4 minute read
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Responding with adaptability, compassion, and fortitude
A letter from Judith Guild
Two decades ago, researchers and educators identified a set of seven essential capacities for 21st-century schools. The NAIS publication, A Guide to Becoming a School of the Future, named Brimmer one of seven model schools in our nation that was doing this well. When the global pandemic raged through Boston last March, our Leadership Team found themselves well outside established norms. We required adaptability, creativity, and cross-disciplinary knowledge to reimagine the School both during the quarantine and in planning to reopen the campus. As the work unfolded, it became clear that those seven essential capacities researchers had identified 20 years ago were serving us well. Of those seven, several stand out as particularly remarkable and impactful.
The ability to “develop flexibility, agility, and adaptability”; to bring a “sense of courage to unfamiliar situations”; to be able to “explore and experience”; “to work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities”; and perhaps most importantly, to “view failure as an opportunity to learn” define Essential Capacity #6: Adaptability, Initiative, and Risk Taking. In two weeks, our faculty and administrators had to adapt to working differently. We sorted out ambiguities, figured out priorities, and decided what could work in a remote environment. Outside guidance changed weekly, and we revised our work. Simultaneously, we had to learn how to use new tools: adapting to Zoom, expanding the use of our learning management system, and connecting devices so our relationships with our students could be preserved and prioritized. Before the school year ended, we became comfortable with exploring, experimenting, and risk management.
The constant need to initiate new ideas, coordinate tasks, collaborate effectively, and enlist help tested our leadership and teamwork skills (Essential Capacity #3: Leadership and Teamwork). Various leaders at Brimmer initiated new ideas and then found ways to coach others to follow them. Director of Development Elizabeth Smith pivoted from her usual work and led us through health and safety strategies. Faculty member Matt Gallon joined Head of Middle School Carl Vallely in conducting space measurements throughout the School so we could determine capacity for reopening. Director of Marketing & Communications Sue Cuyler and Associate Director Nicky DeCesare reimagined our messaging and looked through the pandemic lens to share what life at Brimmer had become. Our faculty launched their online curriculum and quickly learned to manage groups and use different engagement tools. They met with curriculum leaders to implement decisions to ensure their teaching would produce effective learning results. Their own professional learning shifted to include the application of digital technologies. They sorted through multimedia resources and created media-rich content to communicate ideas effectively (Essential Capacity #4: Digital and Quantitative Literacy).
The duality of the global pandemic and the effect of systemic racism on our own nation fueled the importance of Essential Capacity #7: Integrity and Ethical Decision-Making. As our country witnessed violent, unfair, and racist treatment against our brown and Black populations, Brimmer’s Core Values were on the stand. Students, families, and faculty exhibited moral courage and confronted the injustices around us, and they joined the protests in the streets of Boston. Teachers led students through conversations on the emerging ethical issues and called for empathy and compassion for others. The dual crisis pressed our School to reexamine our own role in unjust and unfair behaviors, and Brimmer launched a call for action. We determined it necessary to add Equity to our School’s four Core Values and that our theme for 2020-2021 will be Living our Core Values and Building an Equitable Community. In response to this, we made some immediate changes, and then we set goals for the summer and beyond to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our motto, Better and Better, reminded us to challenge ourselves to look outwardly and examine inwardly.
In this issue of Brimmer Magazine, you will read about the work we are doing to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. You will read inspiring stories from our community and learn how the spring of 2020 made us reimagine teaching and learning. Some pictures will tell our pandemic story while others will remind us of pre-pandemic times. Unchanged is the story of generosity, support, transformation, and hope. More than ever before, I have witnessed the strength of the Brimmer community. As unprecedented events threatened the mere existence of us all, Brimmer responded with adaptability, compassion, and fortitude. You will learn how we are not just enduring the challenges, but we are emerging stronger than ever. ■
