“Not only [is InsideOut] teaching the kids, but you’re also teaching the teachers. It’s sustained professional development for teachers.”
Susan Stanley takes pride in the rich cultural heritage that thrives within her school district. As principal of Salina Elementary, home to a vibrant Yemeni population, Stanley has seen firsthand the impact of InsideOut’s Writer-in-Residence program on both writing skills and self-expression.
“I always wanted to look for ways that our kids could communicate better, and to have language to really talk about their feelings, life, and their experiences. And so when I heard about InsideOut Literary Arts, I thought this is such a perfect fit for us. [InsideOut] is helping them stretch and think in such a deep way, especially our kids that use English as their second language.”
Stanley understands the impact InsideOut has on the social emotional development of her students. She spoke of one student who had a tearful and quiet start to the school year, but through InsideOut’s Writer-in-Residence program, she emerged as an immensely talented poet. “She has done well in school until this year, but who would have known the gift she had without InsideOut?”
Stanley has found that the InsideOut program helps to educate more than just youth. She acknowledges and values the professional development aspect of the InsideOut program that Writers-in-residence bring to teachers.
“Not only are you teaching the kids, but you’re also teaching the teachers. It’s sustained professional development for teachers. What this program brings hits the essential standards for students. It takes care of the social emotional aspect for kids plus the professional development for teachers. It helps all of us to watch other people teach, and that’s one of the things that [InsideOut] brings. ”
Stanley recognizes the gravity of what educators do every day and how it impacts students for a lifetime.
“What you tell to a child right now is what they’re going to tell themselves as adults. It’s just so important. This is really a big responsibility that I don’t take lightly of raising these kids. And they only have this time to be five or six or seven or eight once. And what we do with them is really important.”
She sees InsideOut’s work as central to the “soul-forming” that teachers are part of. Senior Writer Peter Markus has been at Salina for six years, imparting his unique brand of magic to inspire student’s imagination. As Stanley describes:
“The connection that you make with children at this age, you feed their soul. It’s the power of the people that come into our lives that feed us something and help to open us up.”