On Tuesday, April 8th, Brush Senior Morgan Mackay and Sophomore Lindsey Mink, along with twelve other students from eleven local high schools, had the opportunity to play the role of teacher at the Facing History Spring-Teach In. The program was sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves, a nonprofit organization which develops lesson plans and other educational resources for teachers. Over 140 students, parents, teachers and community members attended the event which took place from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at Brush High School. After receiving a warm welcome from Superintendent Linda N. Reid, attendees listened to remarks by Brush Language Arts Department Coordinator Sallie M. Fine, as well as staff members from the Cleveland Office of Facing History, detailing how incorporating Facing History resources into the classroom enables students to engage in more meaningful learning by promoting higher level thinking skills, open discussion and empathy. Attendees were then separated into five groups and escorted to various classrooms for a break-out session facilitated by three to four students. During each session, the students led the participants in reading and discussing written selections from literature and history, in order to discover how the key messages related to their own lives and current issues. In doing so, those in attendance experienced first-hand the insights and skills gained by students who engage with Facing History’s resources.
The South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools wish to thank all of the students, staff, as well as Facing History and Ourselves, for helping to make the Spring Teach-In a success.