Ardmore Middle School Librarian Sonya Markle got the experience of a lifetime earlier this summer when she got to spend six days in and around Colonial Williamsburg as part of the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute.

Originally from Texas, Markle moved to Oklahoma at 16 and graduated from Springer. She taught 8th grade history at Ardmore Middle School for the last four years before moving into the library when school began earlier this month.

Williamsburg is the restored historical capital-city of colonial Virginia, and Colonial Williamsburg is the world’s largest living history museum where historical interpreters teach guests about colonial America through reenactments and hands-on activities.

Markle said she found out about the opportunity of attending a week in Colonial Williamsburg through a post on social media.

“I actually saw it on a Facebook post, but when I first saw it, I missed the application window,” she said. “So I wrote it on a sticky note, and when we came back to school the following year, I saw the sticky note, and the application window was still open.”

She said the application process is competitive with only a few educators from Oklahoma chosen to attend. It also required references. However, in the end, it was totally worth it.

“I absolutely loved it,” Markle said. “I was totally in my zone. I’m a super history nerd and was surrounded by a whole group of people who were absolutely the same.”

She said the Colonial Williamsburg experience started as they walked from their hotel each day.

“We literally stayed in the heart of Williamsburg, and there was a covered path that led you straight into the historic district,” Markle said. “It was maybe a half-mile, but you got to walk past all these historic houses and buildings.”

While at Colonial Williamsburg she got to attend reenactments, visit Yorktown, and visit the Bray School, a school for free and enslaved black children that educated hundreds of students between 1760 and 1774.

“My favorite part was actually getting to stand in the places where they held those arguments about gaining freedom from Britain,” Markle said. “It really makes it come to life. You read books and see movies, but to actually be in the real place in person was eye-opening.

“We also got to go into the National Archives behind closed doors, and we actually got to touch some of the historic primary documents. That was heaven.”

She said talking to the historical interpreters was also very informative.

“They talked about the trouble they have getting interpreters, especially African American interpreters because of the time period,” she said. “It definitely made you appreciate those workers for portraying such a hard time. I’d love to take my students to see the significance that African Americans played in the revolution. I’m glad I got to take some pictures and get some primary sources that show the role they played.”

Even though she is now in the library rather than the classroom, Markle said she has a lot to share with the students.

“We focused a lot on project-based learning,” she said. “I’ve already met with the history department to be able to come in and do some of the history activities that I learned. I’ll also be bringing in some artifacts for critical thinking to show how history is still important to us today.”

Markle said a donor gave her a little over $300 to bring back some souvenirs to share with the students.

“I brought back some books and some colonial games the students will be able to play,” she said. “I also bought some ink and quills so that when they learn the constitution and write their own classroom constitution, they can sign with a quill and ink.”

Another benefit of attending the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute is she is now listed as a beta tester for history.org.

“It has all sorts of video resources, primary sources and games,” Markle said. “It’s going to be really cool because these students will be some of the first kids in the nation to use them. The best part is that all of this will be free for our kids because of the beta test.”

She said she encourages other teachers in the Ardmore area to apply to attend. There are two sessions every summer, one for fifth grade teachers and one for eighth grade teachers.

“I would encourage more Oklahoma teachers to apply for this,” she said. “The scholarship paid for everything. The only thing that wasn’t paid for was one dinner, and I actually got a gift card from the same donor who gave the money to buy things for the kids.

“I also now have a network of Oklahoma secondary history teachers that I’m in a group chat with where we’re able to talk and share ideas. Trust me if you go, you will have an amazing time.”