By KIM MORGAN
Seven Lakes High School social studies department chair Yvonne Pittman spent one week in Washington, D.C., as a 2009 House Fellow.
Pittman, a mother of two and grandmother of three, was one of six teachers from Texas to earn the honor, and one of 24 from across the nation.
“The premise is to help teachers in high schools across the country promote good lessons for our high school students about Congress,” Pittman said. “We spend our time in this country being fascinated by the presidency, when really it’s Congress running the show.”
The teachers spent time with the House historian Fred W. Beuttler, experts on media and policy, a woman who trains all new members of Congress and an expert at the National Archives building.
“We went into the Treasure Room,” Pittman said. “It’s not called that because it’s full of gold and silver but because of the documents. We saw treaty documents, letters from presidents … as a history and government teacher, I found that fascinating.”
Each group member was given a staff badge so they could roam wherever staffers roam, and they had their names recorded into the Congressional Record.
Pittman’s group won’t be the only group to participate in the U.S. House Fellows program.
Teachers across all 435 congressional districts are invited to apply, and the goal is to select one teacher from each district over the next several years.
Seven Lakes High School is in the district of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, so that’s the district — District 14 — she was selected to represent.
As part of the application process, Pittman had to submit a lesson plan. She chose one she’s been using for several years, in which her students prepare a thorough and highly detailed profile of a member of Congress, including demographic information, how the official is representing his or her district, and if he or she is doing a good job.
“Ultimately these lessons and future lessons will be made available online for teachers across the country,” Pittman said.
She is sharing what she learned with students, fellow teachers and administrators.
“With Yvonne being both an academic government teacher and an AP government teacher, those firsthand experiences are invaluable,” said Seven Lakes Principal Christie Whitbeck. “Last year she took 30 students to D.C. for the inauguration. She is truly a leader among teachers.”
Originally from Mississippi, Pittman was introduced to history at a young age, simply by listening to her maternal grandmother tell stories.
“She was our family historian,” Pittman said. “Her stories always got me interested.”
Pittman double majored in history and political science at Houston Baptist University.
She joined Katy ISD in 1986. Since then, she has taught government at three of the six high schools. When Seven Lakes opened in 2005, she became that school’s social studies department chair.
Now that she’s had an inside peek into the world of congressmen on Capitol Hill, would she rather be teaching, or in politics?
“Well you know, I have a lot of mixed feelings about Congress on occasion,” Pittman said. “I think I make a bigger impact on students by being a teacher. So I’m going to have to say, teacher.”