Preparing for the Tests of Life

By Dr. Brandon Wiley, Chief Academic Officer

Two years ago, I packed my vehicle and headed down the highway from San Francisco to my new home in Las Vegas. The anticipation and excitement associated with starting a new job was tempered by the reality that our school was trying to safely remain open during a pandemic while also offering a brand-new online distance education option for families. For 10 years prior to joining Dawson, I worked with and supported schools around the United States that aspired to create more student-centered, relevant learning environments. Many of those schools were redefining what success looked like for students in an attempt to prepare them for an ever-changing world. Having started my teaching career in a very traditional, test-focused, adult-centered environment, I’ve spent the better part of my career since thinking about how schools need to evolve and change to better meet the needs of students. I wanted to find an educational home that shared these same values and was committed to being on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Dawson has been the perfect fit.

As I reflect on the last two years, there’s much we’ve learned about ourselves as a school and community, but especially what it takes to help our students succeed and thrive. Unfortunately, the national data is clear: Students are experiencing rising stress levels and lower engagement with learning since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our “new normal” requires us to pay even greater attention to the social and emotional well-being of both our students and faculty. Examining our teaching practices, the relevance of our curriculum, and how we provide feedback to students about their learning have become the central focus for our faculty. We continue to evolve our program, people, and campus spaces to ensure we live up to our espoused values as a school.

“I’M NOT EVEN SURE HOW TO HELP MY CHILD WITH THEIR HOMEWORK! DAWSON DOES THINGS SO DIFFERENTLY COMPARED TO WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL!”

During many of my interactions with parents, some version of this statement is often shared. Sometimes it’s born out of frustration, while other times it’s said with delight and excitement for their child’s learning opportunities. In either case, one thing is true: The education your child receives at Dawson should look different from what you experienced at their age. While many research-based practices in education have withstood the test of time, the society in which our students are learning and living is changing rapidly around them. Two years ago, phrases such as social distancing, COVID, and Zoom fatigue were not even part of our vocabulary. Increasingly, technology is shaping the way we communicate, collaborate, and simply live our lives. As such, schools must respond to these changes and prepare students to inherit a world that will look very different for them as adults. Core skills around reading, writing, speaking, and listening are still central to our curriculum; however, helping students apply those skills to real-world, authentic situations is more important now than ever.

During her recent visit to Dawson, co-founder of Stanford University’s Challenge Success program Dr. Denise Pope asked a room of about 60 parents, “How do you define success? What are the life outcomes you most value for your children?” After some hearty discussion, parents shared some of their hopes. The answers were similar variations of happy, well-adjusted, active members of their community, curious, advocates for themselves and others, joyful, and showing perseverance. Not one parent (at least openly) named high test scores or for their child to be ranked at the top of their class. Here is the dilemma: I would venture a guess that all parents want their children to develop the traits just listed…and…they want them to perform academically to their highest potential. It is not, in fact, a zero-sum equation, but where you place the emphasis does make a difference.

As a Challenge Success school, we strive to nurture the academic, social, and emotional development of all students. We believe all students possess unique talents, interests, and individualized definitions of success. We also believe that if the definition of success is too narrow (i.e., grades, test scores, and an overcommitment to activities outside of school), it can interfere with a child’s development, leading to increased stress and disengagement. This is where the dissonance for many of us comes – what was valued and important when we went to school cannot be the same focus today. Let me reiterate: Academic achievement and growth matter, yet Dawson’s approach also highly values the development of the social and emotional skills necessary to take on the many challenges our students will face in their present and future. High academic achievement, in fact, is not possible if students do not have a sense of belonging, engagement, or well-being.

“ARE WE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A LIFETIME OF TESTS OR FOR THE TESTS OF LIFE?”

This question was first posed to me nearly 20 years ago at a very formative stage in my career by Dr. Bena Kallick. Over her illustrious career, Dr. Kallick has worked with thousands of educators around the world, conducted research about child development and learning, and has co-authored several books, including her seminal work on Habits of Mind. Dr. Kallick presented virtually over Zoom to our community in February of 2021 and discussed how schools must respond to the changing needs of our students as they inherit a post-pandemic career force. You can watch her presentation with fellow author Allison Zmuda by searching “Parent University: Growing a Culture of Inquiry with Our Children” on Vimeo.

While it is true that our students will encounter tests throughout their lives (primarily in high school and college), it’s the “tests of life” that will determine their true success and worth as a person. Will they make the right choices when no one is looking? Will they push through a challenge or simply give up? Will they ask for help when they need it, and advocate for themselves when they must? Will they think creatively to solve complex problems, especially when dealing with matters about which they care deeply? Will they stand up for their own rights and the rights of others? The skills and dispositions necessary to answer these questions are not easily evaluated on a standardized test, but instead must be applied in life when needed most.

This is, of course, somewhat of a trick question. Most people I pose this question to answer, “Yes! I want both.” And therein lies the challenge. Schools must develop curricula that answer this question with a “Yes, and…” approach. Students must be prepared to take on the academic challenges that await them in high school and beyond and must also know themselves as learners in such a way that they can advocate for themselves, seek information and new learning in appropriate and novel ways, and apply that learning in meaningful ways. Traditional approaches to instruction don’t often afford opportunities to learn these lessons. An over-emphasis on rote memorization, linear or operational ways of thinking, or one-size-fits-all approaches will not elicit these outcomes.

At the heart of Dawson’s modern learning approach is an attempt to “thread the needle” on providing academic challenge with an emphasis on developing the mindsets and dispositions a learner will need to be successful in high school, college, and career. Developing compassion, empathy, and understanding diverse perspectives can be found in our intentional social-emotional learning lessons in Lower School classrooms and the advisory program in our Middle School. Developing skills around collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, project management, and presentation skills for an authentic audience are central to many of the Project-Based Learning experiences beginning in Early Childhood and culminating in our eighth-grade Capstone project. Valuing different approaches to learning and solving problems is inherent in our math curriculum, where there is an emphasis on a conceptual approach to math compared to an overreliance on a procedural approach (which many of us were taught).

Students practice defending their thinking, understanding the thinking of others, and trying different strategies to solve problems. We want students to ask questions such as, “Why are we learning this?” or “How can I use this information in my life?” and not, “Is this going to be on the test?” We value the process of learning as much as the final product. Students learn from their mistakes and persist through setbacks until they accomplish their desired outcome. Revision and redemption policies allow students to gain the feedback they need on assignments, tests, and projects to appropriately learn and improve their work. Students are afforded the opportunity to reflect on their strengths and areas of growth. It’s through reflection that some of the most important learning occurs.

In the past month alone, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with students about their learning in ways that capture what makes Dawson such a special place to work and learn. I attended the Middle School art show hosted by faculty members from our Fine Arts and Design Technology departments. This exhibition of student work was curated by new Dawson art teacher D. Smith. As I perused the art on display, I spoke with some of the students who created these magnificent pieces that included creative photographs, intricate 3D models, or expressive paintings. Each student could describe their work, their inspiration, and the meaning behind what they had created. In one case, eighthgrader Lucy Shulman shared her numerous attempts to replicate the Lincoln Memorial as a 3D model and how difficult it was to get the size of the pillars and the spacing just right. The amount of mathematical computations, visualization, and deft computer skills needed were impressive. Said Lucy, “I wanted to give up a couple times but felt really determined to solve it. I’ve probably gone through about a dozen prototypes, but I learned something from each try.” Prior to taking the stage for the second-grade musical performance Journey Into Outer Space , I spoke with some of the students and asked about their preparation for the performance. One student shared, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done! We had to learn all the words to the songs and the movements [choreography]. It was hard, but I’m very proud of myself. I can’t wait for my family to see me today.” Students in Matt Reynolds’s seventh-grade math class are currently working on his “Mattiverse” project where they learn mathematical life skills by earning a salary in the classroom, using those funds to create and track a budget, and by making decisions about how to pay real-world expenses. In all of these scenarios, students demonstrated pride in their work, high engagement, perseverance, and a purpose for their learning.

HOW CAN I BE SURE MY CHILD WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND?

How can I reassure parents that Dawson’s modern approach to teaching and learning will prepare students for the challenges that lie ahead? Feedback we gain from our receiving high school partners is consistent: Dawson kids are leaders at the next level. Dawson students display a curiosity and joy for learning that is unique. They become leaders in athletics, student government, and the overall school community they join. This doesn’t mean high school comes easy to them. Dr. Pope also shared during her presentation that research shows that students who graduate from “progressive” middle school programs emphasizing a whole-child approach often see a dip in academic performance during their first semester in more traditional high schools because the approach to teaching and learning is so different. The over-emphasis on homework, grades, and testing is foreign to many of these students, but in the end, they achieve at a higher rate because they developed a love of learning and the perseverance and skills necessary to cope with these new challenges.

Two recent visits to campus from Dawson alumni also speak to the long-term success of our graduates. Grace Wike (Class of 2020), currently a junior in high school at West Career & Technical Academy, recently spoke to our seventh and eighth-grade students about a service-learning project she designed and implemented to benefit a local non-profit, Foster Kinship. Grace conceptualized a giving campaign and activities to raise awareness about local youth in need, and she partnered with Dawson to bring this project to life. Her commitment to community and her projectmanagement skills, ability to communicate effectively, and overall leadership skills have all been on full display. Blake Resnick (Class of 2013), CEO and founder of BRINC Drones, recently visited Dr. Kelly Gooden’s aeroSTEM class to talk about how his company is revolutionizing emergency management and rescue efforts using drones. These are among countless other success stories to share about how Dawson students go on to do creative, socially minded work that makes our community a better place to live, play, and work.

An Invitation

As you navigate the rest of this school year and beyond, I encourage you to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have about what or how your child is learning. The dissonance you may feel because the learning looks different than what you’ve experienced or expect is normal. I encourage you to attend our Parent University sessions where we go into greater depth about our curriculum and overall program, and events such as Open House and other exhibitions of student learning throughout the year are additional opportunities to see more. We hope to continue to strengthen our school-home partnership in support of your child’s journey at Dawson.

For the latest recordings of our Parent University Sessions from nationally renowned parenting and education experts, visit our Parent University webpage

@ adsrm.org/parentuniversity

For information and strategies to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids, visit our Challenge Success webpage

@ adsrm.org/challengesuccess

For insight from Dawson’s teaching and learning leaders, visit our Education Blog webpage

@ adsrm.org/blog

For more about the power of a Dawson education and how our graduates continue to achieve greatness out in the world, visit our Amazing Dawson Alums webpage

@ adsrm.org/alumni