.

 

Imagining the Future

Our project centers around our new school building, and our students will be creating new green-design features to be incorporated into the building. This may take a few years, but it could then include several grades that as part of this long-term, collaborative project. Most importantly, this project will help give any student who works on it more ownership of the new building and their community.

Part of the focus of our fellowship was to positively impact the environment that our students learn in. The best way to do that is to not only make them more accountable for their waste and their habits, but to give them a space to study that is green and healthy and productive. Lack of such spaces is a huge problem in many of our schools today, and our students are going to be at the forefront of changing this in our state.

I don’t think anyone would have guessed that two high school Math and English teachers would be able to create a meaningful, collaborative project about Science! It was not easy, but the opportunity for this fellowship pushed us to think beyond our own classrooms and our own content to what we thought our students and our community really needed. This fellowship took us from a subject-focused perspective to a student and community perspective, and now the possibilities seem endless!

Don’t forget to check out the previous two posts in our Passport to Learning series, featuring fellowships about British literature and African culture.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]A[/minti_dropcap]s part of the “follow up” portion of an FFT fellowship, grant recipients complete a Passport that documents their learning and where they plan to go from here. Teachers answer brief questions in three categories:

1. Personal and Professional Growth
2. Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community, and,
3. Imagining the Future

During the month of August, we’ll share some of our Fellows’ Passports to get us all in the “Back to School” mode. Today, we’re proud to share the reflections of Amber Neal, teacher at Almeda Elementary School in Houston, TX. In her grant proposal, she shared the inspiration behind her fellowship:

As a Black little girl, I grew up learning about Africa in school, but exclusively through the lens of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The curriculum and textbooks only reinforced stereotypes of Africans as remote village dwellers with spears and shields and co-existing with wild animals. Years later as an educator, I noted the elementary curriculum was greatly restricted by academic expectations and statewide annual assessments, completely lacking creative, culturally responsive texts or materials. In fact, our state’s education system actually came under fire for producing textbooks and curriculum that romanticized slavery, misinforming students that slaves were actually immigrants that made the decision to travel to the New World.

 

As a Black educator, I felt deeply offended that across the state, teachers were essentially educating students on historical half-truths. This trip will serve as a reminder that I am obligated to not only teach the standards of the course, but to recognize what’s not included and ask why. It is vital in our roles as educators to check our own perceptions and beliefs to become more cognizant of how important our part is in perpetuating stereotypes in the malleable minds of our students.

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Fellowship Description

Experience Tanzania’s history, language, culture and educational climate to deepen understanding of African refugee students and develop learning experiences that enhance global awareness, celebrate cultural differences and enrich classroom discourse.

Personal & Professional Growth

With Masai women sharing cultural & historical significance of bead work.

This fellowship expanded my worldview and enhanced my knowledge and understanding of East African cultures, languages and history. I’ve already utilized the acquired knowledge, skills and resources from Tanzania to develop instructional materials that will enrich authentic student learning experiences. Lastly, it has provided me a springboard to critically analyze what we teach, the methods in which we teach and the efficacy of the curriculum taught.

Observing Tanzanian teachers instruct and lead with upwards of 100 students per class was awe-inspiring! Tanzanian teachers are not always afforded the modern technological advances that are so prevalent in American schools; instead they use innovation, passion, inspiration and creativity to bring their lessons to life. I plan to incorporate various Tanzanian folktales, oral histories, and cultural artifacts in my ESL Reading classes to celebrate cultural diversity and improve global competence.

My greatest personal accomplishment was my ability to be completely immersed in the culture. Through this fellowship, I reaffirmed my identity as a Black educator by drawing connections between African-American and traditional African cultures, which will prove invaluable in my instruction of predominately Black students. I am also proud of the Swahili language skills that I acquired and plan not only to utilize them in the classroom setting, but will continue my study of the language.

Impact on Your Students, School & Community

While the current social studies curriculum mandates that 3rd-5th grade students learn both state and U.S. history, much of the curriculum lacks examination through a global lens. My fellowship experience will expose students to the beauty of the African diaspora by honoring history, celebrating cultures and recognizing the continent’s global impact. Students will develop their critical thinking skills by participating in activities that require critique and collaboration on real world issues.

I also believe that by sharing my experiences, curiosity among my colleagues will grow, inspiring them to seek out non-traditional professional development opportunities and challenge them to critically examine the curriculum and their own biases when working with students of color and students of historically under-served backgrounds. I want to be a role model for teaching a global citizenship curriculum, balancing critical literacy instruction and providing culturally responsive instruction.

 

Imagining the Future

Students will celebrate their new learning by reading the book Africa is Not a Country, which orients students to Africa as a continent through the exploration of the traditions and cultures of kids from 25 countries, including Tanzania. This interactive lesson will help students recognize country names, locations and regions while the mini-narratives in the book illuminates the immense cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of the diaspora and dispels the myth of it being a country.

There is a large push in Tanzanian education reform for students to be a part of a global economy through their learning of the English language. However, in many public schools, the access to literature has been a challenge. I want to inspire my students to donate some of their favorite books to some of the primary schools, and include book reviews to inspire Tanzania students to read, in English. Through this experience, students will develop a sense of empathy for other students’ experiences.

This fellowship provided me the opportunity to explore the African diaspora, which was life changing, on a professional and personal level. The warmth of the people and my overall experiences felt like a pilgrimage back home. Through my journey, I have become more invested in my career as an educator and reaffirmed my passions as a lifelong learner. I will now bring my global experiences to the classroom and expose students to the world outside of the four walls of their communities.

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Amber (pictured picking up her FFT grant check) utilizes her social work background to improve students’ social, emotional and behavioral outcomes. She infuses culturally responsive materials to foster social justice, global awareness and civic engagement. A 2018 HEB Excellence in Education statewide finalist and 2017 Fulbright scholar, she also uses her global experiences to bring experiential, hands-on learning to her urban classroom.

The title photo of Amber was taken at Olduvai Gorge, considered the birthplace of humanity.

[minti_dropcap style=”normal”]A[/minti_dropcap]s part of the “follow up” portion of an FFT fellowship, grant recipients complete a Passport that documents their learning and where they plan to go from here. Teachers answer brief questions in three categories:

1. Personal and Professional Growth
2. Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community, and,
3. Imagining the Future

During the month of August, we’ll share some of our Fellows’ Passports to get us all in the “Back to School” mode. Today, we’re proud to share the reflections of Jacqueline Catcher, teacher at Exeter High School in Exeter, NH.

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Fellowship Description
Tour literary sites associated with famous British authors, including William Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, and Horace Walpole; examine the impact of Gothic architecture in the development of characterization and theme in Jane Eyre; and study canonical literature at the Oxbridge Teacher Seminar at the University of Cambridge to create differentiated and engaging learning for academic and AP English students.

Personal & Professional Growth

Sitting in the teacher’s chair of the schoolroom where Shakespeare studied.

I am returning well equipped to integrate British literature, artwork, architecture, and history into all of my courses. I learned about unique ways to approach poetry analysis, which have students engaging in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic analysis. I can also see how various local museums, parks, and libraries offer unique opportunities for literary analysis based on these new techniques. This has been the most inspiring, exhilarating, and rewarding professional development I’ve ever had.

Oftentimes we teach art, history, and literature we’ve never actually seen. Now I am able to incorporate primary documents, pamphlets, photographs, books, and videos that I prepared throughout my trip and tailored to my lessons. I have photos of paintings and videos of interactive art installations that will help my students explore literary themes in unique mediums. I’m most excited to share the 3D and panoramic photos I took, so students can observe England as if they were actually there.

I challenged myself to create more adds-on units for traditional texts. I’m required to teach Shakespeare to my struggling readers, so I knew I wanted to build a Globe Theatre facade and host a night that would not only provide my students with an authentic audience, but it would also showcase their work. By collecting materials, visiting historic sites, and experiencing a performance in the actual Globe Theatre, I learned how to approach this project and production.

Impact on Your Classroom, School & Community

Students will read and discuss literature through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods that will engage them beyond the page. They will derive meaning from modern art, connect current historical and art exhibits to past literature, and think critically about how spaces and architecture frame both characters’ worlds as well as their own. They will visit England through photos and videos while at the same time physically constructing these spaces to share with their community.

“My students will build a massive facade of The Globe to hose a Shakespeare Night. This was my view watching The Winter’s Tale at the real one.”

I am collaborating with our school’s theater director to host a Shakespeare night. Our classes will work together to construct the facade of the Globe Theatre onstage and prepare a performance of various scenes, monologues, dances, and musical productions to honor Shakespeare’s work. In addition, I will also be collaborating with an educator from Pakistan who I met during my coursework. We are planning to lead short story discussion groups between our students via video chats.

Imagining the Future

“This art installation in the Bronte’s moors in Haworth was called ‘Literary Landscapes,’ fitting since I researched the impact of spaces like this on characterization in Jane Eyre.”

I believe the best way to celebrate student learning is by providing authentic audiences, which push students to educate others beyond their peers. Our community Shakespeare night will allow students to prepare and present their research, analysis, and performances for our local community. Additionally, my AP Literature students will construct small dioramas that look at natural and architectural spaces’ impact on characterization in Jane Eyre. These will be on display in our school library.

Too often we dismiss older literature as antiquated or out-of-touch. What we fail to recognize is that the reason these plays, novels, or poems are deemed classics is because they explore universal themes that help us contemplate the world around us. Literature can’t be read or even analyzed in a vacuum though. It is deeply social, overlapping with other subjects and cultures. I hope students can help others see that literacy and literature is valuable to understanding everything.

Observing the world as both a traveler and a teacher provides a unique vantage point. You absorb, discuss, photograph, and document everything with more intensity, knowing that you aren’t just seeing these places for yourself, you are experiencing them for the hundreds of students who will pass through your classroom. I can only hope my fellowship will change my students’ outlook on poetry, literature, art, and architecture as much as this journey has changed my life as an educator.

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Jacqueline teaches Freshman English and AP Literature, as well as pre-service teachers at the University of New Hampshire. She empowers students through independent reading and authentic writing experiences using a workshop model. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys serving as the vice president of the New Hampshire Council for Teachers of English and advisor of her school’s Government Club and Writer’s Club. See more of her fellowship and follow her on Twitter:[minti_social icon=”fa-twitter” url=”https://twitter.com/@JackieCatcher” target=”_self”]

We received this note from Lana Greenawald last week after she returned from her fellowship. Inspired by her work and her words, we’re pleased to share it with you.

To the Fund for Teachers team:

 

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the opportunity to study the Spanish language and Mexican culture at the Spanish Language Institute for Teachers in Cuernavaca, Mexico, through a Fund for Teachers grant.

 

During my five-week immersive fellowship, I lived with a host family, attended Spanish classes 30 hours per week, toured local schools and important cultural sites, met local teachers and constantly interacted with people in Spanish.

 

English learners with disabilities are an underserved population in public schools. I am especially honored to have received a Fund for Teachers grant so I may work to change this. My improved Spanish language skills and understanding of Mexican culture will enhance my culturally- and linguistically-responsive assessment and treatment of this unique population.

 

I am also confident that my fellowship experiences will help me to be a more inclusive educator as I have improved my ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking families of students with disabilities. Additionally, the grant allowed me to purchase three speech-language pathology professional textbooks about issues specific to assessing English learners with disabilities and an additional 21 private Spanish lessons to continue my studies following my international fellowship.

 

Thank you again for an unparalleled learning experience that will impact my work with English learners with disabilities throughout my career.

 

Yours sincerely,
Lana Greenawald
Speech-Language Pathologist
Margaret Ross Elementary & Hopewell Elementary – Aliquippa, PA

Lana is a speech-language pathologist for the Hopewell Area School District in Pittsburgh. She has served students with disabilities in the public school for five years and was previously awarded the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Women in Global Leadership, which funded a learning opportunity in France.  Before school begins, Lana will speak to the district’s special education department about her experience living in a non-English speaking town in Mexico for five weeks, the power of home language use in instruction, and her experience visiting an inspiring local special education school for people with Down’s syndrome. She plans to serve as a resource for the department and students with communication disorders for years to come.

Ed learning procedure to help unresponsive diver.

As we watched Shark Week from the safety of our sofas, FFT Fellow Edwin Yoo (Dorchester, MA) chose to get a little closer to the action. He is currently conducting field research on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in conjunction with Project AWARE, an initiative taking action to create change for the ocean and communities that depend on it. In Utila, Honduras, he is performing citizen science data collection for coral reef health to develop case studies based on theoretical chemical and biological principles associated with diving.

Codman Academy Charter Public School students from Boston’s south side ALL enroll in four-year colleges, despite entering ninth grade two or more years below reading level. Fifty percent of these students sit in Ed’s chemistry and biology courses. Combine a Caribbean heritage shared by the majority of his students with project based learning and the school’s nearby saltwater marshes and Ed’s fellowship hits a sweet spot of engagement.

“I designed this experience around global climate change and how that impacts the biochemistry of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system (i.e. effect of temperature on O2 solubility, the effect of increasing concentration of CO2 on acidic levels of oceans that negatively impacts marine life) that protects the coastal cities and communities in the Caribbean Islands and Central America,” said Ed. “The narrative of this abstract chemistry theory becomes more deeply personal as it is an issue that is extremely critical to the families of my students who have connections to this region.”

Ed’s new case studies will support the ecology portion of his biology curriculum, specifically on topics of coral bleaching, sustainable fishing, climate change and invasive species. He is also earning his Divemaster certification that requires familiarity with a hyperbaric chamber used for decompression illness, information also applicable in Chemistry classes. Ed’s long term goal is to offer Codman students “Discover SCUBA” classes at the Dorchester YMCA pool.

“My certification will allow me to support Codman’s Wellness Program, in addition to the sciences,” said Ed. “As a Divemaster, I will be certified to teach snorkeling and introduce SCUBA in a pool setting, providing access to experiences not currently offered in the school and community. SCUBA and snorkeling combine medicine, engineering, marine biology, and chemistry into a single water sport activity. Without professional licensure and training made possible through this fellowship, my students would not likely have any exposure to potential career paths related to marine conservation, medical health industry, and engineering.”

Follow Ed’s learning on Instagram @educationalontogeny. And to get in the mood for Shark Week, enjoy this playlist provided by Discovery Channel.

More than 100 families entered the Meriden Public School District in Connecticut last year from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Consequently, Mariah Abatan and Marjorie Eager quickly became more than teachers at Hanover Elementary — they became a lifeline for displaced, confused and scared English Language Learners (fifty percent of whom also presented with speech and language impairments and learning disabilities). Scrambling for strategies to best help these children, they discovered a U.S. News and World Report ranking of “The Best Countries to Be an Immigrant” with Sweden at the top of the list. That’s where they find themselves today, World Refugee Day 2018, on their FFT fellowship.

“We are committed and passionate to empower and inspire our students to dream and achieve their dreams by becoming resilient, lifelong learners despite the challenges they are facing,” wrote the teachers in their grant proposal. “This is a difficult task due to our limited understanding and knowledge of educating immigrant students, lack of resources and minimal training from the district.”

They crafted a fellowship to bridge that gap and are debriefing with educators at two Swedish schools where refugee students first register, as well as participating in a conference at Stockholm University titled “Exploring Language Education: Global and Local Perspectives.”

“We are inspired by the resilience, kindness and courage of the immigrant and refugee families we have met – both here in Sweden and our classroom in the US,” said Mariah. “It is encouraging to witness united voices of a community committed to helping and empowering each other in the midst of traumatic, life-altering events. We urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to make a positive impact in your community by supporting immigrant and refuge families.”

Watch this video of 2017 FFT Fellows’ journey documenting the refugee crisis in Western Europe and the student impact that followed.

“We want our students to feel and know that they are important and helpful to others, as well
as they can add value to their lives by learning from others,” added Marjorie. “In order to have a better community, we have to build tolerance, trust, empathy, and mutual understanding. It is essential/critical to us, that students value their background history and understand the richest of their contributions and contributions of their peers in Sweden.”

Educating refugee and immigrant students is a growing trend in Fund for Teachers fellowships. This summer, five teachers are pursuing this topic in various and unique ways, including:

• Alissa Davis (Hopkins School – New Haven, CT) who is retrace the steps of Longfellow’s heroine, Evangeline, from Nova Scotia to New Orleans to Philadelphia and producing maps and a lesson plan that revives a forgotten tale of refugees and provides students with an intimate exposure to this deeply relevant issue;
• Amber Neal (Almeda Elementary – Houston, TX) who is experiencing Tanzania’s history, language, culture and educational climate to deepen understanding of African refugee students and develop learning experiences that enhance global awareness, celebrate cultural differences and enrich classroom discourse;
• Anne Tomalin (Chapel Hill High School – Chapel Hill, NC) who is joining the University of North Carolina’s World View China Study Visit Program for educators, to observe China’s educational practices and spark ideas for more effectively supporting the school’s Asian refugee students;
• A team from Julia de Burgos Elementary in Phildelphia that will explore the homelands of students, 86% of whom identify as first or second generation immigrants from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, to implement a rigorous, culturally relevant program for the student
  body;
• Anya Wislocki (International High School for Health Sciences – Elhurst, NY) who will research work of environmental activists in Bolivia and Peru while strengthening Spanish language skills to prepare newly arrived immigrant students for college study in the sciences; and,
• Maribeth Dann and Phil Landolt (Hermann Middle School – Hermann, MO) who are blogging as they explore Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, to create learning focusing on modern immigration to America and inform seventh graders’ projects on why people leave their homelands.

“We know that we would have been able to teach our immigration unit without this opportunity, but we know we will do a much better job after this experience,” said Maribeth. “Through many of the poignant experiences we had in Vietnam and Cambodia we can empathize with why a family would feel the need to uproot their entire life in search of a life that does not include war and oppression. It is a decision that we in the States are very lucky that we do not need to make.”

This is the question that inspired Jeff Wolfson’s 2017 fellowship to Monet’s most famous painting spot – Giverny, France. His goal was to develop with students and community partners a similar artist’s garden as a place for reflection and inspiration at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School in New London, CT.

“My school is situated in a small city where many students lack extended exposure to stimulating natural environments,” explained Jeff. “My classroom, however, has access to a large courtyard that was a blank slate, with a brick patio and minimal plantings. There existed more than adequate potential to create an inspiring student space with gorgeous plantings along with structural additions such as arbors, trellises and student art work.”

After experiencing Monet’s garden and the Museum of Impressionisms outside Paris, Jeff had the basis for an art courtyard design using details from the impressionist art movement. He began the school year by meeting with local garden designers, college arboretum staff and the district’s School Garden and Nutrition Coordinator to develop a planting and instructional plan. Then he introduced his new “Art in the Garden” course to fourth and fifth graders.

Yesterday, the school community officially unveiled the finished product, 356 days after Jeff departed for France on his fellowship.

“Giving students real world problems to solve has immense impact on students’ learning,” said Jeff. “In the process, they created something that will be a permanent feature of their school and something they can return to with pride.”

Congratulations to all of the students, teachers and parents who created this very special outdoor classroom and relaxation space to be enjoyed for decades to come.

Starting her tour in Brazoria County with the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin.

The majority of Lori Lyn’s students at Hicks Elementary in Houston are new to America and, thus, new to Texas. Therefore, in addition to providing the fundamentals of an education, she’s also tasked with teaching state history in accordance with state standards. This responsibility inspired her to assume the role of tour guide AND teacher this summer as an FFT Fellow. In a Toyota Sienna minivan, Lori is logging 3,000+ miles driving across the Lone Star State to help her second graders students not only “Remember the Alamo,” but also master complex academic content and become active participants in their own learning.

The four-week itinerary includes:

• Fort Worth Stock Yards National Historic District
• Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, detailing information about John F. Kennedy’s life and assassination
• Texas State Capitol, Bullock Museum and Governor’s Mansion in Austin
• Alamo and Institute of Texas Cultures in San Antonio
• Brazoria County (“Where Texas Began”), NASA and the Texas Seaport Museum on the Gulf Coast
• Battleship Texas moored in the Houston Ship Channel, and
• Big Bend National Park.

“My students are curious about their community’s history, eager to explore their world, and enjoy learning about every place that is new to them,” said Lori. “This fellowship is helping me help students understand how landmarks, monuments, and historical buildings represent and influence current events, as well as the people, places, and ideas that are important to the society in which they now live.”

This fall, her new curriculum will address state symbols, mapping skills, and state celebrations, landmarks, monuments, museums and government buildings. Geography units will also help students to begin developing an understanding of where they are located in the state and nation.

You can follow Lori’s progress on Twitter at @_MrsLyn and enjoy Lyle Lovett’s snappy anthem to Texas and its newest residents!

To be (relevant) or not to be (relevant), that is the question high school students ask when it comes to reading Shakespeare. In response, Fund for Teachers Fellows annually set out for Stratford Upon Avon and related sites to prove how a 400-year-old bard has still got game.

Gretchen Philbrick, teacher at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, crammed as much Shakespeare into three weeks as possible, seeking him out in three countries. She participate in the European Shakespeare Research Association convention in London; attended the Gdansk Shakespeare Festival in Poland; and explored Romeo and Juliet’s Verona.

“Shakespeare lessons ‘test my mettle’ as a teacher,” she said. “I must come up with relevant, properly scaffolded, high interest lessons in which students can discover just how capable they are and walk away as confident Shakespearean scholars.” She uses the Instagram feed named for a Shakespeare quote (@experiencebeajewel) to share videos, incorporates puppetry into readings and analyzes with her students global adaptations of Romeo and Juliet from locations as varied as Bollywood and Iran.

“Shakespeare marks a significant stage in a student’s development. Once students “get” a Shakespeare text, they beam & their sense of accomplishment is evident!” said Gretchen.

Danielle getting in character at The Globe Theatre.

Danielle Peck (Grosse Point South High School – Grosse Pointe Farms, MI) participated in the “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” program in London to learn new methods of teaching that inspired creativity through performance. Classes at the Globe Theatre informed her own, as she shares strategies for mastering texts through analytical reading and writing.

“Shakespeare now resides on our campus in multiple ways” said Danielle. “My students started a Shakespeare Club and I serve as advisor. This year, we held an in-school monologue contest and also traveled to Cincinnati to participate in the National Shakespeare Monologue Competition.”

Additional student activities include:

• a “Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits” staged reading by students and teachers of the most iconic scenes;
• a new semester-long course on the bard; and,
• an annual performance of Romeo & Juliet on campus in collaboration with a professional theatre company.

“My summer at the Globe was truly life-changing,” said Danielle. “It transformed me as an educator and as a human being and inspired me to keep learning and growing.  Thank you for trusting teachers to develop their own extraordinarily meaningful professional development programs.  In a time when it seems like teachers are given less trust and fewer resources than ever, your philosophy is a hopeful breath of fresh air.”

Engaging middle school students in classic literature and theatrical performance was the motivation behind Lyndsey Jones-McAdams‘ fellowship. In addition to participating in a Greek performance workshop in an authentic amphitheater, she conducted research at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon. This week, her fourth and fifth graders at P.S. 264 in Brooklyn completed a “Classical Remix Theatre Collection” which she created. In collaboration with a professional theatre, students read original texts in an abridged manner and adapt them for the school community (comprised primarily of Middle Eastern immigrants).

“My students adapted A Midsummer Night’s Dream into an immersive theatre piece, where we transformed our school into Ancient Athens and students and families traveled our building to visit and become a part of the world of the fairies, mechanicals, and young lovers!” said Lyndsey. “At the end, they all (audience included) participated in a traditional Greek wedding dance to celebrate the weddings of the young lovers and the Duke and Duchess.

This summer, the following FFT Fellows will seek out Shakespeare on both sides of the pond:

Joan Williams (Knoxville, TN) will investigate political and folkloric history of Macbeth in England and Scotland, particularly differing performance strategies and historical interpretations, to establish thematic context for existing interdisciplinary courses (AP World History/Literature) and incorporate site-based research into a new Shakespearean Performance curriculum.

 

David Williams (Colchester, CT) will attend the Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance course at the Globe Theatre in London to learn practical approaches for engaging students from a variety of backgrounds and academic levels.

 

Julie Davidson and Ann Hasenohrl (Westlake, TX) will participate in Kristin Linklater’s Advanced Course on Shakespeare’s Monologues and Scenes in the Orkney Islands of Scotland to apply innovative and differentiated strategies that bring Shakespeare to life for diverse high school students.

 

Jacqueline Catcher (Exeter, NY) will tour literary sites associated with famous British authors, including William Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, and Horace Walpole; examine the impact of Gothic architecture in the development of characterization and theme in Jane Eyre; and study canonical literature at the Oxbridge Teacher Seminar at the University of Cambridge to create differentiated and engaging learning for academic and AP English students.

 

Ryan Campbell (East Hartford, CT) will walk in the footsteps of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” in England and Scotland to strengthen personal knowledge of British history and topography that, in turn, enhances literary competency and global awareness of International Baccalaureate students.

 

Diana D’Emeraude (Austin, TX) participate in a Shakespeare training program for middle and high school language arts/theatre teachers at the Globe Theatre in London to to create curricular units with authentic lessons for my students to help students develop critical thinking skills to be applied in the classroom and beyond.

 

Alicia Sirios & Cynthia Russell-Williams (East Hartford, CT) will explore social justice as presented through the Scottish Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and the Globe Theatre and Hip Hop Shakespeare Company in London to help students identify parallels between literature and their own lives and develop courage to face challenges presented by societal expectations. And,

 

John Matthiessen (Branford, CT) will participate in Globe Theatre’s “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” course in London to learn practical and play-filled approaches to teaching Shakespeare in the classroom and increase student engagement in the reading and performing Shakespeare.

 

“I dreamed of sharpening my teaching skills so all of my students can come to see Shakespeare,” said John, “not only as  a manageable reading experience, but as a doorway into a world where some of our lives’ most fundamental dilemmas take physical form and stride believably toward their inevitable resolution, whether comedic or tragic.” Although Hamlet says, “A dream itself is but a shadow,” John’s dream will be realized this summer on his fellowship. Follow him and all of our Fellows here on our blog.