Knightly News

“This is 5,000 years old!” Virginia Day/Middle School history teacher

When Middle School history teacher Virginia Day stood next to the Great Pyramid of Giza, she was understandably enthusiastic. For Day and fellow history buff/Upper School teacher Clara Howell, a trip to Egypt was the experience of a lifetime. The two spent 12 days over the Mardi Gras break on an epic Egyptian adventure that has them still pinching themselves. Over the course of the trip, the duo traveled to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel. They have only one word to describe the experience – “Incredible!”

The pairing of Howell and Day was ideal for the excursion, as Howell teaches modern history, including events in Egypt and the Islamic and Arabic world, and Day teaches the history of ancient Egypt and the agriculture that supported the civilization. The trip provided both opportunities to learn, and they certainly took advantage of their time abroad. They rode camels, toured the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings, made papyrus, traveled the Nile River, saw King Tut’s tomb, visited the Sphinx and experienced Egypt’s culture. Both brought back more than souvenirs to share with Episcopal students.

A Trip to Boost Classroom Learning

“I feel like my knowledge of the culture and history is so much deeper now,” says Howell. “The entire time I had students in our classes in mind.” Already, photos Howell took of King Tut’s tomb inspired a student who was doing a project on the pharaoh to build a replica. Howell looks forward to the trip’s impact on her lessons and appreciates that she got a glimpse into a world that she only knew through research and books. “I’ve experienced an Arab nation,” she says with enthusiasm. “I’ve now been in mosques and heard the call to prayer.” Personally experiencing this boosts her confidence as a teacher. “I feel like so much more of an authority,” she says. “We’re so lucky we can bring this back to our kids.”

As for Day, she took eight pages of notes and recorded tutorial videos on classroom topics. She photographed herself with mud bricks to give students an idea of the size of the construction and how the bricks fit together. When traveling the Nile, she filmed videos of the water pumps that supply water for agriculture. “There were so many moments to share with students,” she says.

Experiential Learning is for Teachers Too

Learning by doing is a key component of a deep learning experience and an important part of an Episcopal education. That same concept applies to the teachers who lead the lessons. “We need to learn experientially, too,” says Howell. “We’ll remember things from this trip for years and pull topics for our students. The best thing I can do is go there and bring Egypt back to them.”

Day is eager to share stories with her Middle School students. “Sixth graders love stories in general,” she says. Now, the two lifelong learners can share personal experiences to truly enhance the classroom experience.

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