Igniting Your Personal and Professional Growth

Describe one or two, specific learning experiences from your fellowship. In words, show us this experience and explain why it was powerful.

One memorable moment happened when I conducted fieldwork in Salins de Giraud, a community known for its salt collecting activities. Besides the beauty of its landscape (pink marshes surrounded by white salt domes) I experienced first hand the harshness of this lifestyle, working under the sun in extreme heat and being blinded by the whiteness of the salt. It was a challenging body experience, although the camaraderie felt alongside other workers helped me gain their unique sense of place.

What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn professionally?

First, I learned how to be resilient in an hostile environment. The Camargue is a beautiful, and yet exhausting place, including a profusion of biting mosquitoes, occasional fierce winds, and extreme temperatures day and night (with no AC). Then, I was reinforced in my belief that gaining first hand knowledge (here with grassroots communities) is a prerequisite for being an engaged educator whose communication skills rely on experiential-based expertise that aim to be inspirational for students.

What were some unplanned or unexpected experiences or outcomes of your fellowship? Or, how did the fellowship you crafted differ from the actual learning experience?

Overall my fellowship coincided with the activities I planned. The adjustments were essentially marginal and proved to be an upgrade from my initial plans. For instance, I planned a five-day horse riding but no horses were available for such a long trip. Consequently, I opted for several one-day horse riding in multiple locations. Although I have missed some experiential exposure to the cowboy-lifestyle in the Camargue, this change allowed me to discover multiple ecosystems instead of one only.

Impacting Your Classroom, School and Community

Outline specific plans you have to implement your fellowship and reach your student goals.

My Global Politics course includes a unit on the Environment. I am currently designing a lesson plan focusing on my fellowship experience. Using visuals and narratives collected in the field, my aim is to provide a concrete case study on environmental changes (sea level rise, coastal erosion) and their impact on society (disaster preparedness, migrations). Besides the intellectually-based content, I wish my students will develop greater empathy towards the communities affected by climate change.

What is one way you can leverage your fellowship to create one authentic learning experience for students? (e.g. hands-on learning, projects, community engagement)

My IB (International Baccalaureate) courses include a CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component, which is mandatory for getting the IB diploma. One goal is to favor students' involvement within their communities and make them concerned citizens. Using my fellowship and related teaching unit as a template for Service, I intend to stimulate my students' participation in local organizations dealing with environmental justice, so they can obtain empirical knowledge on these important issues.

How, specifically, will your fellowship extend beyond your classroom? (e.g. families, school-at-large, afterschool groups, surrounding community, colleagues, etc.)

My goal is to create a partnership between my students and their French peers. Beyond online communication via social media to discuss environmental issues, my hope is to establish an exchange program between our schools, so my students can travel to the Camargue and experience first hand the ongoing coastal erosion, while hosting French students and expose them to local issues. Of course, a project of this magnitude would imply reaching out to the larger community, more specifically parents.