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Students can learn much from travel to Washington, DC. Above is a view of the National Mall in Washington, DC, featuring the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.
Many educators would agree that one of the best methods of teaching is travel. Travel allows the student to fully experience a locale with all senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. And one of the most rewarding destinations for travel for both American students and international travelers is Washington, DC.
Washington, DC, is well-known as the capital city of the United States, and it is one of the most visited cities in the world. More than 20 million people from all over the globe visit the city each year. Covering a scant 100 square miles of land, the city nevertheless hosts the seat of our national government, a myriad of federal institutions, the embassies of 177 foreign countries, and the headquarters for numerous international organizations.
Before our week-long visit to this historic city last month, my husband and I made a list of all the specific sites we wanted to visit. The list was three pages long! DC is like Disneyland: you can’t possibly see everything in one visit. We knew we wouldn’t be able to see every site on our list, but we did manage to make a sizable dent in it.
There is something for everyone in this wonderful city. For the history student, the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian top the list. And don’t forget the monuments: the Lincoln Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery, among so many others.
The student of politics and law will certainly want to visit the US Capitol, the Supreme Court, the National Archives, and the White House. For the science student, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and the United States Botanical Garden offer a wealth of opportunities for learning. The journalism student will certainly want to visit the Library of Congress and the Newseum. Art students will revel in a visit to the National Gallery of Art, the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Freer and Sackler Galleries.
Whatever the subject, any student can find something to further his or her study in Washington, DC. Why not encourage your students to plan their trip today?
The end of summer is fast approaching, and it’s time to start thinking about going back to school. When contemplating how to be the best teacher you can be this year, it helps to have some really great role models. There are many gifted educators in our history, and also in our present time, that can serve as excellent examples of the profession. Recognizing and honoring them is what this blog is all about! Each week I endeavor to share stories about wonderful teachers that can serve as a source of ideas, inspiration, and pride for us all.
You can learn more about some remarkable teachers in my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. Each volume is packed with insightful stories about remarkable educators in American history, and the historical implications of their pioneering work. These books make great sources of inspiration for individuals in the teaching profession and those aspiring to become teachers some day. They are also appealing to history buffs and social scientists.
Among the stories in Chalkboard Champions is that of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who taught emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee Massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman. Learn about educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who defied Jim Crow laws to help her students integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the educator who proved that inner city Latino youths could succeed on the rigorous AP Calculus exam.
In Chalkboard Heroes, read about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican American War raged around her.
All of these stories about remarkable educators can remind you of why you chose to become a teacher in the first place, affirm your faith in the value of the profession, and ignite your passion for a new school year. Order your copies from amazon.com today! And be sure to subscribe to the blog for your daily dose of inspiration. Above all, have a great year!
As the start of a new academic year is upon us, educators all over the country are contemplating ways to create a successful first day of school. Here are a few thoughts.
Think about what you want to accomplish with your students, right from the start. Of course, classroom management is important, but current educational philosophy suggests that classroom management is easiest when students are actively engaged in stimulating and meaningful activities. So, avoid reading aloud a list of your classroom rules and expectations or your course syllabus. Also, don’t plan a lecture. It’s a snore for the kids, and your throat will be sore by the end of the day.
To create a memorable first day, plan an activity that introduces students to your classroom values. Presumably these values would include respect for peers and working well together. Consider ice-breakers that encourages students to interact with each other. Reward them for learning the names of their classmates. It’s also a great idea to try and learn the names of your students as quickly as possible so that you can greet them by name on their second day. Also, create activities that give kids opportunities to help you and their classmates get to know what is unique about them. Example activities would include a round of Two Truths and a Lie, a Shoe Pile Mingle, or Never Have I Ever.
Another customary classroom value emphasizes the joy of learning. Many teachers want their class to be an exciting adventure as they and their students explore learning together. Crafting an activity that is interactive introduces this classroom value right from the beginning. Consider planning a trivia game, collaborative drawing, or a scavenger hunt.
Whatever you plan for that first day, just be sure it is stimulating and engaging. The time will be well spent if the effort kicks off the school year with a sense of excitement for your class or subject. And that list of classroom rules an expectations and the course syllabus? Consider emailing these to parents before the school year begins, and having them reply that they have received it, perhaps with a simple phrase such as “I Agree.” Or use the communication as an opportunity to invite parents to dialogue with you about their child’s individual needs or concerns.
Above all, have a great year!
