Teacher professional development. I would like to attend this Fords Theatre Workshop to increase my ability to teach with primary sources and the arts.<profdevpilot>
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
"I just can't seem to turn it in yet," whispered my 3rd grade student as he glanced down at his book about Abraham Lincoln. I knew why he was gripping it so tightly. It was his story, a story about a young boy who had a rough unsettling start but will hopefully have a dynamic finish. He was Lincoln.
On paper it claims I teach music but, in reality, I teach so much more.
I teach my students the ability to think critically, to innovate though exploration and to employ self-reflection. I use the arts to allow students to connect to historical and fictional characters and thereby develop a deeper sense of empathy, understanding and awareness.
A story shared without an artistic interpretation is a story that is incomplete. This is my tenth year teaching, and I am still uncovering methods for my students to explore their learning though the arts, which includes their understanding of American history and the people responsible for shaping our nation and its values.
My Project
I am requesting the amazing opportunity to attend the Ford's Theater Society Workshop where we will visit the Ford's Theater, Lincoln's cottage, battlegrounds and Frederick Douglass' home. This will allow me to not only receive factual knowledge about this part of American history but to be able to express it to my students though the four arts of dance, music, visual art and drama.
As I walk though these primary sources and visit the battlegrounds of the war, I will create works of art to document my experience. This will be shared with my students as they begin to explore characters from their own studies with artistic expression.
Writing is important but it is not the only way to express an idea, interpretation or interaction with a particular concept.
By allowing my students to use multiple avenues for communicating their understanding of a character's struggle, they will be equipped with innovative tools to create their perspectives.
If I am allowed to explore this opportunity first, it will only better equipped me to support my students during their artistic journey. Thank you!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Letford and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
