Teacher Travels
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BRINGING CULTURAL & EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD BACK TO CALVERT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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alvert School is committed to recruiting and retaining teachers, staff, and administrators of the
highest quality. A key component of Calvert’s ability to retain exceptional teachers is the capacity to provide enriching professional development opportunities. Through travel, research, continuing education, and conferences, Calvert teachers grow both personally and professionally by sharing their experiences with students.
Thanks to the generosity of donors who have established endowed funds designed to support faculty and staff, Calvert was able to send several teachers around the globe in 2019. The significant impact of faculty and staff travel is abundantly clear as we read our teachers’ reflections, observe artifacts in their classrooms, and witness the firsthand knowledge they share with our students. Calvert is fortunate to have benefactors whose generous support has provided meaningful opportunities and made endowed faculty and staff funds a philanthropic priority.
Sean Donmoyer | Spain Sean Donmoyer, Lower School Spanish teacher, traveled to Seville, the capital of Spain’s Andalusia region. The purpose of the trip was to learn more about how Spanish is taught in other countries and explore the culture of the region. During the 16-day program, not only was Mr. Donmoyer able to improve his command of the Spanish language, but he also was able to relive the student experience in an immersion-style classroom. Mr. Donmoyer spent time absorbed in lively conversation and dialogue with his peers and teachers. “My time as a student of the Spanish language also reinforced the importance of keeping communication at the center of teaching and learning a language,” he said. Similar to the way the immersion program was directed in Seville, he incorporates a comparable approach in his classroom at Calvert. “I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to travel the world and spend valuable time improving my craft as a teacher, a learner, and a human being.” Alex Sloane | The Galápagos Islands K-8 Science Coordinator and Middle School science teacher Dr. Alex Sloane made her way to the Galápagos Islands. The chain of islands is part of Ecuador in South America and is situated in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is an archipelago filled with fascinating plants and friendly wildlife, including giant tortoises and a plethora of sea birds and mammals that allows one to have a close and personal interaction. A large unit of study in Dr. Sloane's classroom is focused on evolution and natural selection. She thought, “What better way to explore naturalist Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution than visiting
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Donmoyer's RSean EFLE C T I O N S 2friend, 0 1 9 -Bandido, 2 0 2 0 in Spain.