The death of Queen Elizabeth II evokes a wide range of emotions and much reflection on the history associated with the longest reign in the British monarchy. The global attention on royalty also brings to mind the fellowship of Stephanie McCrary, history teacher at Decatur High School in Decatur, AL.

Stephanie used a Fund for Teachers grant to work alongside experts in British public history at the Royal Archives and British Library in London to make historical documents more accessible to the public and create video learning around the reign of the Hanovers and the British Empire during the 18th-20th centuries. (The House of Hanover preceded the current House of Windsor in the British monarchy).

Stephanie designed this fellowship to help students learn how to use primary sources, as well as to realize the relevancy of world history.

“The students in the United States have reached a point where they view history as simply a class that has to be had to graduate, and assume that it is not utilized outside of schools,” wrote Stephanie in her grant proposal. “I want to observe and analyze the methods used by England to make those connections between educational history and public history.”

For three weeks during the summer of 2019, Stephanie pursued three initiatives:

1. Research alongside experts in British public history involved with The Georgian Papers Programme at the Royal Archives and in the British Library to make the Hanoverian Documents open to the general public.
2. Analyze public history and how its benefits secondary students at The National Portrait Gallery, British Museum, Museum of London, Tower of London, Windsor, and Hampton Court. And,
3. Create a series of video lessons from these sites to use in the classroom.

See Stephanie’s post-fellowship summary here.

Upon returning home from her fellowship, Stephanie partnered with Dr. Jeff Bibbee, professor at the University of North Alabama, to incorporate the Georgian Papers Programme into her classroom. Together, they taught her students about archival work and its importance in education. Then, the Georgian Papers Programme allowed the students to transcribe Hanoverian Documents — making them the only high school students ever to do so.

“During this fellowship I learned about the collaborative efforts that occur between archivists, public historians and educators. In order to have a true historical and educational experience for students all three have to come together to create and organize historical content in an accessible way for students,” said Stephanie. “This time in Europe  allowed me to make connections with archivists and historians and empowered me to bring primary source content into my classroom, impacting my students for years to come.”

A secondary outcome was demonstrating how learning is accomplished beyond the classroom. Stephanie served as a role model who pursued knowledge and experiences in a variety of individuals and sources — not text books or Google.

“According to the United States Library of Congress, using primary sources fosters active reading and response and makes students question creator bias, purpose, point of view and even their own assumptions,” said Stephanie. “When students learn to compare competing points of views, they become better equipped to be productive and active citizens of our society.”

Top photo features Stephanie (front row/far right) at Windsor Castle, where she toured the Royal Collection Trust archives and transcribed historical documents.

As Naima Hall tells it, she had a hard time finding her way in the world of work. For a while she did construction work, then bartended. Only after a few more minutes into our conversation did she mention that this phase of her career came after she worked for the International Trade Division of Tiffany & Co. and directed New York City’s Sister City Program through the United Nations. These roles, while high-profile, left her empty.

“I felt like my life wasn’t real,” she said. “I had titles and positions that sounded interesting. And I felt like a blank slate. My family was proud, but I couldn’t get through the cognitive dissonance of achieving but feeling empty.”

Her next step came from an unlikely source – Craig’s List.

“The Helen Keller School for the Blind placed an ad for volunteers,” Naima said. “When I arrived, the social connectedness was there, the good cause, the good mission. “I think I knew I was on the brink of an aha moment, but had questions about vocational sustainability and  next steps.”

Her answer came quickly. After a few weeks, the principal of Helen Keller saw Naima’s potential and volunteered to write her recommendation for the master’s program in deaf and hard of hearing education at Hunter College. She eventually added this degree to her bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s degree in urban policy and planning to become an itinerant service provider for New York City’s Department of Education. As a teacher in the largest education program in the world serving students who are blind and visually impaired from preschool to 21 years of age, Naima goes onsite to provide braille and advocacy work for students who integrated into a general population setting. She turns print material into braille, either by hand or electronically, and makes tactile models of concepts using embossing tools and haptic construction materials to help students comprehend teachers’ instruction. She also teaches students how to advocate for themselves and ensures that schools are compliant in their educational delivery to this specialized population.

“I make stuff, teach stuff and get out of the way,” she laughed.

To expand the state’s core curriculum and further support her students, Naima used a 2018 Fund for Teachers grant to explore French historic sites attributed to the inventor Louis Braille and investigate French-inspired multisensory, experiential learning opportunities.

Read more about Naima’s fellowship here.

“Not a day that goes by that my students and I are not in proximity to the embossed system of writing Louis created during his life,” said Naima. “This fellowship was a career apex and reaffirmed my passion and sense of purpose within my own vocation.”

This experience, especially a teary eyed moment at Louis Braille’s grave, provided the inspiration to push through a difficult career aspiration – earning certification as a Library of Congress Certified Braille transcriber last fall. Fewer people pass this accreditation than the CPA or the bar percentagewise, making it one of the most difficult certifications to earn in the world.

The moral to Naima’s story? Don’t settle and don’t sell out.

“Sometimes young people jump in and stick in it for too long. I just kept leaving,” she said. “People looked at me like I was bananas when I left Tiffany & Co. and the United Nations. I couldn’t tell them why I left, but I knew I couldn’t stay, but I thought, “If I am dying on a long arc, I don’t want to go out with this being it. There’s a difference between quitting and reclaiming your life.”

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Naima invites everyone to follow virtually the New York City Braille Challenge, on March 8-10, 2021. This annual, city-wide event has four components: the academic competition, a braille experience, parent workshops and interactive activities.