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Teacher Profile: Glenn Wellman
Glenn Wellman, Social Studies teacher at Telluride High School in Telluride, Colorado, began his journey into the teaching profession while at DePaul University in Chicago. At the time, he worked for the Department of Children and Family Services as an on-site therapist for special needs children. Although he made strong connections with the children he counseled, he found it increasingly difficult to detach from the perpetual state of crisis inherent in social work. After taking a few years off to work and travel around the world, he decided to return to graduate school to pursue a career in education. It was in graduate school that Glenn found a renewed love for teaching and working with children. Teaching at the high school level provides him with the chance to combine his love for research and inquiry with his love for working with students. For Glenn, there is no other career that allows him to express his natural ability to make connections with students. Since this report is focused on civics and citizenship we asked Glenn to share his perspective on teaching these issues to high school students, in particularly high school students who live in a boxed-in canyon at 9,000 feet where the nearest city is more than six hours away (Denver and Phoenix). How can a History teacher help to instill the importance of civics and active citizenship into the minds of young adults who live in an isolated mountain community? Glenn addresses this question and more… What do you teach? I teach Advanced Placement United States History, World History, and U.S. History. It was during this time [graduate school] that I realized history is not simply a laundry list of facts and names. Rather, it is the interpretation of the past that gives the field meaning and purpose. I found that it is extremely important to ask our students’ opinions on the past and have them express their thoughts in an environment that embraces their own points of view. I frequently challenge students to debates and push them to argue their points in writing. In fact, the majority of their final grade is based on analytical writing. How are civics integrated into your history curricula? Do students understand how their local, state and national government works? We have another Social Studies teacher here, Kelly Boykin, who was my mentor and teaches A.P. Government and Economics. She does an incredible job of connecting the subject matter to our students’ daily lives. The combination of my history courses with her government and economic courses provide a strong picture of how our country works, politically, economically and socially. Moreover, these students do an incredible job of using their intellectual knowledge and applying it to local concerns. It is amazing how these students take the initiative to organize and support local causes. 
How do you help students become informed citizens and community members?In many cases, instead of pushing our students to become involved it is actually better to get out of their way and simply support them. For instance, a few of our Freshman started a recycling program in our school that significantly reduced landfill waste, and they also collected many discarded school supplies to send to other communities that needed them. In fact, I remember three students standing at my door with their hands on their hips, scolding me for throwing old papers into the regular trash. Somehow I ended up spending the next hour helping them sort the trash as punishment for my indiscretion. Do students directly relate what they are learning in your class to their community? Do they take action in their community because of their learning? The nice thing about teaching history is that it can all relate to current issues in our community. For instance, one of our Juniors started a debate group named “Common Sense” after Thomas Paine’s 1776 pamphlet. This group would meet after school to debate current issues using multiple resources … These sorts of groups give the students the motivation and confidence to take stronger issues to the community. In fact, you will see student-initiated events all over town throughout the year. Do students in Telluride, a small isolated mountain community, feel connected to their state government? The federal government? Do they feel they can make a difference as an informed citizen and future voter? When I came to Telluride, I believed in the Jeffersonian ideal of the informed citizen. What I found when I arrived here is the same sort of culture in the community. Our students, parents, and community members are acutely aware of the larger political, economic, and social picture of our country and international affairs. With the help of organizations, such as the Pinhead Institute, the library, the University Centers of San Miguel, and the Telluride Film Festival, our students are constantly involved in the discourse of national and world affairs. It is very common to see guest speakers come to town to discuss a variety of issues. Just recently, we had a speaker talk about his book on modern day slavery. This importation of talent to our town has had many direct and indirect influences on our students. To learn more about the Telluride School District, visit www.tellurideschool.org. |
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