Full of Wonder’’

TRIBUTES FROM MR. MANNING’S STUDENTS

THROUGHOUT HIS TENURE AS HEADMASTER, MR. MANNING HAS TAUGHT AN UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASS IN THE SPRING SEMESTER. RECITATIONS FROM MEMORY, MOST NOTABLY OF SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS AND SOLILOQUIES FROM HAMLET , GAVE HIS COURSES AN AURA: ONLY THOSE WITH FORTITUDE AND PASSION FOR ENGLISH SHOULD SIGN UP. WE ASKED SOME STUDENTS FROM “FAITH AND REASON,” HIS COURSE FOR SPRING 2023, TO REFLECT ON MR. MANNING AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER. THE PAEANS POURED FORTH.

Lily Stockwell ’24

You wouldn’t think that such a brilliant academic would have a sense of humor too. One minute we are having an intellectual discussion about metaphysical poetry, the next the whole class is laughing so hard, it’s difficult to stay in our seats. He teaches our class with both irrefutable leadership and empathetic kindness, being both our role model and compatriot. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him.

Zoë Jones ’24

Mr. Manning is a wonderful teacher — by that, I mean full of wonder. Every sentence is fascinating to him, and his enthusiasm inspires the best in us. His teaching encourages nothing but curiosity; each class I realize that I’ve annotated my pages so that there is no space left. But what makes him truly special is how he applauds our own thinking. Mr. Manning seems the most delighted when we challenge his arguments, or when we think of something entirely new. If Mr. Manning’s classes have taught me anything, it is that all emotions are a miraculous gift — even sadness. We should hold them close and appreciate our memories and feelings while we still have them. Thank you, Mr. Manning, for everything you do for us. You are truly one of the best people I have ever known.

Quinn Carroll ’23

Mr. Manning takes great pride in wading deep into the literary tradition of English authors and analyzing each passing sonnet, psalm, or play with a refreshed interest and a twinkle in his eye. He’ll often burst out into animated recitations during class and is ever-patient with his “Treasury of Grace” to encourage students through the toughest writing assignments or memorized poems. His genuine interest in each student (alum or prospective) and friendliness while strolling the grounds throughout the day make Mr. Manning a key component in the culture of Norfolk Academy.

Bella Burr ’23

During my semester with Mr. Manning, I have observed his true passion for not only the class itself, but for teaching and engaging us as students. He applies this same passion to his role as a headmaster, always making our enjoyment of learning his first priority. I am so glad I took Mr. Manning’s class this year and thankful to have the opportunity to know him as both a headmaster and teacher.

Joe Bakkar ’24

I appreciate Mr. Manning’s ability to instill excitement and intrigue in the class. His eagerness to explore prominent poets and texts creates an environment of deep conversation and learning. Mr. Manning’s personal connections to our readings invigorate the classroom, building upon our well-established understanding of the literature.

William Cole ’24

In the classroom Mr. Manning incorporates all the most important aspects of a Norfolk Academy experience. He embodies a passion for learning, caring for others, and scholarly excellence. He models how to internalize poetry and literature in every aspect of life.

TRANSFORMING THE WAYS WE TEACH & LEARN

Dennis often reminds faculty and parents to read the school’s Philosophy and Objectives at the start of each school year. Those of us who have worked with him for a long time have no doubt that he has the whole thing “by heart.” Certain phrases in the document are his favorites, and he understood the sense of possibility they offered to our school. At the top of his (unwritten) Top 10 List of favorite phrases, perhaps in the top three, is “judicious experimentation with the new.” He invested that phrase with fresh meaning, and he has used those words repeatedly over 22 years to elevate Norfolk Academy’s teaching and learning experience in all three divisions. In this work of “judicious experimentation,” he had a full and joyful partnership with the faculty, who created the transformation with him.

“Judicious experimentation” defined the approach to every new academic change or co-curricular program. Dennis always insisted on a great deal of deliberation, discussion of pros and cons, research, and often a period of travel to other secondary schools or colleges for fact-finding. He was never one to embrace a trend; rather, he asked faculty to explore thoroughly and help craft a vision for moving forward.

The Batten Leadership Program was the vanguard of the change. With its three-pronged focus on research, engagement with partner organizations, and learning in the field, the Fellows programs of the Batten Leadership Program opened the doorway to new avenues of thought about how our students could learn and then leverage that learning to create a better world. From 2010, when we made plans for the Chesapeake Bay Fellows to launch, quite literally, into the waves of the Bay in kayaks, we knew we had a formula that would galvanize exciting growth in our educational program. Four more Fellows programs followed — Global Health, Global Affairs, Literacy, and Engineering, Design, and Innovation (EDI) — with a measured degree of investigation before each one. All are still thriving, generating new opportunities to serve and help solve real-world problems.

However, the importance of the Batten Leadership Program is not limited to the programs that fall under its umbrella, including Medical Scholars and Leadership Lab. Rather, it provided a brand-new blueprint for learning, one that drew other schools to us for consultation, and one that sparked fresh ideas for bringing experiential learning to every student.

The EDI program in the Lower School is emblematic of this broader approach to learning by doing. Before it launched in 2015, Dr. John Galler ’93 spent many months of research and travel to other schools. What he created in the Lower School had a distinctive approach, particularly in its daring starting point; schools he visited did not consider first graders as developmentally capable of starting to “engineer” anything. Norfolk Academy did. That program’s approach to problem-solving, and its emphasis on perseverance in the face of challenges, was a huge hit. Gradually and judiciously, EDI expanded in grades 1 through 6, extended into the Middle School, and now engineering and additional computer science courses are getting launched in the Upper School.

Over the past 22 years, we have dramatically expanded our global learning initiatives. When Dennis arrived in 2001, our language exchange with Germany was our sole international program. Since then, students have traveled with our NA faculty to France, Spain, Italy, Peru, Argentina, China, and other countries. Every trip has had a specific educational purpose and goal, from language and cultural exchanges to investigations of art and archaeology. Those trips built our confidence that we could do more.

The launch of the Middle School’s one-week Mini-mester in 2017, and the Upper School’s threeweek Maymester last year, allowed us to change the way students wrap up the year. Where we once ended with a lineup of exams, we now end with outwardlooking exploration. Of course, we kept exams and final projects — yes, alumni, I know you’re wondering — but we moved them earlier in May, and faculty created distinctive learning experiences to spark our students’ curiosity.

We have done a lot of “the new,” more than I could ever cover, but it would be injudicious to focus just on that. Amid all the change, our headmaster kept us focused on things that should stay the same. Experiences inside the classroom remain central; the learning that happens there gives our students the foundation to follow their curiosity. Above all, we have kept ourselves anchored on what sparks excitement about learning in the first place: that magical connection between a student and a teacher or a coach. The teacher-coach model is the bedrock of all we do.

In his love for the teacher-coach model, and in his embodiment of it through his total commitment to all of us at Norfolk Academy, Headmaster Dennis Manning has led the way. ◆