With the amount of interactive learning available and ample encouragement she supplies there’s no excuse not to participate. That’s all she asks of her students.
“I think students sometimes just need somebody to believe in them and tell them that they can do it,” she said. “That’s something that I have tried to do over time, even when we’re frustrated, I still try to tell them I know that you can do it so let's make the right choice here.”
Brown teaches science and social studies at Grand River. Science was her favorite subject as a student, so it was only natural for her to wind up teaching others how to use a triple beam balance or read a thermometer.
Teaching social studies allows her to show students different cultures they might not be familiar with. This leads to conversations about why stereotypes are harmful and why it’s important to educate yourself in a broad sense about different cultures and be open-minded to experiences.
“When you go truly go out into the world, you’re going to experience the diversity that is in the world,” Brown said. “I always try to celebrate diversity to acknowledge when students might have a different background. That's one of the big goals that I have.”
Brown’s penchant for hands-on activities extends into extracurriculars, as she heads the Spanish club and running club at Grand River. She has exposed students to the vocabulary and the culture by whisking them over to the Detroit Institute of Arts to see the Diego Rivera murals.
In addition to the Mexican-American muralist’s work, they took in exhibits featuring Native Americans, Colonial America, Black artists, and more. The field trip kicked off discussions and reflections on the history behind the pieces and the artists’ takes that opened students’ minds.
“For them to get to see a different culture in that way, it was cool to be able to celebrate that,” said Brown, herself a Mexican-American. “I always tell students that my goal for them in my class is to be a better person at the end of it.”
Keeping students engaged can be a never-ending task, but Brown is up for it. And the team at Grand River Academy is better for her efforts, having outperformed the district for seven years.
“She’s a champion for multicultural education and experiences and works to provide hands-on learning experiences in her classroom,” said Principal Mallory Brown.
Keep up the excellent work, Ms. Brown!
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About Grand River Academy
Grand River Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Livonia, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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