Getting an important event or fact from ancient history to resonate with students can be challenging. After coming to the school as a midyear hire last year, Ey has found that connective tissue that helps students understand the context instead of simply memorizing and reciting lines from their textbooks.
One way is through song. Ey has used a song sung to the tune of Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” that teach them about Mesopotamia and another about the five themes of geography. The rap earworms have worked, as his students from his first year have told him they still remember all about the Tigris and Euphrates rivers because of his efforts.
“As odd as it sounds, being proud of the fact of the kids remember what you taught the previous year is a nice feeling,” he said. “You know that something is lingering, something is sticking around. When it’s also retained knowledge, you understand what is there in the world or what happened.”
Ey has had his own winding journey before coming to Prevail, which has outperformed the district for 14 years. During college he had an internship at a startup company in Berlin and was able to see the change throughout the city from it being split not long ago.
After working in public policy he became a paraprofessional and wanted to get into teaching stemming from his brief but enjoyable period teaching pre-K students and Model UN while in college. He jumped at the change to teach at Prevail and now gives an end-of-the-year unit on Germany’s capital city and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“I thought it was an opportunity to not only try out my newfound passion, but also to bring in my knowledge of my own public policy work and then also just a perspective of history into the classroom,” Ey said. “It’s been a joy so far.”
Ey has enjoyed being part of the community bond at Prevail that is evident with staff in the stands at sporting events and in the hallways as students seek out their former teachers to reconnect. To help strengthen the community, he stresses establishing good study habits and a work ethic that his middle school students can continue when they reach high school.
Ey’s class is set up so that students know where to get their work or copies of missing assignments. It also allows them to see where and how they fell short on a project and correct their mistakes. Whatever career path they pursue, he hopes that they will have learned how to stay on task and work independently.
“I want them to get that understand that you get the grade that you get from the effort you put in,” he said. “If you're not putting in the effort, you’re not going to get the grade that you feel deserve.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Ey!
Check out a school near you!
About Prevail Academy
Prevail Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Mount Clemens, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
Visit Prevail Academy's blog to read more stories like this.