Creative Teachers Inspire and Empower Creative Students, a Teacher's Perspective

Please enjoy this post from guest blogger Philip Razem - 7th grade teacher at Martin Behrman Charter School

Philip Razem in his classroom

It’s quite fashionable for leaders to say that there is no “silver bullet” to fix America’s education pitfalls, and they might be right, but I believe the best medicine we possess as educators in the most innovative country in the world is our understanding that creative teachers inspire and empower creative students.  In other words, the best lessons are not learned from memorizing facts from a textbook, but facilitated by teachers and students using Art with a capital “A”.  I know my classroom will benefit from joining Louisiana’s A+ network in the same way a bowl of rich bread pudding will benefit from a drizzle of warm, sweet rum sauce: on its own, its an engaging environment rich in student engagement and “a-ha” moments, but with that extra kick – arts integration – it will be the most popular place for anyone with a sweet tooth, or in this case, with an inquisitive mind yearning to learn in new, exciting ways.  I look forward to surrounding myself with educators who love teaching with an art form and displaying their work for the whole school, city, country, and world to see.  I have seen how arts integration works in the middle school classroom, and hope to further my knowledge and application of it for future students. 

Mr. Razem's students try foods listed in a
novel read in class, Theodore Taylor's The Cay

I think the most exciting A+ Essential is “Climate” because when a student feels excited about attending a specific class due to how it is taught, his or her positive outlook will spill over onto every other aspect of his or her life.  Not only will students be engaged, but teachers’ attitudes will improve and the school en masse will function more efficiently and consistently. After arts integration is incorporated in every classroom, students’ behavior will improve and lessons will be described more as “fun” than the dreaded “boring.”

Debate team victory at a
Tulane University Debate Competition.

I have been teaching 7^th grade English Language Arts and Reading at Martin Behrman Charter School for the past 3 years.  Before that, I was a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in the People’s Republic of China where I taught English to Chinese university students in Beibei, Chongqing.  This experience – learning a new language, integrating into a foreign culture, and comparing educational systems - was so impactful that when I returned to America, I promised myself to always prioritize the two elements of education essential in creating 21^st century world citizens: creativity and critical thinking.  So, for the last three years, I’ve tried to teach meaningful, inspiring lessons that force students to get up out of their chairs and literally act out otherwise mundane material in a meaningful way, all while the audience provides constructive criticism.  My love of using technology in the classroom inspired me to start a class blog – razembehrmancharter.blogspot.com – where I’ve documented my students’ 
achievements using arts integration.  This blog’s materials represent 
exactly why I love teaching.  

President Bill Clinton Mentions A+ Schools on C-SPAN

Former President Bill Clinton and Bill Gates were interviewed by Tamron Hall about debt, taxes, health care costs, immigration, and education. 

"Shaping America's Future" Major Trends, New Ideas, and Big Decisions" was part of the Peterson Foundation "2013 Fiscal Summit: Facing the Future."

Recorded on May 7, 2013.

Becoming Part of Louisiana A+ Schools, a Teacher's Perspective

Please enjoy this post by our guest blogger Natalie Sonnier

Epiphany Day School

Hi! My name is Natalie Sonnier and I am very enthusiastic about being a part of the Louisiana A+ Schools network.  I have been in the teaching profession for a year and a half. I started teaching a month after graduation. I graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science: Early Childhood Education and a certification in Middle School Mathematics.  I taught Middle School Mathematics from January 2012 to May 2012 at a Lafayette Parish Public School. I was accepted into Graduate School and started my studies in Educational Technology Leadership in July 2012. The past school year, 2012-2013, I have been a Kindergarten teacher assistant at Episcopal School of Acadiana while working on my graduate coursework. I will begin teaching at Epiphany Day School in August 2013. I will be teaching second grade, my favorite grade as a child, and finishing up my Master’s Degree in the fall. I will be graduating on December 7^th, 2013 in Educational Technology Leadership from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Second Grade Teacher Natalie Sonnier

I truly love my profession and couldn't be more blessed to work with children every day. My calling to teach started when I was about five years old. I sat my sister down in our pretend classroom and taught her the skills I was learning in Kindergarten.  I knew from a very young age that teaching was my passion and thank my past teachers for making a difference in my life. I hope to make a lasting impression on my students and instill the importance of education. I love creating fun and meaningful lessons, teaching life skills that are necessary, building relationships with parents and other faculty, and being a vital part of a child’s life. 

I am thrilled that Epiphany Day School has been chosen to participate in Louisiana A+ Schools. The 8 Essentials seem to be an excellent resource and foundation for the school. I am anticipating that my future classroom, planning, relationships with others will touch on all eight components.  I think the 8 Essentials that A+ Schools values are truly important to the school setting. I hope that the second grade curriculum and lessons I create will foster experiential learning, are adaptive to each learner, value multiple intelligences, and integrate art components.  Also, in regards to planning and relationships I hope the collaboration between teachers is effective and the climate is positive and fun for both students and teachers. I really think the foundation for A+ Schools gives the school resources and a foundation for a school that can make a huge difference in the community.

George Rodrigue Foundation Executive Director Jacques Rodrigue,
Epiphany Day School Principal Kathleen O'Shaughnessy and
Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne

The primary Essential that I would like to focus on is the arts. I am a very creative person in regards to creating fun and meaningful lessons and activities for the students, but I tend to lack confidence when creating visual arts. I believe that a teacher should be an example and it is hard for me to create art work that I am comfortable with. I know children are very creative, but I have struggled with this creative aspect my whole life. Also, I think curriculum is another Essential that I would like to focus on this upcoming school year. I have taught at the middle school level, but the first time teaching an elementary grade. I plan to focus on the curriculum and create a solid foundation for the second grade level. The lessons that I create from the curriculum will have solid objectives, expectations, evaluations of content, and focus on differentiation for all learners in the classroom.  I believe that throughout my first year teaching at Epiphany Day School I can grow in these two essential component areas and make a difference to the students, the school community, and to my profession. Hopefully, at the end of the 2013-2014 school year I can be an “A+ teacher.”  

Louisiana A+ Schools Members Announced

Any school (public, private, charter, urban, suburban, rural, PreK3 through 12) can be a member of the Louisiana A+ School network.   LAA+ chose the following seven schools to join our network in 2013 after an intense application process.  If you want your school join our network, we encourage you to learn more!  We will be adding 5 - 10 schools to the network every year.

1.  South Highlands Elementary Magnet - Shreveport - Public - PreK - 8

2.  Grace Episcopal School - Monroe - Private - PreK - 8
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3.  Epiphany Day School - New Iberia - Private - PreK3 - 5
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4.  The Dufrocq School - Baton Rouge - Public - PreK3 - 5
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5.  Riverside Academy - Reserve - Private - PreK3 - 12
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6.  Homer A. Plessy Community School - New Orleans - Charter - K - 2
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7.  Martin Behrman Academy of Creative Arts and Sciences - New Orleans - Charter - PreK - 8