The Philadelphia experience was outstanding! My sincere thanks to Matt, Jonathan, and Scott for all you did to arrange another memorable and meaningful trip! I cannot express how much this has meant to me and will mean to my students. Thank you, too, to all of the wonderful teachers I had the privilege of getting to know. Sharing our love of history makes for a great group of “geeks,” no offense at all intended.
The last two weeks have been incredible. As much as I hate to admit it, blogging is a good thing. The blog creates a record that is priceless when it comes to remembering all that we saw and learned. I still get frustrated with it when I have technical problems, but I am learning more about technology, too. I appreciate having access to everyone else’s blogs for future use.
I am truly grateful to have been included in this trip and last year’s to Boston. These trips have been some of the best experiences I have ever had, personally and professionally. I know I have seen and done things I would never have the opportunity to do on my own. The more I’ve grown to love history, the more I’ve dreamed of “someday” seeing the places where people like Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln lived, worked, and walked. I truly appreciate the way we get prepared by reading for background knowledge before we ever leave. The time spent preparing is well spent and necessary to get the most out of the sites and speakers.
Looking back over these two weeks, it’s hard to pick favorites.
Independence Hall was an inspiring beginning and set the stage for what was to come.
I loved learning more about Ben Franklin because he has been one of my favorites for many years. Holding things that once belonged to him is something I will never forget.
The Quaker Meeting House was surprisingly informative.
Carol Berkin was the best and I plan to read A Brilliant Solution again.
The National Constitution Center will be a great resource to engage students for years to come.
The Masonic Temple was the most impressive building I’ve ever seen.
Lancaster County was enlightening and the dinner with the Amish family was something very special.
Washington’s Crossing, Valley Forge, Princeton, and Monmouth made the significance of these battles more understandable and therefore I will be able to teach about them much more effectively.
Gettysburg was humbling, inspiring, eerie, and magnificent. I would like to go there again and spend more time.
I got to know more teachers this year, and I truly appreciate us as a group. Our personalities and teaching styles are as varied as the students we teach and that adds to the overall experience. One of the beauties of traveling with such a large group is that there is always somebody that wants to do what you want to do and so we’re all happy.
I even dream of traveling in a small herd some nights. The pace is fast, but it needs to be: there is so much to see and do and this may be the only time we are here. The resources we buy along the way will enhance our effectiveness as we enthusiastically introduce our students to the many stories and insights we have gained.
I know so much more about primary sources and how to utilize them in teaching. I remember the first time I got one of those forms prior to my first history class through the grant, and when I read “what primary sources could you use and where would you find them?” – I was stumped! Now I feel so much more confident and excited to share what I’ve learned with students and colleagues. And now we have a network across southern Colorado of like-minded teachers, too!
















