By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Could future high school classrooms be a collaborative effort in which English and history courses are taught simultaneously with each other? This question was introduced to the Wynford Board of Education Monday night.
English teacher Matthew O’Brian, and history teacher Billy Banta proposed the idea as a humanities course which would feature English and social studies being taught on alternating days.
“We heard it actually from other colleagues,” O’Brian said. “When I got hired here, at the same time I had a friend that got hired in a school in Toledo, and she got hired specifically for a humanities class where she was put in a classroom with an English teacher.”
“A colleague of mine teaches at Van Wert, and he currently co-teaches with an English teacher in what is called American Heritage, and it is the same thing. He’s a social studies teacher, and he is co-teaching with an English teacher.” Banta added. “This is their second year doing it. They piloted the program last year and he says it has been very positive what’s coming out of this, what they expected and the collaboration between the two teachers have been really been excellent.”
If approved the course would first be offered to junior or senior students who need to recover a credit in either English or history in order to graduate.
All personnel and operational items were approved by Wynford’s Board of Education including the Wynford Education Foundation grants totaling $9,052.32, as well as a trip for the high school band to Orlando where the band will perform in a parade at Disney World, as well as give a concert at Epcot Center.
Two possible graduation dates were given by High School Principal Jeff Holbrook during his report to the board. Holbrook requested graduation be at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, held in the football stadium or at 2 p.m. on Sunday May 25, in the gymnasium if weather became a problem for the May 24 graduation date.