10 minute read
Always Learning
THEIR OWN WORDS
It is no secret that the Episcopal faculty and staff go above and beyond. From motivating students in the classrooms to coaching them through the highs and lows on dorm, on the athletics fields, and on stage, these adults spend their days consistently working to enhance the lives of students. With support from the Dean of Faculty Lucy Whittle Goldstein ’97, they also make sure to make time for their own professional development — working to continuously evolve both for themselves and for their students.
This past summer alone, faculty have thoughtfully redesigned courses, presented at national conferences, traveled internationally to represent Episcopal, and invested in selfdevelopment. Hear more about their impressive work, in their own words.
REDESIGNED COURSES
"Our work to redesign the ninth-grade English course (titled Fundamentals of Literature & Composition, or FLC for short) came out of a few different impulses. First, we wanted an opportunity to consider why we teach what we do, and to make our own choices about what ties the course together — the last redesign of the course had been long before any of us worked at Episcopal. Second, we wanted to help students deepen their connection to Washington, D.C. Going to a boarding school is making an intentional choice to develop a connection to a new place at a crucial time in a young person’s life, and going to this boarding school in particular is about connecting to the Washington region. So, with generous funding from the School (and building on work fellow English teacher Jamie Biondi had done a few years ago to codify the course’s skills), we spent the summer reading every book set in D.C. we could, scouting flex blocks, and putting together units focused on different texts and aspects of the city. In August, we stitched it all together to make our new D.C.-focused FLC, which we hope will ensure a more uniform ninth-grade experience and help students connect to their new home."
— HUGH KOEZE, INTERIM CHAIR OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
"American Studies at EHS has previously been co-taught by one social studies teacher and one English teacher across two class periods — with each teacher taking one period. This summer, I created a new version of Advanced and Non-Advanced American Studies and turned it into a truly interdisciplinary course. I wove a more traditional American Studies curriculum with readings, lectures, and flex blocks designed to teach students not only American Studies but also what I refer to as ‘Washington, D.C. Studies.’ Because we study a landscape and place that is intimate and known to them (D.C.), students are better able to understand macro-scale American history, politics, and culture. It is one thing to say Frederick Douglass is an incredibly important figure in the history of American chattel slavery; it is another thing to read his own words on the subject; and it is a whole other thing to visit his home in Washington, D.C., walk the streets he walked, listen to the music he listened to, et cetera.
Because of the dual-block nature of our class, American Studies allows students to go not only broad but deep into their examination of American history and culture. We have the opportunity to go on longer and more regular flex blocks, which translates not just to more time out of the classroom but to deeper and more meaningful experiences while we are outside Episcopal’s gates. The guiding question of American Studies is how the study of the American past can help us understand the present day, so everything we do in this class ties back to current-day issues. This is what differentiates American Studies from an American History class. In this way, our class aims to empower students to confront and solve the most pressing problems in American society."
— DR. CHARLOTTE TAYLOR FRYAR, ENGLISH AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
“Earlier this year, I attended the Sports Field Management Association’s annual conference. SFMA helps sports field managers prepare and maintain beautiful and safe field sources by fostering connections and offering continued education. I have previously run seminars related to the careful maintenance of Bermuda grass, which we have on Bryant Field, Dawson Baseball Diamond, and the new track & field. It’s amazing to attend and get to know fellow grounds superintendents across the United States at this conference, but particularly in our Northern Virginia area. Over the years, I have gotten to know my counterparts at peer institutions through SFMA, learning best practices from rejuvenating the fields to setting unique agronomic calendars to ensure our fields thrive year-round. The connections I’ve made at this conference to other sports field managers, from the Washington Commanders to the Baltimore Ravens, have proved invaluable in ensuring our fields are some of the best in the game. So much so that in the past few years, we’ve had professional athletes from the U.S. women’s national soccer team to the Colombia men’s national soccer team train on our fields while in D.C.”
— JESS EVANS, GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT
“This summer, Kiamani Wilson and I were awarded the opportunity to travel to Princeton, New Jersey, and partake in the Klingenstein Summer Institute, a professional development program hosted by Columbia University, Teachers College. Over the 10 days, we and ~75 other early career independent school educators attended lectures, participated in discussion regarding pedagogy and practice, and explored who we are as teachers. Supported by current research in mind-brain education; equity, inclusion, and belonging; and social-emotional learning, the content gave us the opportunity to develop how we interact with education in the ‘now’ and begin to think about education in the ‘future.’ In addition to the wonderful conversations, discussions, and dialogues, we had the opportunity to revise our teaching philosophy and reflect on our current practices, all designed to better ourselves as teachers. Moving forward, we are excited to implement the lessons we learned and continue to grow as individuals and professionals.”
— LUKE PETERSON, SCIENCE DEPARTMENT CHAIR, AND KIAMANI WILSON ’14, MATH TEACHER
“For the past several years, Episcopal has participated in a unique network of schools around the world known as the World’s Leading Schools Association (WLSA). This collection of 55 impressive schools spans five continents and offers opportunities for faculty and students to participate in programs that enhance cross-cultural understanding, promote academic excellence in multiple cultural settings, and support the development of our students into global leaders. WLSA also has a partnership initiative with leading universities around the world and supports initiatives by higher education admissions deans to build relationships with underrepresented schools and students who do not typically have opportunities to attend these prestigious programs.
In my current role as Chair of the WLSA Board, I was offered two exciting opportunities this past summer. First, at the end of my planned visit with alumni and parents in South Korea and China, I was asked to help kick off a fascinating conference in Shanghai co-hosted by WLSA and New York University’s Shanghai campus on AI innovations and their impact on education. Over 300 educators, educational reformers, and corporate leaders from around the world attended the event. Following the conference I was then asked to accompany WLSA’s Executive Director for a seven-day trip to Nepal and Bhutan to visit prospective new member schools in the two countries. We met with inspirational educators whose schools have set an impressive standard for academic excellence and achievement in these two beautiful, mountainous countries. I was also joined on this trip by the admissions deans from NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon and key number two leaders in admissions from Michigan and the University of Chicago who were also excited to build relationships with these schools. Moments like this help Episcopal build wonderful relationships with intriguing schools and, I hope, set the stage for ongoing future global partnerships that can enhance our students’ experiences.”
— CHARLEY STILLWELL, HEAD OF SCHOOL
“As a college counselor, I often emphasize the importance of continuous learning to my students. This summer, I embraced that principle firsthand at the Brown Sugar Writers Retreat, an innovative professional development opportunity designed for college counselors of color working in independent schools. The retreat allowed us to explore the nuanced aspects of our work, from supporting diverse students within independent school communities to navigating our own roles as counselors of color in these institutions.
The retreat reinforced the vital role that college counselors play in shaping students’ futures, particularly within independent school communities. Every strategy learned, every connection made, and every insight gained will contribute to my ability to guide students toward their post-secondary goals. The experience has energized me with new programming, outreach, and support ideas that I’m excited to implement at our school. After all, when we invest in educator development, we invest in student success.”
— WARREN QUIRETT, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
OXBRIDGE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
“Ispent a month in Paris serving as a program dean with Oxbridge Academic Programs this past summer. The primary roles of the program deans were to field questions from parents, ensure that students followed program rules, and oversee younger members of the administrative team. Being familiar with the boarding school environment helped me to jump right into life in Oxbridge and help the program run smoothly. Although the deans were not in charge of student activities, I would occasionally have the opportunity to help chaperone activities, and I had time to enjoy Paris on my off-duty days. One of my most memorable experiences was an all-program trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte, a château about 30 miles outside of Paris. My summer with Oxbridge was my first time working in an administrative role and it allowed me to gain invaluable experience and perspective that I look forward to implementing into my work at EHS.”
— ANNA BODNAR, FRENCH AND SPANISH TEACHER
“In 2016, I attended the Oxbridge Teacher Seminar in Oxford, England, and I loved my experience studying Shakespeare. I still use some of those resources in my classroom today! When looking for a summer experience in 2022, working for Oxbridge Academic Programs was a no brainer. For our program at the University of Cambridge, England, we welcomed over 400 students from 41 countries across the globe and offered them over 20 courses, from aerospace engineering to medical science and global business. With a wonderful balance of activities and academics, students are able to explore their passions in a new city. Returning for the past two summers, I worked as a program dean, assisting students with everyday problems, communicating with parents, and supporting our teaching faculty. Stepping out of the classroom and into an administrative role has been an exciting opportunity to experience another side of school life, but in the end, I’m still a teacher at heart.”
