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Teacher Stories

Educators Share Experiences and Innovations

Free to Be Me Free to Be Me
by Gia Rae Winsryg-Ulmer
Gia Rae Winsryg-Ulmer knew she found her place to teach when she walked through the doors of Brooklyn Free School three years ago. See how Gia and BFS honor children's rights to be themselves and become the happy, healthy, and independent thinking people they are meant to be. This is Gia's Story.
Starting with Place: Molokai Students Re-Define their Education Starting with Place: Molokai Students Re-Define their Education
by Vicki Newberry
Head of School and teacher Vicki Newberry brought a place-based curriculum to her independent middle school in Molokai, Hawaii. Now Aka`ula School students thrive as they research and create positive solutions for environmental issues affecting their own community.
Anthropology 101: How to Change the World Anthropology 101: How to Change the World
by Tom Murphy
Professor Tom Murphy wanted his students to reconnect with nature. Now, they work beside farmers, fishermen, wastewater technicians, environmental groups, and Native American leaders through an award-winning service learning program.
Reconnecting Schools to Real Food Reconnecting Schools to Real Food
by Chef Tom French
Chef Tom, director of the Experience Food Project, has a broad vision of a new school food system that provides students with healthy food, reconnects them with the source of their meals, and builds bridges between the classroom and the kitchen. Here is Tom’s story.
If You Give a Kid a Shovel If You Give a Kid a Shovel
by Joe Gillespie
Joe Gillespie from Crescent City, California, started his first school garden in 1993 with 50 raised beds. Today, he and his middle school students are growing vegetables year-round, monitoring wind turbines, and experiencing the incredible joy of connecting with each other and the land.
Changing the World: One Story at a Time     Changing the World: One Story at a Time
by Anna Unkovich
For former teacher and Chicken Soup for the Classroom co-author Anna Unkovich, a “nightmare” teaching moment was the key to a more open classroom. Learn how she discovered the value of sharing stories.
Three Cups of Tea Three Cups of Tea
In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, take you on a journey that begins with a climber’s failed attempt to scale Pakistan’s K2 and follows with his repaying a poor Pakistani village that nursed him back to health by building them a school.
Happy Teachers :: Reader Comments Happy Teachers :: Reader Comments
The Winter 2009 issue of YES! investigates how to be happy… sustainably. We asked you about happiness in the classroom and beyond. Here is what your colleagues say…
Finding Happiness Beyond the Classroom Finding Happiness Beyond the Classroom
by Chris Goodman
At 19, Chris Goodman has worked in the field of education for six years, beginning as a math tutor. Today, he helps inspire students in Baltimore to fight for their rights. Here, he encourages teachers to join their students in campaigning for quality education.
Discovering the Beauty of Teenagers Discovering the Beauty of Teenagers
by John Hasyn
We tend to be afraid of those who are different from us. For John Hasyn, it was teenagers. Despite his feelings of intimidation, the Canadian-based photographer chose to work full-on with Inuit youth in Nunavut. What he discovered changed his perspective forever.
The Power of Youth The Power of Youth
by Heather Box
26-year-old Heather Box describes her journey through politics where she learned the importance of fighting for her beliefs. Read about her involvement with The League of Young Voters and her message to educators and young people across the nation.
Finding Your Voice Through Food Finding Your Voice Through Food
by Karen Cherubini
Karen Cherubini, who teaches science at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, tells the uplifting story of how she and her third grade students reduced their carbon footprint by making different food choices. And, more importantly how they learned a life-long lesson on how asking questions can change your life.
Students as Citizen Diplomats Students as Citizen Diplomats
by Brendan Clarke
For over 20 years, Bainbridge Island, WA, has been building a strong relationship with its sister city Ometepe, Nicaragua. Instead of just learning about foreign relations, students and teachers are forging their own. Here are their stories.
Teaching Global Warming in Tumwater Teaching Global Warming in Tumwater
by Jana Dean
Jana Dean tells her inspiring story of what happened when she took teaching about climate change beyond the text books. What happens when you pause and listen to your student's fears and allow space for them to work through their feelings of powerlessness? In Tumwater they created a new recycling system for the entire school.
Addressing Guatemala’s Educational Crisis Addressing Guatemala’s Educational Crisis
by Ryan Richards
The Miguel Angel Asturias Academy offers a model for reforming Guatemala’s education system. Scholarships and low general tuition rates make the Academy accessible to even the poorest families. The curriculum combines strong academic fundamentals with training in leadership and human rights issues.
Teacher as Cultural Broker Teacher as Cultural Broker
by Jane Dalton
Understanding and interpreting the cultures of second language learners in our schools is growing increasingly difficult as our student population becomes more diverse. Jane Dalton reports on a weeklong renewal seminar at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), where teachers were introduced to the culture of Latino and Hispanic students.
The Balkan Journalist Dialogues
by Joanne M. Lisosky, Ph.D
 
Educating for Eco-Justice in an Era of Ecological Uncertainty
by Chet A. Bowers
 
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