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Educators-in-Residence helps like-minded teachers connect and cultivate innovative learning environments

The Henry Ford’s first Educators-in-Residence participants were invited to the campus in July 2022 for a three-day immersion, and a visit to Greenfield Village, along with plenty of time to explore inHub offerings and share ideas with the cohort.

What happens when groups of educators from all over the United States are given the opportunity to gather together, share ideas and take what they learn back to their classrooms?

It’s a question The Henry Ford’s new Educators-in-Residence program hopes to answer. The hybrid professional development opportunity invites pre-K-12 teachers, instructional coaches and administrators to connect with a cohort of like-minded educators and brainstorm ways to cultivate a culture of innovation and creativity in their classrooms. The program begins each summer — last summer was its first — and continues throughout the approaching school year.

Eleven educators from Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Connecticut launched the inaugural Educators-in-Residence program in 2022, coming on-site to The Henry Ford for a three-day immersion in July. During their visit, they were introduced to their cohort, shared current classroom techniques and worked with The Henry Ford’s Learning & Engagement team and other experts to identify resources that can help them foster creative thinking in their classrooms.

Participants also had the chance to get more familiar with The Henry Ford’s inHub and Model i learning framework and explored other related curriculum and digital assets.

As an Educator-in-Residence and world and American history teacher, Matthew Mutschler appreciated the staff support and the deep dive into all The Henry Ford has to offer. “They walked us through the habits and actions of innovators, showed us the different resources available and challenged us to come up with lessons that would incorporate these ideas,” said Mutschler, a 25-year teaching veteran and metro Detroit native. “Not everyone can physically come to The Henry Ford, so understanding the portfolio, from the digitized assets and YouTube channel to the Innovation Nation television show, etc. They really pushed our thinking and asked us how we could piece together these assets to help students virtually explore common themes of history.”

While on-site, the residents also explored Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village. At the end of the three-day visit, educators left with defined plans they intended to implement in their classrooms for the 2022-2023 school year.

The Henry Ford’s first Educators-in-Residence participants were invited to the campus in July 2022 for a three-day immersion that included guided museum tours.

Educator-in-Residence Tiffany Rhymes, an eighth-grade teacher in southwest Detroit, walked away from the visit with newfound colleagues and a solid approach for her passion project: teaching her students about the evolution of transportation. “I loved the way the visit was set up. The staff was very resourceful, and I was able to use them as a springboard to discuss my passion project and start my lesson plans,” said Rhymes. “And I met Matthew [Mutschler], the history guru. Now I have him as a resource and The Henry Ford as a resource. My toolkit is complete.”

As part of the program, The Henry Ford is holding periodic virtual check-ins with the cohort during the school year so educators can share their progress.

“Going forward, the Learning & Engagement team will bring this cohort together to support each other and share the impact of their ‘innovation journeys’ as they design, optimize and implement new ideas, resources and content to foster innovative thinking among their learners,” said Olivia Marsh, manager, Educator Engagement & Professional Development at The Henry Ford.

This post was adapted from an article written by Jennifer Laforce in the Winter-Spring 2023 issue of The Henry Ford Magazine. Learn more about the Educators-in-Residence program, here.