I hated being a student when I was younger, just ask my parents or my sisters. However, this doesn't mean that I didn't like to learn new things.
That curiosity and desire to learn has grown even stronger as I've gotten older (some might call it maturity) to the point where I'm now happy to give up parts of my summer to go away from home to learn new things and try to become better at what I do.
I'm currently down in Washington D.C. to participate in the Civil War Washington Teaching Fellows, a program that brings together some of the best historical sites in the city to help teachers become better at what we do. I'll be here for the rest of the week alongside 25 other teachers from around the country, during which we will make trips to President Lincoln's Cottage, Frederick Douglas' house and Ford's Theatre. Today we started at the Tudor House, a home once owned by the granddaughter (and subsequent generations) of Martha Washington. We got a tour of the house, followed by a walking tour of historic Georgetown. Both provided great insight into the history of both DC and Georgetown, which I now know was once it's own independent city.
As a teacher, the highlight of the day came after lunch when we participated in activities that not only enhanced my knowledge of the city, slavery and the war but also gave me some resources and tools that I can use in my classroom. I've talked on this blog about how the greatest challenge facing a history teacher is making "old" things seem relevant to teenagers. The things I learned today, ranging from the narratives of escaped slaves and the use of various 19th century inventions will no doubt develop as least some interest in my subject and the time period. That is a very exciting thing.
I'll be updating the blog throughout the week, including a list of odds and ends I've observed around the capital by the end of the week.
Cheers.
No comments:
Post a Comment