S-WHS French teacher one of 15 chosen for summer seminar

A Sedro-Woolley High School teacher was one of 15 educators selected nationwide to attend a professional development seminar this summer.

High school French teacher Robert Slabodnik will join colleagues as they study French history and current affairs, and create lesson plans based on the subject matter.

The four-week seminar will mostly be conducted in French.

“I’m elated (about being chosen) and really enthusiastic about meeting a team of 15 other teachers across the country,” Slabodnik said.

The conference, called “Citizenship and Culture: French Identity in Crisis,” allows participants to come together and discuss class assignments and to bounce ideas off each other, Slabodnik said.

“That’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said, “I like that type of format.”

It’s wonderful Slabodnik was selected to participate in the summer seminar, said Mike Schweigert, Sedro-Woolley High School principal. Slabodnik spends so much time improving his teaching skills and making adjustments to his instruction by finding newer, better teaching methods, he said.

“If they’re looking for someone to study ‘Citizenship and Culture: French Identity in Crisis,’ I can’t think of a better guy to send,” Schweigert said.

The whole philosophy with professional development is “how can you improve upon what you’re doing in the classroom,” Slabodnik said. One way is to observe other master teachers or by attending a quality workshop for the classroom.

Slabodnik said the seminar will provide him with real, relevant cultural topics he can share with his students at the high school. By attending the seminar he will acquire lessons that can be taught entirely in French for his advanced-level students with ideas about what’s relevant in France today, he said.

The seminar will be held at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., where participants will meet five mornings per week.

The conference is fully paid for and is hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent grant-making agency of the federal government. The agency provides educators opportunities to study topics in the humanities through summer seminars and institutes in the country and abroad.

The purpose of the conference is for educators to expand and deepen their understanding of humanities through reading, writing and discussion.

Toward the end of the seminar, participants will prepare lesson plans that will be available for teachers nationwide. The lesson plans will also feature authentic documents in French that teachers can use to challenge advanced students.

Slabodnik will be able to bring some real tie-ins to the classroom and enhance the learning for his advanced French students, Schweigert said. While learning the French language, students will learn about the French culture and history which could potentially be linked to some U.S. history, he said.

“I think that will only help students dig deeper and find a few more hooks and increase a student’s engagement and learning in class,” Schweigert said. “Which (Slabodnik) already does a great job with.”

The seminar will present an opportunity to network with colleagues and share resources and innovative ideas regarding classroom curriculum, Slabodnik said.
Students can benefit from networking relationships as well, Schweigert said. The best part about networking is the peer-to-peer collaboration where colleagues can talk about their practice with others, he said.

“(Being chosen) is a testament to his skills, background and a validation of what he’s doing in the program,” Schweigert said. “I’m proud of him for that and the standard he sets for himself.”