6 minute read
The Student-Centered School
For nearly 100 years, Cheshire Academy has prescribed to the educational model which places students at the center of learning. The teaching philosophy was introduced by Arthur N. Sheriff, who tutored students while attending Yale. Rather than lecture, Sheriff, who became headmaster in 1922, encouraged teachers to provide topics and ideas for discussion and invite students to respond and expand on the subject.
The student-centered educational model introduced by former Headmaster Arthur N. Sheriff in the 1920s is not only practiced at Cheshire Academy, it’s woven deeply into the culture of the school and remains its foundation for teaching.
“Meeting students where they are and taking them beyond where they imagined possible,” a motto based on Sheriff’s views, remains the pinnacle of the school’s pedagogy more than a half century after the headmaster’s tenure.
The model begins in the Academy’s classrooms where students are encouraged to be active learners. Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs Julie Anderson notes, “The students are experienced in the nature of self-directed learning.” Student-centered learning means an active learner rather than a passive learner, Anderson said. Teachers don’t provide a “stand and deliver” method, she added. “It’s not an all-knowing teacher.”
Science Teacher Lauren Kelly, who was chosen for the D. Robert Gardiner Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2014-2015 school year, said she has pushed problem-solving back to the students. “We have more conversations, less classroom lecturing.” She no longer gives lab handouts, but instead, lets students choose their experiments. “You take away the required assignment, and it’s amazing what they come up with,” Kelly noted. She asks her students to pick something they’re interested in and explain why. “I often hear, ‘I can’t wait to do this.’”
In a majority of the classrooms, the Harkness teaching method is applied. The method utilizes a large, central table where the teacher and students sit. There are no individual desks, no front of the room. “It allows for more interaction between students,” Anderson said. Being active is the key: active in acquiring knowledge,” she added. “They are problem solvers and reflective.”
All students learn differently, said Roxbury Academic Support Program Director Leslie Barry. “We get to the crux of what makes them tick and how they best learn.” Roxbury instructors look at what are the strengths and barriers, she added, and figure out what gets in the way of their learning.
The process begins, Barry explained, by asking how students think of themselves as learners. Teachers gauge the confidence level through discussion and questionnaires. One example is an online survey called “VARK,” which measures visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic strengths. From those results, students learn strategies and how to approach learning.
A key skill which is improved by the Roxbury program is what’s known as executive function. This mental process helps students connect past experiences with present action. Strengthening this process allows students to improve in planning, organizing, and remembering details.
Overall, small classes and individual attention creates a process in which learning becomes part of the student, Anderson said. “They are involved in the acquisition of knowledge. They are self-directed, independent learners. Teachers work to provide clear expectations about the desired outcomes, about what they will master.”
The Eighth Grade Program at Cheshire Academy is a dynamic, project-based interdisciplinary program. Designed to elicit wonder and broaden horizons, the program creates confidence and expands a world of possibilities for middle school students. The semester-long projects feature two journeys of inquiry that are learning partnerships among students, faculty, peer mentors, and leaders in the field.
Classroom experiences are supported by special events, speakers, and field trips to provide rich educational and recreational curriculum beyond the classroom. Over 30 faculty members are involved with teaching and supporting the Eighth Grade Program. They bring a wealth of knowledge and cultural diversity to Cheshire Academy.
Students in the program are able to focus on a chosen topic, explore the theme in multiple ways, and nurture their interest through hands-on tasks, projects, labs, and challenges. Eighth graders discover great books, articles, and websites while strengthening their skills to prepare for success in programs including the International Baccalaureate® Diploma.
To enhance classroom instruction, the Academy’s “Learning Management System,” or “LMS,” allows students to learn at their own pace. Physics Teacher Ray Cirmo said the online system lets students, teachers, and parents to see and share the same information. “A student could open an assignment page at any time and see all of the materials I have posted for a lesson, as well as the objectives of the class.”
The “MyCheshire” software program allows students to submit their assignments online, and in turn, provides tools for the teacher to add comments and grades. “The Learning Management System, or LMS, provides teachers with a way to deliver content outside of the classroom, enriching the student experience. It’s a valuable classroom management tool,” said Associate Director of Digital Marketing Caitlin Garzi.
“I love the portal. It’s so much better than an agenda we had to write in,” said National Honor Society member Fatimah Farid ’16. “I can see the curriculum for the whole month, and assignments are posted two weeks in advance. My teachers’ notes are online,” she added. Senior Class President Ben Buchmeier is also a big fan of the LMS. “Resources and class materials are there. I’d be lost without the portal. It has a lot of extras to help with assignments,” he said.
“The teacher is the content expert,” said Anderson. “It is direct instruction, not lecture.” This approach puts the student in the center of learning and it’s a model which requires a lot of forethought and planning, she said. “Assessment is a reflection on the part of the student and the teacher, ‘how did it work, were the outcomes achieved?’” At Cheshire Academy, each student works toward goals set by the instructor, and then they come together as an ensemble. “It’s much like a symphony which engages not only the musicians and the conductor, but also the broader audience of supporters,” Anderson noted. Senior Master Chip Boyd has taught English and other subjects at the Academy for 28 years. “The focus is discovery, exploring and learning. The process is rigorous and flexible. It allows students to pursue questions that interest them. Rote learning has been invalidated.”
Student-centered learning involves not only small classrooms with an average size of 12 students but also significant support with extra help periods provided each school day for major subjects. It’s also not uncommon for students to just drop by a classroom during a teacher’s free period to ask a question or review an assignment.
Advisor meetings are held as soon as school begins to welcome and introduce students to one another. Faculty members, who serve as advisors, meet in the small groups once a week to discuss progress, concerns, and time management as major test dates and other curriculum deadlines approach.
The newly expanded Center for Writing now has a full-time director, Wendy Swift, and five student tutors: Anna Rosen ’16, Grace Greene ’17, Paola Fortes ’16, Rachel Wallace ’16, and Regina McCoy ’17. Located in Room 223 of the Humanities Building, the center is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and by appointment for evening or weekend tutoring. The center’s mission is to cultivate confident writers who enjoy writing as an integral aspect of their everyday life. We focus on supporting writers in all genres including research, academic, creative, and informal texts.
The depth of the commitment to student-centered education at the Academy is illustrated by this statement from Arthur Sheriff, who said, “We are willing to make use of any educational method, whatever its novelty, which has shown its capacity for improving the quality of our work” with students.
- Julie Anderson, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs
