GENTRY, AR — Gentry third-grade teacher Danna Borntrager spent part of her summer immersed in the history of the American Revolution, gaining new resources and perspectives she will bring directly back to her students at Gentry Intermediate School this school year.
Borntrager was invited to participate in the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute’s Summer Teacher Residency Program, Revolutionary Roots: Teaching Civic Engagement to 250, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
The week-long program challenged educators to explore the question: How do the revolutionary ideas, diverse perspectives and historic places of colonial Virginia help us understand the founding ideas of the United States and how they continue to shape civic life today?
For Borntrager, the experience provided an opportunity to deepen her understanding of American history while building a collection of primary sources and classroom resources she can use with her students.
“As an ELA teacher, I came back with an arsenal of primary sources for teaching my students about our country’s origins and the Revolution’s relevance today,” Borntrager said. “I’m excited to see them engage with texts that continue to shape civic life today.”
During the residency, Borntrager studied historic sites in Jamestown, Yorktown and Colonial Williamsburg while learning from historians about the people and events that shaped the founding of the United States.
Participants also analyzed primary documents, studied the events leading to the Declaration of Independence and explored the diverse perspectives of people who lived during the period in which the document was drafted.
The program also provided an inside look at the ongoing archaeological work being conducted at historic sites, including the recovery and conservation of artifacts. Participants visited conservation laboratories and learned how historians and archaeologists use artifacts and primary sources to better understand the past.
“Opportunities like this allow our teachers to continue learning and bring that learning directly into the classroom,” Gentry Intermediate School Principal Kristen Smartt said. “Danna’s commitment to providing meaningful experiences for her students is evident in the way she has embraced this opportunity. We’re excited to see her use these resources to help our students connect what they are learning in the classroom to the people, ideas and events that shaped our nation.”
Borntrager said the residency was an experience she is grateful to have had and is eager to translate into meaningful learning opportunities for her students.
“I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend,” she said. “It was an incredible experience.”
The Summer Teacher Residency Program is designed to provide educators with immersive professional learning experiences that connect historical scholarship, primary sources and civic engagement with classroom instruction.