We are grateful to have teachers and staff at The Intergenerational Schools who share our vision for education and a commitment to play quality teaching and learning. Beth McAllister, is one of those teachers who brings a depth of knowledge and a spirit for life-long learning to our school community. Beth began her career at The Intergenerational Schools as a Developing Stage teacher five years ago and now serves as a Model-Wide Lead Teacher. Get to know Beth a little better, in her own words, below.
Please tell us about your background and how you came to be at Intergenerational Schools.
I was drawn to the Intergenerational Schools because of my many wonders about learning and the possibilities I felt the Model offered. By the time I found the IGs, I had taught for fifteen years in diverse educational settings throughout Greater Cleveland including a private, charter school, a suburban public school, and university laboratory school serving pre-service teachers and young children. I had also stepped away from the classroom for several years to be home with my own children. This combination of experiences gave me an opportunity to really see the contrasts between learning opportunities that felt meaningful and invigorating versus ones that felt like drudgery. I started to study all I could about educational theory and methodologies, and I tinkered with these ideas in my own home school laboratory and in classrooms. I gained a lot of understanding about successful learning communities, but I still had many questions about the application of these ideas in more traditional settings where State Standards are a reality. I also wondered about how schools could better support students who experienced trauma, struggled to read or who had gaps in their learning. Those were the questions motivating me to branch out and look for something new. I was attracted to the Intergenerational Schools because of their responsive, democratic approach to working with children and their belief that learning is a lifelong process. It was a perfect place for a teacher like me with lots of questions and a desire to improve education!
What's the best part of your role? What's the biggest challenge?
While teacher leadership is no doubt challenging work, there are so many good parts. In my current role as Model-Wide Lead Teacher, I’d say the biggest challenge is how to make teacher thinking and practice more visible for others to learn from while simultaneously serving as a classroom teacher. In general, I’d say our Model’s current structure includes many pieces which contribute to lifelong learning. However, it is very challenging to capture and make visible a lot of the great work happening and without doing so, we can’t scale up learning opportunities for both teachers and students. I believe we need a better platform and structure for this to work. This past year, I pitched a proposal to tackle this problem – the creation of a Lifelong Learning Laboratory. This would be a space dedicated to fostering and making visible the great learning that happens in our schools. It would serve as a site of collaborative and innovative learning, not just for children, but also for adults within the community. I am excited that both my principal and director were open to the idea and I’m hoping to move forward with implementation in the new school year!
What do you love about Intergenerational Schools? What sets it apart from other schools?
I love the students, teachers, and staff I have the privilege of working alongside and have learned so much from! It’s great to be surrounded by people who are talented, caring, resilient and hard-working. Besides the amazing people, I think what sets the Intergenerational Schools apart from other schools is its responsive and democratic culture. I appreciate the opportunities I am offered here to learn, to grow and to build strong classroom learning communities.
Share a favorite memory of your time at Intergenerational Schools.
The commitment students have to our learning community is such a privilege to witness. I have many, many great memories of students stepping up in confidence to lead a lesson or morning meeting discussion, of students expressing support and grace when someone is having a hard time, of students pushing themselves to perfect their work, of students joyfully engaging in reading or classroom activities, of students being open-minded, invitational and inclusive - students who listen to one another, care and try to understand. I have been struck by how in contrast this feels at times to the ways I see adults behaving in the world. It humbles and inspires me.
Tell us about you.
If you’re looking for me outside of school, you’ll probably find me weeding my flower garden, scouring the shelves in the public library, cheering on my son’s cross-country team, hiking with my husband and three children or cooking up meals to feed them all.
Thank you, Beth, for sharing about your incredible work at The Intergenerational Schools. Your dedication to learning and growing alongside your students and community is remarkable.
Enrollment at The Intergenerational Schools two campuses is still available. Our Buckeye and Ohio City campuses have a few spots available. Contact our office to chat with staff or check out our enrollment page to get started.
About The Intergenerational Schools
For 25 years, The Intergenerational Schools have served the greater Cleveland area with exceptional K-8 academics in a unique multigenerational learning community. We empower a love of learning through a holistic approach that includes personalized learning, enrichment, and healthy and caring relationships. With two neighborhood schools in Buckeye and Ohio City, we’re closing the achievement gap by providing a high-quality, tuition-free education to all. Our award-winning programs build confident, capable students who contribute to our extraordinary community. Get to know The Intergenerational Schools today: Where children thrive and community grows.