Faculty Sabbatical Experiences

Two Westminster faculty members share highlights of their recent sabbatical experiences in the following articles.

Furthering Interests and Passions

By Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, P’11, ’16 Mathematics teacher

I saw my first bald eagle several years ago sitting at the top of a tall pine tree while leaving family-style lunch at Westminster, and I was mesmerized. When granted a sabbatical for the 2019-2020 school year, I knew I wanted to study raptors. A second focus for the year would be to train for a half-marathon, a distance I never thought I would consider running. Both of these areas of focus would enhance my investment in the academic life of the classroom and my athletic life as a coach.

I kicked off my sabbatical by taking a graduate course at Wesleyan University with a professor whom I have long wanted to have as a teacher. The course was Biology of Birds, and it got me very excited not only to observe and identify raptors but also to learn more about shorebirds. My great-grandfather was a wellknown expert on shorebirds, and I wanted to be able to identify gulls and sandpipers. Through the summer, I studied ospreys, a type of raptor whose diet consists primarily of fish, that were nesting near Barnegat Bay, N.J. I read several books and became well-versed in the conservation of migratory bird habitats. It was a good experience for me to be back in the classroom setting, on the other side of the desk, and I came away with a renewed appreciation for how much effort it takes to research and write a paper!

At the end of the summer, my husband, Scott, and I traveled to Bread Loaf, Vt., to participate in a long weekend with the Middlebury Alumni College. Our course was titled Geologic Controls on Human History in the Champlain Valley. Following closely on the heels of that trip was a week spent in Bremen, Maine, at the Hog Island Audubon Camp. We participated in a program called “Migration and Monhegan.” I learned more about birding and experienced my first day participating in a hawkwatch. I valued observing others teach and found attributes in each instructor that would serve me in the classroom.

through New England Falconry, where I was able to handle both a trained hawk and an owl. Both were fascinating creatures and the experience was incredible. By the beginning of November, though, the raptors were gone, and it was time to turn my attention back to the classroom. I participated in a one-day seminar titled “Develop Growth Mindset in Mathematics” that was presented through the Bureau of Education and Research. I spent another morning attending classes and talking to teachers at Loomis Chaffee about their math program. In January, I traveled to Choate Rosemary Hall for a seminar titled “The Tech-Rich Learning Environment.” I continued to network with other math teachers and made plans to visit more schools in the spring term. Lastly, I took an online introduction to statistics course through the Simsbury Department of Continuing Education program called Ed2go. Without Saturday classes, I was able to take long weekends to visit family in Baltimore, Denver, Maine, Florida, New York and Vermont. I read lots of books, organized all of my photos and played mah-jongg every Tuesday morning! Through this all, I followed a training program for running a half-marathon. Finally, at the end of February, Scott and I went to Disney World for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend. The culmination of my hard work paid off, and we had a wonderful time. (Although, if we knew what was in store with the Nancy competed in the Disney Princess Half-Marathon at Disney World in Florida. pandemic when we returned, we might have stayed!)

Late in September, Scott and I spent a wonderful long When the country shut down in March due to the growing weekend in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont at a running pandemic, it also cut short my sabbatical. My April trip to camp at Craftsbury Outdoor Center, which offered excellent Chicago for the 100th conference of the National Council of food, great trails and wonderful mentors. This really ignited my Teachers of Mathematics was canceled as was my opportunity desire to do well in a half-marathon in February for which I had to experience a taping of the NPR show “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell signed up. I came away from the camp having reaffirmed my Me!” Races in Burlington and Philadelphia went virtual and observation that coaches are important role models for students. plans to visit new migration sites, as well as friends and family,

October brought a change of seasons, and I watched the were scrapped. Instead, I focused on academic lesson plans for weather closely for good days to spot migratory hawks. I traveled the summer and the fall. to Light House Point in New Haven to spend a morning counting I am grateful for the time I had to further my interest and raptors with a hawkwatch group. I spent another chilly morning passion for running, raptors and mathematics. My sabbatical counting migrating hawks at Greenwich Audubon Center and truly helped me recharge by focusing on personal enrichment and even had my name recorded in its log as an official spotter. I professional development. traveled to Woodstock, Vt., and spent time up close with raptors

A Year to Focus on Music, Writing, and Math and Computers While Baking

By Dan Aber P’16, ’18, ’20 Mathematics, and Visual and Performing Arts Teacher

So what did I do on my 2020-2021 sabbatical, 15 months, if you count both summers, of essentially free time? Fortunately, I guess, I had no big travel plans, although I did manage to get to New Orleans for five days in April to feast on the local cuisine, take in an exhibit at Studio BE — a 35,000-square-foot warehouse filled with works exploring the intersection of art and resistance — see the Pelicans with Zion Williamson take on the 76ers at the Smoothie King Center, and listen to the music of a social aid and pleasure club and a brass band at The Broadside.

For the most part, I spent my days pursuing my three passions: music, writing, and math and computers. I also expanded upon my baking repertoire.

Music

I continued practicing my clarinet every day and meeting with my teacher for a lesson every other week. I’m making my way through the solo clarinet repertoire.

I had initially intended to learn the upright bass, but instead, I ended up dedicating a great deal of time to the piano, specifically working on Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” well, not all of them, as there are 30 variations, many beyond my ability. I focused on learning and memorizing four or five, including the prelude, which proved challenging but extremely rewarding. Knowing I had a lot of time, I proceeded slowly, learning a measure or even less a day, and constantly reviewing everything I knew up to that point. I found a series of YouTube video tutorials that were tremendously helpful, along with Glenn Gould’s remarkable recordings, both inspiring and humbling.

Once or twice a week, I rehearsed with a relatively newly formed band consisting of colleagues Grant Gritzmacher on guitar and vocals, Michael Cervas on piano and myself on sax. We play mostly originals, written by Grant and Michael (I contributed one song), in a style loosely classified as country-folk-jazz, and we call ourselves Firetown Road. We’ve recorded a few songs, which Grant has expertly mixed, and Michael has big plans for us: an album, songs on Spotify and perhaps a tour warming up for Rascal Flatts. For now, we’re just having fun playing.

Math and Computers

Writing

Guide to Absentee Voting,” “Congratulations, You’ve Been Selected For a Random Drug Test” and ”I Have a Measuring Tape and I Know How to Use It.” I wrote essays based on actual events in my life, such as “Inside Out,” about the time in seventh grade I went to school wearing my shirt inside out. I also wrote three poems, a 10-minute play, various lists, including College Clubs for the Pandemic, and one profile on Joey Chestnut, the world’s greatest speed eater, titled “Joey Chestnut Is Eating the World.” I tried to write something every day, although some days I’d stare at the blank computer screen until I dozed off. One time, I woke up to a string of Zs filling up the screen: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. My finger had apparently been resting on the Z key when I nodded off. Very appropriate, I thought. I audited various courses through MIT’s OpenCourseWare: Game Theory, Artificial Intelligence, and Programming with Python. They were all wonderful and got me thinking about designing a course this summer in one of those fields. I also wrote a few programs to keep my coding chops in shape, including one to play Yahtzee. I’m trying Dan prepared baked goods from to come up with the ideal strategy for playing recipes in the cookbook “Pieometry.” Yahtzee and have the computer improve the more it plays. It’s a work in progress. Another program was inspired by The New York Times daily Spelling Bee game, in which you have to come up with as I dabbled in various genres but wrote mostly short, one- or many words as you can using the given seven letters, all of which two-page, satirical pieces with titles such as “An Unexpurgated must contain the middle letter.

Baking

My older sister, Emily, knowing that I enjoy baking, sent me a cookbook called “Pieometry,” which consists of recipes for geometrically designed pies, and a note from her husband saying it’s time I “stepped up my game.” So far, I’ve made three, all very good and somewhat decadent: Oreo crust with rainbow sprinkles, mint chocolate chip ice cream topped with Andes mint chocolates; malted chocolate banana cream pie with Nutella crust; and Oreo crust filled with whipped cream, cream cheese and peanut butter mousse, topped with strawberries. I’m looking forward to making these for my advisees.

I am tremendously grateful to Westminster for the opportunity to take this sabbatical year and to explore these passions. I learned a lot. I’m also excited to return to my regular duties in the fall and to spend time with students and colleagues I’ve missed.