by Sydney Meyer, KETC staff
Last week we spoke with Mike Holdinghaus who was the Social Studies Coordinator for Kirkwood School District (K-12). Mike retired at the end of this school year. He spoke with us about the “listening sessions” he organized for the purpose of curriculum revision.
Mike arranged for district parents from different ethnic backgrounds, many from the English for Speakers of Another Language (ESOL) Center, to come together with teachers and speak about the social studies program.
Mike spoke with such emotion as he described the parents; some who did not speak English well, talking to teachers and community members about their experiences in American schools. “The courage they showed brought tears to many eyes.”
The ESOL teacher, Amy Stephens, left the meeting feeling very emotional. “To hear them speak of the difficulties of coming to a strange country, working hard, sacrificing for their children and how proud they are of them was so heartfelt you had to shed tears.”
Mike is proud of the sessions. He said feedback from these meetings resulted in a few changes in the curriculum. One change is the addition of African American biography to the Kindergarten and first grade curriculum.
Mike’s passion for students, teaching social studies rich with cultural stories and learning through open discussion was clearly evident. As I watched him leave KETC, I wished I could be in his class and experience learning about people and world issues through his expert guidance.
By the way we found our way to Mike through PIN source Jen Amunategui and her contacts, Chris and Amy Stephens. Thanks to all!
