I am Kayla. I am Emma: Experiencing Emma Willard through the eyes of a student

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Phoebe Mawer

Secondary Teacher

I AM KAYLA. I AM EMMA:

Experiencing Emma Willard through the eyes of a student

In December 2019, I was afforded the opportunity through the Amanda Minotti Teaching Fellowship exchange program to attend the Emma Willard School, located in Troy, Upstate New York. This program provided me with the opportunity to immerse myself in a different education system, to exchange ideas and knowledge with teachers, and broaden my personal experience by working and living in a different community and culture. This experience also required me to switch my Summer wardrobe for snow boots and a ski jacket. Born and raised in Cairns, I was grossly unprepared for the minus 14-degree temperatures and record snowfall! Before departing St Margaret's, I listened to a presentation given by the Heads of Year following their experiences after becoming a student for the day. The Heads of Year committed to becoming a student for one full school day, attending classes, battling the Avoca lockers at peak transition times, and even went as far as eating lunch with their student cohort. I was inspired by this idea and thought what better way to experience a school’s community, culture and practices than through the eyes of an Emma girl. I first met Kayla, a sophomore (Grade 10 equivalent) at Emma Willard, during my first week. Below is a diary of a day in the life of Kayla, which I think perfectly encapsulates life at Emma:

Before School

Kayla, along with many other faculty family members, lives on campus in a house provided by the school. Today, Kayla’s walk to school involves traipsing along a snow ploughed path surrounded by deer. Kayla arrives to Kella’s Hall (the dining hall) where all staff and students (day girls included) are encouraged to eat all meals together as a community. Today’s breakfast menu includes a do-it-yourself waffle station, a variety of fresh bagels, eggs, bacon, omelettes, fresh fruit and every cereal you could imagine, not to mention unlimited chocolate and strawberry milk!

8.20 am: Pre-calculous with Mr Allan Berry

Our first lesson of the day is pre-calculous mathematics; affectionately known to the students as pre-calc. As the students introduce themselves, I quickly notice that, similarly to St Margaret's, Emma is a culturally diverse school with students from all corners of the world. The Emma community includes students from over 30 countries with a myriad of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Like St Margaret’s, this social and cultural richness provides a platform for curiosity and additional opportunities for emotional and intellectual growth for all students. It is immediately evident that Emma is committed to building a community that values and celebrates differences and fosters mutual respect. I also notice that the class is made up of students from sophomore, junior and senior students (Years 10, 11 and 12 respectively). Students have the freedom to choose their subjects based on interest and aspirations for college, and aren’t limited to subject offerings within the grade. Mr Allan Berry announces that students will be receiving their test results back today and Kayla nervously awaits the results. She is delighted to see a test result of 98 per cent. This is common for Kayla. She typically receives 100 per cent; quite an achievement for a sophomore in pre-calc. I am quickly thrust back into my schooling days as we start working through probability problems. I will admit statistics was my least favourite mathematical topic. I feel uneasy and hope that Mr Berry doesn’t call on me for an answer. Luckily, I have Kayla next to me talking me through the problems and explaining how she arrives at her answers. Thankfully, Mr Berry only directs his questions towards his students. This prompts me to consider how my students must feel at times. I am reminded of the importance of fostering confidence within our girls and building a classroom culture where success is not measured by getting things right, but rather by having a go. I am inspired by Kayla as she is the first to raise her hand to answer questions. She is not deterred by the fact that there are older students in the class, or by potentially getting the answer incorrect.

9:15 am: Class Meeting

Class Meeting is the equivalent of a year level meeting. All sophomores come together for important year level notices. The main agenda item today is a presentation by

Mr Kent Jones, the college counsellor. Mr Jones' presentation marks the beginning of the intense college application process. Even though college is still three years away for these students, it is something many are already considering. With Emma students typically applying to the most prestigious Ivy League colleges in America, this is not a process they take lightly. Before attending Emma and experiencing the United States education system firsthand, I had always thought that the American college system was exaggerated in movies and television shows. I quickly learn that Hollywood’s portrayal of the rigorous and highly selective college process is rather accurate. The pressure to perform is significant. Through conversations with Emma students and faculty members, I learn that there are considerable expectations to consistently achieve at a high level with respect to grades. In order to boost their academic transcript and improve their chances of college admission, some students take multiple advanced placement classes (which are assessed through rigorous external exams). During my time at Emma, I would listen to stories of students trying to juggle a heavy homework load and multiple extracurricular activities, all while trying to manage the inevitable social and emotional challenges that come with adolescence. Many experts have speculated that the American high school system is the cause of the increasing mental health challenges in today's students. The most recent national research (Merikangas et al. 2010) indicates that 30 per cent of American adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 met the criteria for an anxiety disorder, compared to 7 per cent of Australian adolescents in a similar age range (Department of Health 2015).

10:00 am: Middle Eastern History with Ms Carol Bendall

Today, Ms Carol Bendall facilitates a Harkness discussion about a Turkish film the class have recently watched. The Harkness method is a simple concept: imagine 10 students and one teacher sitting around an oval table and discussing the subject at hand (Williams 2014). What happens at the table, however, is, as Harkness intended, a revolution. As I sit and observe the lesson, I witness the students explore ideas, developing the courage to speak, the compassion to listen and the empathy to understand. With minimal intervention, Ms Bendall sparks a robust debate about the social injustice of Turkish law. Emma students are well-informed and able to support their arguments with evidence from readings and real-world examples. At Emma, Harkness is not a pedagogy, it’s a way of life. To see this in action was one of the most valuable professional development opportunities I have experienced to date.

We as teachers tend to talk more than we need to at times and often our questioning methods aren’t framed in a way that promotes free discussion. Since returning to St Margaret’s in 2020, I have tried to integrate elements of the Harkness method into my teaching practice by allowing students to lead at times, interjecting, if necessary, to guide the discussion.

11:00 am: English with Ms Boyajian

As I enter the classroom, an image is projected onto the screen. Kayla instructs that we have five minutes to write freely using the image as a prompt. Students busily write for the entire time and I sense that this is a favourite starter activity amongst the girls. Even when Ms Boyajian commands that time is up, students are eagerly finishing their sentences. When Lemov (2010) wrote of the importance of Strong Starts, I imagine this is what he had in mind. Ms Boyajian’s strong start was purposeful, impactful and clearly demonstrated how to effectively use the time between students entering the classroom and the main lesson beginning. This activity was relevant, specific to the class’s learning intention and allowed students to engage meaningfully in academic work from the moment they walked into the classroom.

Ms Boyajian then sparks a discussion regarding the assigned English novel Jane Eyre. It is no surprise that Kayla has read the entire novel twice and well ahead of schedule, which demonstrates how intrinsically motivated Emma students are.

12:00 pm: Lunch at the Emma Dining Hall

All students (both day and boarding), as well as all faculty and support staff members have congregated at the dining hall to enjoy a meal together. The dining hall is a bustling place at mealtimes. Today, Kayla has a meeting with her Academic Advisor, Mrs Kathy Mrsoksa. Over lunch, Kayla engages with Mrs Mrsoksa in a conversation about how she is managing her time, her study priorities leading into exams and her plans for the Christmas vacation. Observing this exchange between advisor and advisee prompts me to reflect on the value of the St Margaret’s Academic Advising Program. I feel privileged to have walked along side my academic advisees for almost three years now and have witnessed the significant impact the program has had on academic and pastoral outcomes.

1:15 pm: Chinese with Mr Sundene

Mr Sundene's classroom is like being transported to another world. Mr Sundene and students converse entirely in Chinese. Although I don’t understand a word of Chinese, Mr Sundene's energy and pedagogy allows me to follow along with the lesson. SUNATA 31

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2:00 pm: Cluett House Meeting

Kayla is a member of Cluett House, a representative body of students that have made a strong commitment to educating themselves and making choices that have only positive impacts on local and global communities. As a Cluett participant, Kayla engages with an array of philanthropic topics, including service, social justice, diversity, equity, activism and advocacy, human rights and global citizenship. As I witnessed the girls grapple with these issues and question how they could proactively make change, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as I’ve observed similar conversations from our own St Margaret’s girls. These conversations and tackling the ‘hard’ issues highlight the importance of service-learning programs and providing a learning environment that allows students to develop a holistic worldview and be empowered to make change.

3:30 pm: Decorating the Christmas Tree

A shadow casts over me as I enter Lyon-Remington Hall. There, in the middle of the 200-year-old historic assembly hall, a seven-meter-high Christmas tree takes pride of place. Tradition has it that each year the sophomores are tasked with creating handmade decorations and placing them on the tree. Kayla and her friends have been looking forward to this all year. For them, it signifies the beginning of the holiday season and a chance to reflect on the year that has been.

6.00 pm: Dinner at the Shah Residence

A typical school night dinner would usually take place in the communal dining hall at Emma. However, tonight is special. I have been invited to Kayla’s family residence for a traditional American winter meal; a generous bowl of homemade clam chowder and warm chocolate chip cookies. As we feast, I look around and take in the setting. Christmas lights are strewn across the living room, the snow is falling outside, and the smell of a real Christmas tree perfumes the room. It looks like a scene from a Christmas movie and I have to pinch myself. This is worlds away from my typical Australian Christmas. For me, Christmas is spent on the Great Barrier Reef, where my dad hunts for our lunch, spearing a fresh coral trout and cooking it on the gas cooker on a remote coral sand cay. The stark contrast of these two worlds fills my heart with gratitude and mind with wonder.

Spending the day with Kayla was a truly rewarding opportunity. Through this experience, I was able to see Emma through the eyes of a student and get a refreshing view of what it means to be a student in today’s world. My time at Emma Willard school was truly an incredible and unique experience. I was welcomed with open arms and the kindness, hospitality and warmth that permeated throughout the school was second to none. The respect amongst the whole school body is a testament to an institution that has cultivated a place of belonging and community. At St Margaret’s we refer to the students as ‘our girls’ and staff at Emma affectionately do the same. While different school systems, different hobbies and different weather conditions may set our girls apart, the biggest thing I learnt during my time at Emma is that our girls actually aren’t that different. Our girls have a lot to carry and juggle, both physically and figuratively speaking. With the support of exceptional teachers, support staff, parents and friends, it makes the load much lighter. Our girls are developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions for success in future education, work and life. Our girls are being prepared to become lifelong learners, confident and resilient individuals and responsible change makers. I was reminded that our girls’ passion, drive and tenacity should not be underestimated. Emma Willard, like St Margaret's, is a place where girls are encouraged to pursue positions of leadership, be empowered and become confident, compassionate and capable members of the community. Emma Willard, like St Margaret’s, is a place where the whole girl is supported and nurtured. Working with young women from different corners of the world, I am optimistic about the future our young citizens will shape. We are in good hands.

References

Department of Health 2015, The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents. Report on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, viewed 20 April 2020, https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/ Content/9DA8CA21306FE6EDCA257E2700016945/%24File/ child2.pdf Lemov, D 2010, Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college, Jossey-Bass Inc Publishing, San Francisco, CA. Merikangas K, He J & Burstein M 2010, ‘Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication – Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A)’, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 49, no.10, pp. 980-89. Williams, G 2014, ‘Harkness Learning: Principles of a Radical American Pedagogy’, Journal of Pedagogic Development, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 58-67.