Working Together

WorkingTogether

CROSS COLLABORATION AT CHANDLER

Our community has always supported the idea that test scores and grades are not the only measures of achievement. Deeper understanding and learning come from constant curiosity and active pursuit of building upon lessons, and we learned many years ago that together we could be more effective. This cross-collaboration among teachers is emblematic of our teachers’ dedication and commitment to best serve our students. “Last October, our Kindergarten class studied the bones of the skull,” says Lower School Science Teacher Stephanie Ho. She continues, “During lunch, I will sit with teachers and ask what they are studying to reinforce lessons in the classroom. The same week that we were attaching maxillas to mandibles, they were also learning about the significance of calaveras for Dia de los Muertos in Mrs. Villanueva’s class and drawing sugar skulls in art class.”

While Lower School Director Emily Brown encourages teachers to work as teams, the collaborative spirit is really innate with the synergistic Chandler faculty. She says, “Our teacher teams are highly collaborative and students learn from their example of what it means to be innovative, caring and resilient team members. The students look forward to learning alongside each other, tackling challenges to obtain a deeper understanding of academic concepts and strengthening their social-emotional skills.”

Middle School is no exception when developing new approaches to learning. When distance learning was new to our school, our Middle School science teachers brought labs into homes by their novel camera set-ups. This allowed students to get the benefits of performing guided lab experiments utilizing available technology to enhance learning in the virtual classroom. And the innovation doesn’t stop there. Even while physically-distanced, Middle School teachers work year-round, improving their craft, innovating best practices, and developing new approaches to keep students engaged.

With Chandler’s new Center for Innovation, we hope to use these new spaces in creative and fun ways. Besides the maker space and performing arts studio, the three-level building features a multipurpose room to host larger groups, allowing teachers to blend their classrooms to provide the opportunity for students to work together and learn from one another. “Our teachers have long craved a flexible space where they can engage in more creative projects and further differentiate their teaching,” says Director of Middle School Jill Bergeron. Director of Innovation Lab Pete Carlson is also eagerly awaiting the day that students are able to use the building, but specifically, the Innovation Lab. Mr. Carlson says, “As a teacher, I am proud of students when they engineer, problem-solve, and build; this not only teaches the life skills of safely using tools, but soft skills like grit, determination, and working together.” Chandler School integrates collaboration across multiple disciplines as a deliberate strategy to improve educational outcomes, make school more engaging, and foster leadership and teamwork because it is never too early to teach the future what is possible when we work together.

To learn more about the Center for Innovation, please read the feature written by Eighth-Grader Chase Waldheim, Class of 2021, on page 2.