This month, Teaching Cleveland caught up with Pam Ogilvy, a social studies teacher at Beachwood High School who, because of her interest in Cleveland, became the coordinator of the Teaching Cleveland Institute.
Why did you choose to participate in Teaching Cleveland?
I have been teaching at Beachwood High School since 2006, and I was (and am) always on the lookout for engaging and thought-provoking professional development (PD). I had grown frustrated with some workshops I had attended and my colleague, Greg Deegan, approached me in 2010 about an organization he and Arin Miller-Tait had created, Teaching Cleveland. Their goal was admirable: provide valuable PD for educators on ways to connect what’s going on in their classrooms to our Greater Cleveland community. I was part of the inaugural Teaching Cleveland Institute class (2010-2011) and I have been hooked ever since.
Has your involvement with Teaching Cleveland influenced or changed your approach to teaching?
Not only has Teaching Cleveland provided me with excellent resources and strategies to utilize in my classrooms, but the organization has also connected me with some of the most wonderful educators in our area. Each and every time we are able to work together I walk away with something new–which isn’t a regular occurrence for most PD opportunities out there for teachers. I’ve found ways to work Cleveland history and as Greg Deegan calls it–sense of place–into my course and am able to see the connections kids make between what we are learning and what they know and love about Cleveland.
Was there something specific about the Teaching Cleveland Institute (TCI) or Teaching Cleveland Student Challenge (TCSC) that had the most impact on you? Why?
As the years have passed, my involvement with TC has grown exponentially. I am now a coordinator of events along with the most brilliant teacher I know, Jen Forshey. Together with Greg, Arin, and Patte Bettis-Eddie, we have been given opportunities to put our heads together and collaborate in ways that I don’t get on a day-to-day basis. Working with these (and other) individuals through Teaching Cleveland has made me a more thoughtful and capable educator. What I think is the best, most efficient and effective way to teach something may not be the case–and being open to the views, pedagogy, and perspective of other educators can revolutionize my own personal teaching philosophy and strategies.
What did you like best about your experiences with Teaching Cleveland?
Aside from the planning with our TC crew, I’ve enjoyed working with students from around the Greater Cleveland area and watching kids from different schools and school districts engage with one another. It’s always so fascinating to see kids come to the first day of a Teaching Cleveland Student Challenge and dive right in–no questions asked–and embrace whatever we are talking about. Kids can be so open to working with others and it’s refreshing to see them let their guard down and get down to it. Once the first session wraps, our TC crew is abuzz with excitement about what the rest of the year holds and I go home feeling so fulfilled. It brings me more joy than words can possibly explain.
How did your students react to your inclusion of Cleveland into their curriculum? Were there any “a-ha” moments?
Students love it! When you can bring history home, kids immediately feel like the material is more relevant to them. Talking about the race riots of the 1960s can be interesting, but when you take a day or two to focus on the Hough riots in Cleveland, kids can relate, and on some occasions, even have personal stories to share that they heard from relatives or neighbors. Those connections are invaluable.
Would you recommend Teaching Cleveland to your colleagues?
Of course—I would not be the educator I am today without the organization and the individuals I’ve come to know because of Teaching Cleveland. As educators, we are always doing something—grading, reading, writing, learning new content, prepping for a new course we are teaching, etc., and oftentimes professional development seems like a chore—a means to an end. But with Teaching Cleveland, you will always walk away with something of value: a new lesson, teaching strategy, or even the email address of an educator across town who teaches the same class as you. Those networks and resources can turn good lessons to great ones, and the impact can be felt in the classroom almost immediately.
