Historic sites and museums provide a wide range of professional development opportunities for teachers, especially in the summer. What do educators really want to learn? And what makes a great learning experience? From 2016 to 2018, staff from Ford’s Theatre and researchers from George Washington University are partnering with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to find answers to these questions.

More than 1,000 D.C.-area students attendour student matinee performances each year. LaMar Bagley, Ed.D., Director of Student Life for The SEED School of Washington, D.C., has brought his classes for 10 years. LaMar says the experience teaches his students critical thinking and allows them to draw correlations between the history told on stage and their own lives.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) surveyed more than 10,000 administrators, teachers, counselors and support staff about their post-election classroom and school environment. Data showed that half of teachers surveyed were uncomfortable bringing up the election and politics in their classrooms. We must build a community where students feel comfortable exchanging ideas. Creating a safe learning environment starts on day one of the school year.

A field trip to Ford’s Theatre is a great way to teach the Lincoln assassination, what Washington was like during the Civil war, Lincoln’s presidency, Reconstruction and even historical memory and legacy. Here’s how to make place-based learning a memorable #BestTripEver for your kids this year.

Lead Teaching Artist Jennie Eng has added next season's plays to her summer reading list. She recently discovered a consistent theme for these seemingly divergent works.

In spring 2016, Jason Rude, a seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher at New Hampton Middle School in New Hampton, Iowa, worked with Ford’s Theatre on a pilot project to transcribe primary sources from the Remembering Lincoln website with his students.

In the following post, Ford’s Theatre Teacher-in-Residence Dave McIntire discusses how to use podcasting as a teaching tool for middle school students’ public speaking. 

Ford’s Theatre wants to be a part of your classroom in 2016-2017. Learn how to enhance your visit and how Ford's can come virtually to you!

Summertime with Ford’s Education means welcoming our new Teachers-in-Residence. This year, we have the good fortune of working with not one, but two incredible educators! This year’s powerful duo will help us better understand teachers’ needs and steer us toward developing and implementing more useful resources and programs.

Fifth grade social studies teacher Angelo Parodi discusses his involvement with the Ford’s Theatre National Oratory Fellows program and how it has influenced his teaching.