Offsite Curriculum Design

By Krysta Ibsen, Middle School Science Teacher

If you have ever spent time around an educator, you may have noticed that one thing we all have in common is our ability to fill time. Between lesson planning, teaching, grading, giving feedback, and communicating with families, we definitely know how to keep busy. I have never heard an educator complaining about having too much time on their hands.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to co-teach Berwick’s Teaching Seminar with the director of Berwick’s Teacher Apprentice Program, Ali Vandenburgh, and the Lesley University Teacher Apprentice Program. The course was designed to teach practical skills when it comes to educational best practices. It gave a wonderful overview of the Backward Design for unit planning, which focuses on setting goals before determining instructional methods. I was blown away by Ali’s ability to support educators in the creation of innovative and engaging units and wished that more colleagues on campus had this opportunity to slow down and take time to develop new course material with support. It also sparked an idea.

In the fall of 2022, Berwick Academy faculty from all three divisions gathered on the coast of Saco Bay to connect, learn, and create new curricula with the help of their colleagues. With support from the Professional Learning grant, we designed a program that allowed faculty to get away from the everyday school setting for an overnight experience focused on sharing and implementing new strategies in unit planning, with a heavy emphasis on peer feedback. Faculty took time to explore new instructional strategies, assessment techniques, and planning structures, all focused on improving our practice.

One of the most impactful components of the retreat was when attendees took time to break out into cross-disciplinary cohorts to provide constructive feedback. It was incredible to see the ideas flow through these sessions and hear about the connections individuals were able to make between divisions and courses. This was an invaluable experience for faculty with a wide range of tenure, and we look forward to continuing to offer this opportunity in the years to come.