Columbus ISD teachers unlock exciting opportunities

While children continue to enjoy their remaining summer vacation days and local stores are restocking shelves with school supplies, teachers have begun to think about their classrooms. They are considering how to use creative ways to ensure their students’ understanding of the instructional objectives, how to best establish a connection between schoolwork and real life and how to make learning fun and interesting.

The Columbus Education Foundation (CEF) Classroom Grants Program supports teachers in their efforts to be informative, creative, innovative and fun. CEF’s twofold mission also includes creating scholarships for both trade school and college. Since the creation of CEF in November 2021, CEF has supported 1,422 Columbus Independent School District (CISD), thanks to the dedication of teachers who applied for grant funding.

One of the past recipients of the CEF classroom grant is Kyndal Harris, a pre-K special education teacher, who knew her curriculum included physical development for all her students, even those with physical disabilities. Her grant request addressed this need. Harris created a sensory hanger with interchangeable hands-on materials that hung at the end of a spacious, wheelchair-accessible tunnel. Harris shared that although her intent was specific, all her students get to play with these materials.

“All of the students love the tunnel,” said Harris. “Multiple students and wheelchairs can fit through. One of my students in a wheelchair particularly enjoys the tether ball. The other students get to play with her also by hitting it back and forth.”

Nina Pavlicek, a firstgrade teacher, and Jennifer Wray, a third-grade teacher, were both determined to make their math classrooms informative, interactive and fun. Pavlicek infused literature into her math instruction to help her students understand the benefit of math in real world applications. She also used math games that supported specific skills to encourage her reluctant students to not only engage, but experience math success in a non-threatening situation.

Wray’s phi losophy is like Pavlicek’s in that she too believes students need to have experiences with real-world applications and materials that allow them to see and feel math come alive. But Wray’s approach was dramatic; she changed her classroom environment to a glowin- the-dark gaming experience – complete with materials that glow – and questions based on curriculum standards.

“They absolutely loved it. They could only work with a highlighter, and it was so much fun,” Wray said.

Seventh-grade social studies teacher Jamie Burnett also understood the effect of environment on learning and applied for funds to create an outdoor learning area for her and others’ students to work outside and interact with nature. Burnett cited research that supported outdoor learning’s physiological benefits as well as the practicality of skills learned in the context of the real environment.

Theater arts teacher and director Brittany King brought technology to center stage when she had her students at both the junior high and high school participate in StageCraft Media – an initiative that merges theater arts and innovative graphic design and marketing principals. Students created promotional materials for the annual one-act play production and the Dinner Theatre. They were also encouraged to offer graphic design services to school groups.

“This grant has given our students an incredible opportunity to develop real-world graphic design and marketing skills while supporting our theatre program and school community,” King said. “They are quickly learning how to create eye-catching promotional materials that not only look great but effectively capture an audience’s attention.”

Career and Technical Education teacher Roxanne Zahradnik also provided her high school students with an opportunity to gain experience of a trade – floral design – while offering a community service – interacting with the residents at Columbus Oaks Healthcare Community. Zahradnik’s goal was to provide students with knowledge of operating a floral business, complete with calculating materials needed, ordering supplies and processing delivered products. The students worked together to design floral arrangements and became the teachers as they explained flower placement to the residents.

“We got to use our floral knowledge learned in the classroom to teach the residents how to make an arrangement of their own,” student Jillian Miksch said. “These arrangements not only brighten the room but their day as well, and we are so grateful for this opportunity.”

This year CEF is offering teachers an opportunity to apply individually, as partners or in teams of three. Applications will be distributed at all CISD campus in-service meetings and will be available at school offices and online at www.ColumbusEducationFoundation. org. The grant deadline is Friday, Oct. 24.

Columbus Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing more educational opportunities for CISD students. CEF seeks and accepts contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to support these endeavors. Find more details at www.ColumbusEducationFounda-tion.