Ellen Weber’s Educator Journey

A little bit about Ellen Weber and her journey as an educator! 

Grades and subjects currently or most recently taught?

After a lifetime teaching secondary and higher ed. I teach mostly university students currently. I also facilitate secondary and university faculty as well as leaders to use brain based practices for leading and learning in brain-friendly settings.

 

What started you on the journey to become a teacher/ educator?

I became a teacher to make a difference, and one of my favorite schools was my first – an inner city school. Recently I was speaking at a leadership conference in Seattle and I stayed with a former student from my first year out.

I encouraged this student and her class to dream big and step in the direction of their dreams. She’s now in charge of accounts at a very successful technology firm.

 

Anything else that has made your journey special or noteworthy?

I started a debate club with a few inner city teens and when they saw the potential of their insights — the teams grew into a potent group. So I joined forces with another group and watched membership blossom to 40,000. I have a debate product in my store build off cool debate ideas that started with a few inner city teens and later became the Ellen Weber debate Trophy after I moved on.

 

What special thing do you do for your students?

My students are facilitated to speak up and feel heard in every aspect of their learning and assessment. They leave my class with brain based tools for developing strengths beyond anything I teach them.

I developed a unique form of teaching, assessing and leading in brain friendly ways (called Mita Brain Renewal approach) which is illustrated at http://www.brainleadersandlearners.com/change/mita-brain-manifesto/ . This model has won awards in several countries — but it makes teaching fun and beneficial for both students and faculty.

 

The photos are from Ellen’s current course, “Lead Innovation with the Brain in Mind” and she explains, “In these photos students are engaging the wider community in their proposed innovations – which is also their final exam for the course. The field has been more than good to me for a lifetime — which is why I am still active and still learn daily from folks like writers and editors of this blog!”

 

Ellen Weber is a whole brain curriculum specialist at secondary and higher education. She works in secondary and college learning renewal where she has won awards internationally for her practical brain based Mita model to engage both sides of students’ brains.
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Kim, the OCBeach Teacher’s Educator Journey

A little bit about Kim@OCBeachTeacher and her journey as an educator! 

Grades and subjects currently or most recently taught?

American Literature (11th grade) & AP English Literature and Composition (12th grade)

This photo (also published in the local paper) shows me this past spring with students in my club, Kids Against Animal Abuse and Testing (K.A.A.A.T). In a contest that we sponsored at our high school, we collected over 800 pounds of pet food to donate to our local humane society. .

What started you on the journey to become a teacher/ educator?

Originally I received my B.S. in journalism, so I didn’t plan to become a teacher until a couple of years after my undergraduate studies. I worked as an assistant in the guidance office of a local high school and loved helping students. I especially liked being involved with sponsoring educational assemblies. As a result of my work there, I decided to pursue my M.Ed.

 

Anything else that has made your journey special or noteworthy?

A memorable experience occurred during my sixth year of teaching. In February of 2003, I was involved in a life-threatening car accident on my way to work. The road where the accident happened is a frequently traveled single-lane highway used by students, families, and employees of our school system. Shockingly, on that highway, the fatality rate is 300 percent higher than our state’s average.

Shortly after the accident, I supported a local high school student’s efforts to create Kids Requesting Action for Safer Highways (KRASH II). I facilitated his efforts and empowered interested students by coaching them to speak at a forum with local and state government officials. Furthermore, I helped other concerned students write and send letters to elected officials.

In response to efforts from KRASH II, funds were made available to complete the dualization of the highway, and construction began in 2005 (it’s almost completed now). In a county where 82 busses travel 7,596 miles per day, I know that I have contributed to the safer journeys of students and community members. I used my car accident as a “teachable moment.

 

What special thing do you do for your students?

Late in 2007, I earned my National Board Certification in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood. The process was both challenging and nerve-racking, but I benefited from continually reflecting on my instructional practices. It definitely improved my teaching and has given me confidence in my professional decisions.

I have also worked as a teacher consultant with the Eastern Shore Writing Project (ESWP), an affiliate of the National Writing Project, since 2006. I have been an instructor at writing camps sponsored by the ESWP for many years. Additionally, I have provided professional development at regional conferences and worked as part of a professional learning community with them.

 

 

Kim, the OCBeach Teacher,  is a National Board Certified English teacher who is currently teaching American Literature and AP English Literature and Composition.  She shares classroom ideas and tips on her OCBeachTeacher Facebook Page.
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