Significance of Innovation in Education: My Middle School Story

My middle school experience, as most people say, was defined by moving in and out of awkward phases. I wore my hair in a high side bun every day and I called my teachers by their first names. I got frustrated over math homework and argued with my parents about cleaning my room. In these ways, I was a typical young teenager. But there was nothing typical about my school experience from 8:30 – 3:00. In the walls of my private, progressive school in Baltimore I was much more than a middle school student; I was a builder, an anthropologist, a politician, a biologist, an engineer. In science class, I didn’t only sit in class learning about learning about biodiversity—I traveled into the woods with my classmates to collect plant samples, mark off areas of study, and watch plants interact. I didn’t learn by memorizing or replicating; I learned by doing, by asking, and by creating.

I had always enjoyed English and Social Studies, but in 7th grade, my interest transformed into a specific passion for poetry and social justice. The theme of the entire year was advocacy. We began the year, exploring how to advocate for ourselves, then for others. The culminating project challenged each student to pick an activist and create a monument to express their lives and work. I chose Mattie Stepanek, a poet, and activist for peace. When I read his poems, I quickly grew enamored with Mattie. He has captured activism in poetry – I had to learn more. My excitement about poetry and social justice began in 7th grade and continues to define my college experience through my last semester. I will soon graduate as a Human Services and Social Justice major, with a minor in Creative Writing focusing on poetry.

I write this post as a fond reflection on how my experience with innovative education has influenced who I am as a learner and as a person. I was fortunate enough to be empowered by my education. I was fortunate enough to pay for an empowering education. Now as a member of the Inspire Up Foundation, I can look back on my experience and feel proud to support organizations who work to promote innovation and equity in education, so the circumstances we are born into don’t dictate our educational experiences.

#Education #Identity #SocialJustice