Jill Leibowitz is the Library Teacher at Cabot Elementary School in Newton
and received a 2018 President's Award.
and received a 2018 President's Award.
In my first week as a new library teacher at my elementary school, the literacy coach approached me with a welcome and an invitation to join her in leading a mythology group that she had run in previous years. I of course agreed, not knowing much about mythology and even less about what co-leading the group would involve. Never did I think that three years later I would be leading the extremely popular lunchtime group on my own and that I would find myself standing in front of the Parthenon as part of an educator’s trip to Greece.
The curriculum of the mythology group has evolved since I began leading it that first year. When the literacy specialist moved to another district, I continued to not only develop the content covered, but also to expand what students did during our time in library. At first the focus was on preparing for the National Mythology Exam. Each week we covered material that could potentially be on the test. While students still follow a syllabus and have the option of taking the exam, the emphasis now is on providing them with options to explore aspects of Greek Mythology that interest them. Throughout the year we examine the different myths and then students create projects to demonstrate their knowledge of the material. This has enabled me to differentiate the learning that occurs within the group. Last year, my students illustrated comics, designed a replica of Mount Olympus and created their own Greek Mythology trivia games for their final projects.
The structure of the mythology group is a weekly group offered to 4th and 5th graders during their lunch period. The weekly meetings begin in late November and end sometime after April vacation. My schedule has allowed for me to have an open block of time that coincides with the grades’ lunchtime. The students bring their lunch to the library and we spend the time learning about Greek Mythology through reading aloud, watching videos and group discussions on the week’s topic. Afterwards, the students can choose to read on their own from our many mythology titles. We also have an assortment of mythology-based games and activities that enhance our exploration of the myths.
The structure of the mythology group is a weekly group offered to 4th and 5th graders during their lunch period. The weekly meetings begin in late November and end sometime after April vacation. My schedule has allowed for me to have an open block of time that coincides with the grades’ lunchtime. The students bring their lunch to the library and we spend the time learning about Greek Mythology through reading aloud, watching videos and group discussions on the week’s topic. Afterwards, the students can choose to read on their own from our many mythology titles. We also have an assortment of mythology-based games and activities that enhance our exploration of the myths.
Mount Olympus
In the three years of leading the group I have learned a great deal more than Greek mythology. Spending weekly lunchtimes with this small, dedicated (self-selected) group of students has taught me how to engage students and also how to model being a learner. It has also provided me the opportunity to get to know students who in the larger library class might not feel comfortable sharing with peers or may not even seem particularly interested in reading.
During my first year, my relatively limited knowledge of Greek Mythology gave the students permission to often be the experts. At first, they would gently correct my pronunciation of the Gods and Goddesses and patiently explain the complex familial relationships. We soon went beyond memorizing each god and goddess and their corresponding symbols. As we learned together, the group began to further explore the myths in order to gain more meaning from them.
One example of a lunchtime group discussion revolved around the myth of Pandora’s box. After reading the myth, one student asked the rest of the students, “What evil would you try to contain in Pandora’s box?“ This question sparked a lively yet thought provoking conversation. Our weekly meetings became a highlight of the week for me as well as the students. My interest in Greek mythology grew as I learned alongside my students.
So how did my mythology group lead to this photo of me in front of the Parthenon?
During my first year, my relatively limited knowledge of Greek Mythology gave the students permission to often be the experts. At first, they would gently correct my pronunciation of the Gods and Goddesses and patiently explain the complex familial relationships. We soon went beyond memorizing each god and goddess and their corresponding symbols. As we learned together, the group began to further explore the myths in order to gain more meaning from them.
One example of a lunchtime group discussion revolved around the myth of Pandora’s box. After reading the myth, one student asked the rest of the students, “What evil would you try to contain in Pandora’s box?“ This question sparked a lively yet thought provoking conversation. Our weekly meetings became a highlight of the week for me as well as the students. My interest in Greek mythology grew as I learned alongside my students.
So how did my mythology group lead to this photo of me in front of the Parthenon?
Me in front of the Parthenon, April 2018
At an end of year library department meeting in 2017, I was telling a fellow library teacher about the mythology group. She exclaimed, ”then you must go on this trip to Greece that I just did.” The trip turned out to be the culminating event of an online course called The Examined Life: Teaching Greece in Schools. www.teachgreece.org
The course is open to educators with an interest in Greece who want to bring Greek history or mythology into their schools. After hearing about the program, I immediately applied for the following year. The online course began in January and went through May with the ten-day trip to Greece occurring over April school vacation. The online webinars, readings, and lectures were supplemented by the reading of ancient texts including The Odyssey and The Iliad. We studied Greek history, art, and culture in preparation for our trip to Greece.
The trip was an incredible opportunity to explore an amazing country with 30 fellow educators. Our group included classroom teachers, literacy specialists and library teachers from all grade levels. The ten days we travelled together provided endless chances to collaborate with peers. Hours on the bus would find us sharing our teaching backgrounds and brainstorming how we could incorporate what we were experiencing into our curriculums. The connections made while travelling and learning together were as impactful as viewing the historic sites we visited.
Going to Greece brought my learning and teaching full circle and I have returned with an energized interest and a greatly enhanced knowledge of the subject matter. As I prepare for this year’s mythology group, I am excited to share with my students not only my extensive photographs of Greece but also all that I have learned about Greek Mythology.
The course is open to educators with an interest in Greece who want to bring Greek history or mythology into their schools. After hearing about the program, I immediately applied for the following year. The online course began in January and went through May with the ten-day trip to Greece occurring over April school vacation. The online webinars, readings, and lectures were supplemented by the reading of ancient texts including The Odyssey and The Iliad. We studied Greek history, art, and culture in preparation for our trip to Greece.
The trip was an incredible opportunity to explore an amazing country with 30 fellow educators. Our group included classroom teachers, literacy specialists and library teachers from all grade levels. The ten days we travelled together provided endless chances to collaborate with peers. Hours on the bus would find us sharing our teaching backgrounds and brainstorming how we could incorporate what we were experiencing into our curriculums. The connections made while travelling and learning together were as impactful as viewing the historic sites we visited.
Going to Greece brought my learning and teaching full circle and I have returned with an energized interest and a greatly enhanced knowledge of the subject matter. As I prepare for this year’s mythology group, I am excited to share with my students not only my extensive photographs of Greece but also all that I have learned about Greek Mythology.