By Shannon Eagan, Langley Middle School Social Studies Teacher

When offered the opportunity to engage our eighth-graders in a two-week, cross-curricular program requiring working with my amazing colleagues and incorporating field trips, outside speakers, math, art, technology, engineering, writing, and my specific discipline, social studies, my answer was a resounding “yes!” In my four years at Langley, one of a multitude of favorite aspects about the community here is the connectedness between the faculty and our collaborative efforts. It is all in the tireless endeavor to have each student achieve that proverbial “light bulb” moment. These moments happen when their excitement about learning consumes their conversations at home, in the lunchroom, and at recess. It seems to occur suddenly and independently – the moment that they make powerful and intricate connections between a To Kill a Mockingbird quote and the persecution of the Rohingya peoples. The moment when they connect the study of genetic mutations and the need for design thinking. It is both exhilarating and motivating to collaborate with colleagues who all have the same vision to “set off the light bulbs!” Continue reading →