Five board members were elected (or re-elected) at the Fall Conference on October 10th. We're excited to work with them! Read their introductions here.
Un Chong Kim:
I have been teaching social studies in the Shoreline School District for 15 years and love what I get to do and the people I get to work with on a daily basis. Because we teach such socially relevant and evolving content, I have very much appreciated being a learner, as well as a teacher. It's because of opportunities provided to me by the Washington State Council and other local and national organizations, that I have been able to hone my craft and stay up on current issues and trends in teaching. After many years of being a beneficiary of their work, I decided it was well time to offer my service to it. I have served on the board for the past year and hope to continue working with them for the next few years.
Not only do I bring my classroom experience and enthusiasm, but I have also worked in the building and district levels toward teacher development and mentoring. I served as the social studies methods instructor for Seattle University's MIT program and as the district Social Studies Specialist. I have a great deal of energy and passion for providing opportunities for social studies teachers across the state to hone their craft. I look forward to serving my colleagues through the WSCSS.
My current school district/employer: Shoreline School District
Grade Level Taught: 9-12
Paulette Thompson (Incumbent):
When I served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, I represented the United States and Washington State for both my high school students and the community where I lived. Now, as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a lifelong traveler, I uphold the Peace Corps' Third Goal: to bring the world back home. My being able to share this "glocal" outlook not only in an academic sense but as a way of life with my students--past and present-- and social studies community can only be a strength.
It is so easy to remain isolated in our classrooms and schools; that's why I believe in working to maintain a strong W.S.C.S.S. as an advocacy and quality professional development organization so as to provide us with a community to gives our students and communities the social studies deserve.
My current school district/employer: Seattle School District
Grade Level Taught: 9-12
Ryan Hauck:
As a teacher Glacier Peak High School and Director of the Global Classroom Program at the World Affairs Council in Seattle, I have a passion for supporting quality Social Studies education throughout our state. Whether developing innovative curriculum, providing meaningful professional development for teachers, or supporting student programs that foster critical thinking and creativity, I hope to actively engage our membership and other key stakeholders in this important work. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and interdependent, students and teachers need access to quality resources and opportunities within and outside of the school setting. I would bring many years of teaching and leadership to the Washington State Council for the Social Studies and feel as though I would make a positive contribution to our organization and its mission.
My current school district/employer: Glacier Peak High School; World Affairs Council
Grade Level Taught: 9-12
David Blacketer II:
The WSCSS is an outstanding organization to whom I attribute much of my growth as a social studies educator over the past 17 years. During that time, I've attended the WSCSS Leadership Conference in Lake Chelan all but two years. Each time I have returned to my classroom on Monday morning with valuable resources, tools, knowledge, connections, and insight that have inspired my teaching. In more recent years, I've begun giving back as a presenter at the conference. It has been a logical step as I've developed my craft, yet I still attend sessions and still get something new every year. It is a professional experience worth investing in and I continually encourage my colleagues in social studies to attend. As a WSCSS board member, I hope to continue the work that the council has been doing so well over the years; creating valuable professional development opportunities for social studies teachers in Washington which will inspire their teaching and ultimately inspire their students. At the same time, I also hope to foster new ideas and growth in the organization so that we can best prepare future generations of social studies educators and citizens.
My current school district/employer: Kennewick School District - The Delta High School
Grade Level Taught: 9-12
Patricia Shelton:
I am currently in a role of organizing social studies professional development in K-12 Bellevue Schools. I try to keep abreast of national and state social studies instructional expectations and provide/promote that knowledge via professional development delivered by district course leaders, our many talented instructors and me.
I believe it is important for social studies teachers at all grades to recognize that they are helping students to become social studies literate in the four disciplines: Civics, geography, economics and history. The recently released C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards is a great instructional framework that guides teachers to help their students to critically think, read, and write within each discipline. I've collaborated with teachers to craft and/or re-frame their lessons to align with C3 and, more specifically, the inquiry arc.
Helping students to see the relevance of history to their lives is critical. I am always seeking avenues for creating relevance. One solution that I've found is to partner with local heritage centers to craft lessons that show the impact of world issues at the community level. Students can relate to events that took place years ago in their own communities because they are familiar with the setting of the historical event. Heritage centers can provide authentic images, articles, and letters, etc. that give life to the historical events.
My current school district/employer: Bellevue School District
Grade Level Taught: 6-8
