Robert T. Hill Middle School teacher Josh Ault recently completed an intense, weeklong immersion in American history at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.
The Teacher Institute was created to encourage history education and make it engaging for students. Now in its 30th year, the Teacher Institute prepares teachers to help students meet national and state history standards through hands-on immersion experiences in colonial history.
During weeklong sessions on location in Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding area, Ault and other participants engaged in an interdisciplinary approach to teaching social studies with American history as the focus. Teachers had the opportunity to exchange ideas with historians, meet character interpreters and explore engaging instructional strategies for use in the classroom.
Throughout each day, teachers worked collaboratively with Colonial Williamsburg staff and Master Teachers to examine interactive teaching techniques and develop instructional materials that improve instruction, raise literacy levels, enhance thinking skills, and bring history to life in the classroom. Participating teachers agree to conduct in-service training sessions following their attendance at the Teacher Institute in order to share their experience with other teachers.
