Education - For Teachers

Dear Educator:

Like you, I have spent much of my life trying to create a classroom that is vibrantly alive with active questioning young minds—my job has been to encourage my students to challenge the norm and demand the most of me and their education.  Not long ago, a former student told one of my colleagues, "Professor Macadam taught me how to think."  I think her comment is the highest compliment I have ever received.

Teaching our students how to think is what all teachers want to do, but accomplishing that goal (as you know) is not always an easy task, especially with all the curriculum standards and constant changes that complicate our work lives.

My hope is to help provide you with a wider context for your Holocaust curriculum thereby helping your students think, feel and connect to the material in a variety of ways other than historical horror.  Our timeline is specifically focused on women in Auschwitz, pulling information from Danuta Czech’s pivotal work The Auschwitz Chronicle—the actual day to day records the SS kept in the death camp. 

You might also find the blog I keep an interesting function, as I am attempting to report statistics that occurred 70 years ago on specific dates.

This downloadable curriculum, which has been part of my freshmen college curriculum for years, is newly presented here.  One of the presentations uses abstract expressionist art that was inspired by Rena’s Promise and has been exhibited around America. It offers a unique visual perspective on Holocaust text.  There is also a musical response to the art, which allows students to connect auditory sensations to the Holocaust.  There is also video instruction available on YouTube that allows students to hear Rena speaking, as well my journey to Auschwitz on the 70th Anniversary of the First Transport’s arrival.  Finally, I have samples of student papers, two study guides, as well as possible essay questions and assignments that you may wish to consider using, or developing to suit your needs.

Under our student tab we have created some paper and project ideas, but my hope is that your students will come up with their own ideas and share them, as well.

I hope that you will share your suggestions about ways we can improve yours and your students' experience on this site. Thank you for visiting and keeping Rena’s Promise.

Warm Regards,
Heather Dune Macadam