During the session, the Global Classrooms DC team welcomed educators from Cabin John Middle School, Muslim Community School, and Templeton Academy. The session focused on connecting educators involved in the GCDC program and setting goals for both the program as a whole and individual groups involved. It was an excellent opportunity for educators in the program to get to know each other, while also recognizing the opportunities and challenges that presented each of their individual groups.
The session started off with a “speed-dating” style activity that allowed educators to build rapport with each other and discuss their involvement with GCDC. Some noted the immense growth of their own Model UN groups over the past couple of years with the GCDC curriculum, while others were fairly new to the program. The educators were also asked to share a global issue that they are passionate about, to which they recalled topics ranging from climate change to inter-state conflict to the failure of institutions. They also specified that their passions have increasingly been influenced by the students that they work with.
Once the participants got to know each other, they gathered to reflect on their experiences and came together with the GCDC team to identify common goals for the program. The objective of this activity was to identify how collaboration can provide new ideas and perspectives while also inspiring solutions that are innovative and shared. As students are taught valuable life skills, like collaboration, through Model UN, it’s critical to ensure that educators use these same skills to focus on what they want their students to achieve from the program.
By recognizing the various motivations that drive each Model UN program in the previous activity, the educators were able to engage in a collaborative process. As such, the educators came to the consensus that personalizing the experience for students is crucial for preparing them for their futures. By identifying the skills that each student wants to achieve, both educators and the GCDC staff can better tailor their experiences for success. One participant also identified the impact of speakers that work on issues directly related to the global topics discussed in the classroom.
The session concluded with each educator creating a personal goal through a Google Form for their own Model UN group and encouraged to relate to the shared goal created. Once the next school year starts, the GCDC team will reshare the collaborative and individual goals with all of the participants. Overall, since the participants were both veterans of and new to the program, it was a great opportunity for them to learn from each other. The educators and Global Classrooms team engaged in meaningful conversations that will have a lasting impact on the ability of our future generation to discuss global topics.
Didn’t have a chance to attend the PD session? Watch the full video here.
