A Little Taste of Oxford

Ashlynn Wittchow

ELA Teacher

Hand Middle School

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This summer I embarked on the Professional Development experience of a lifetime: six-weeks of studying English Literature with fellow English teachers at Oxford University. Each summer, the program enrolls approximately 85 international students, mostly teachers, to study and learn at Lincoln College, one of Oxford’s smallest and most beautiful colleges. At the end of June, I packed my bags and boarded a plane to London Heathrow, ready to hit the ground running. Oxford was calling.

The summer was overflowing with valuable learning experiences. As a visiting student, I had access to the Bodleian Library of Oxford, one of the finest research libraries in the world. The Bodleian Library is over four hundred years old and houses manuscripts significantly older. As one might imagine, they take security pretty seriously. All students and visiting researchers have to recite an ancient vow not to bring any open flames into the library. It was hard not to feel as though I had stepped back in time wandering its oldest wing, Duke Humphrey’s Library. 

In front of Shakespeare's home

As a cohort, we embarked on various learning excursions. We visited Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and watched the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Othello. We attended lectures delivered by many of Oxford’s world-renowned professors. We traveled to Bath to visit the ancient Roman temples, explored restoration theater, and wander the footsteps of Jane Austen. We sponsored poetry readings, pedagogy workshops, lesson planning sessions, and a graduate conference covering topics that ranged from Shakespeare to Jaws. And of course, we visited London at every available opportunity. Its museums and libraries are among the finest in the world.

The opportunities for hands-on learning were unparalleled. I cannot wait to bring everything that I learned this summer back into my own classroom this year at Hand Middle School. However, one of the greatest assets of the program was its people. It was a privilege to learn and grow with passionate and intelligent educators from across the globe. I hope to maintain these connections this year in a professional learning community that extends beyond the walls of Hand Middle School. Indeed, through the latest developments in one-to-one computing through Hand’s Digital Learning Environment, I hope to give my students a little taste of Oxford, connecting students with classrooms across the globe.