It’s often said that Vickery Meadow is a melting pot of people and cultures in Dallas, and if that is so, Lee A. McShan Jr. Elementary School is a pot within a melting pot.
Students from around the world – many of them immigrants or refugees – attend the school, said fourth-grade teacher Arianna Zeb, who is helping her students learn about their heritage and envision their future.
“Many families at McShan are from countries such as Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and Nepal,” Zeb said.
Zeb was recently awarded her second Innovative Teaching Grant from the Junior League of Dallas for her classroom project, “Voices of Vickery,” in which students write their autobiographies and study the history and culture of their native lands.
“The purpose of this project is to help students cultivate a deeper understanding of where they come from and what their future dreams are,” she said. “Last year there were 12 different languages spoken in my classroom, and this year, we have 10 languages spoken.”
Students first construct their family trees and interview family members about what life was like growing up in their country of origin. They then write about their present-day lives and document their families, communities, and interests through photos and essays. And, finally, the students articulate their future hopes and dreams. That is the teacher’s favorite part, she says, “because my students have such incredible goals for the future.”
“Even though we may have different backgrounds, speak different languages, and have different cultures, we can all make connections with one another,” Zeb said. “This project perfectly illustrates my teaching philosophy, which is this: Diversity makes us stronger. And my classroom is one of acceptance. We can learn from each other and make the world a more inclusive place.”
This year, Zeb was also a recipient of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Award through the U.S. Department of State. She is currently taking courses with the other Fulbright winners (around 60 educators across the U.S.), and the group will travel abroad in the coming months to study education.
Zeb’s award-winning program is just one of the highlights at McShan, a neighborhood school led by Principal Joseph Medaris. As part of the Conrad High School feeder pattern, faculty and staff work together to meet the academic needs of the students, using a curriculum that promotes academic success and career- and college-readiness.
“McShan is a unique school,” Zeb said. “And we are a dedicated team of teachers, staff and volunteers.”
