Doug Wadley

Evaluation

Museum Teacher Fellowship Program

2002-03

 

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Museum Teacher Fellowship Selection Committee for choosing me to be among the Class of 2002-03.  It has truly been a rewarding year under Dan Napolitano’s leadership, a year that has made me grow both as an educator and as a person.

 

The Museum Teacher Fellowship award spurred me toward increasing my knowledge of the Holocaust.  In preparation for the August, 2002 Institute, I read two books (The Origins of Nazi Genocide by Henry Friedlander and Constantine’s Sword by James Carroll) that helped to prepare my mind for the intense week.  Upon arriving at the conference, several new books were provided us, and the additional monies donated for our use in the Museum store helped me to gain materials recommended by the Education Department staff.  Through this additional knowledge, as well as information garnered from the speakers at the Institute, I was able to expand my Holocaust unit.  Now occupying 10 weeks of a semester, the unit is dotted with anecdotes and academic information from my Fellowship experiences.  I have spent more time in preparation for my classes this year, searching for that “extra something” to fill in the gaps of my notes or grab my students’ attention.  The Fellowship experience has renewed me and given me that extra energy to push both my kids and myself harder.

 

With this increased study, I have come to realize most of all that no one will ever be able to know all there is to know about the Shoah.  However, I have come to firmly believe that a well-rounded study of the events, both in the 1930’s-‘40’s and before, is essential for students to effectively grasp the causes and repercussions of the events.  This is not to say that a successful educator should not focus on one area of the Shoah (i.e. bystanders or survivor testimony); but with the wealth of information available there is really no excuse for not making a lasting impression of the “big picture”. Study of first-person testimonies, historical writings and maps, as well as various media is a necessity.  On another note, moral education is often bandied about as a responsibility of American schools; the Holocaust and genocide studies provide us a framework for the exploration of the many choiceless choices people have faced and presently wrestle with.  Today’s young people need to become aware that life is not just choosing what to wear to school on a given day; people around the world and throughout history have to struggle with daily life-changing decisions.

 

Perhaps the best thing about the Museum Teacher Fellowship program was the opportunity to network in person and via e-mail with a group of educators who share a common passion.  Dan was great in staying in touch not only concerning various paperwork issues, but in keeping us posted as to the status of Holocaust education in America.  The speakers who were brought in were by and large very interesting and informative, and the expense necessary to pull that off was greatly appreciated.  In terms of local notoriety, I cannot express the same degree of publicity as other Fellows, but my name has been “out there” somewhat, and I hope to expand my presence in the coming months and years.

 

When I applied for the Fellowship, I really didn’t know what to expect.  After completing my “Fellowship year”, I can say that I have been pleased with the professionalism of the Museum staff, the attention to detail taken in programming both the August and May Institutes (including the lodging and meals), the wonderful communication and contacts within the Museum, and the opportunity for “aftercare” that Dan has said will be available to us.  This program is top-notch, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

 

In conclusion, I again want to extend my deepest gratitude for the honor of being included in this program, and in the class of 2002-03, which is a wonderfully considerate and professional group of people who are truly concerned not only about their students, but also about furthering the mission of the Museum.  Best wishes for the continuation of the Museum Teacher Fellowship Program.