Teaching
Learning to Learn
This past weekend, I attended the annual Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Board Chairs and Heads’ Conference in King City. The theme of the conference focused on ‘building schools for the 21st century.’ An important take-away for me occurred on the final day of the conference during a presentation by Dr. Adam Cox, best known for his book No Mind Left Behind. Several of his points resonated with what we do here at Greenwood.
Cox emphasized that one of the critical functions for schools is to help students learn how to learn, rather than focusing solely on what is learned. Not surprisingly for those of us who are parents of young adults, these learning skills associated with executive functioning, such as planning and organization, continue to develop until the age of 25. This understanding would account for the growing popularity of learning centers on college and university campuses. It also reiterated for me the importance we place on learning skills at Greenwood and the support we provide for students with the development of these skills.
One critical concept that we continue to move toward at Greenwood was Cox’s observation that the most effective schools are those that provide students with opportunities to be significant. By this he means schools need to engage students in purposeful work. Since its inception, Greenwood has been at the forefront of experiential education and authentic learning. However, the opportunity to make deeper inroads in this area and truly engage students in purposeful learning is something we must continue to refine.
Celebrating Greenwood’s Teachers
Earlier this week we had our annual Spring Dinner. This year’s theme focused on a celebration of teaching at Greenwood. Over 200 parents, staff and faculty attended this event. We debuted our new video, Teaching and Learning at Greenwood, which features three students and three faculty members. The response to the video was fantastic–many thanks to Jon Weiman, older brother of one of our Grade 12 students, and a recent graduate of the Film Studies program at Queen’s for creating the short film. Included below is an excerpt from my speech about teaching at Greenwood…
…This morning we began our student elections for the upcoming school year. We started the process with our Head Boy/Girl elections. As you are probably aware, these two leadership positions are open only to Grade 12 students. We had 16 students apply, which is pretty remarkable when you consider the Grade 11 cohort has 62 students. Close to 25 per cent of the class chose to run for the school’s top leadership position.
As I listened to the speeches, I was struck by a few things. Firstly, it says a great deal about the student culture at the school if so many of our senior students are interested in leadership. Secondly, and of equal importance, is what the candidates spoke of. They talked about how Greenwood had changed them, made them more confident, made them feel they had found a home. Such statements are not commonplace amongst high school students. I choose to believe that our candidates were sincere, and not engaging in election rhetoric. I would also argue that this deep attachment to Greenwood is the result of the relationship our students have with our staff and faculty, who are the focus of our celebration tonight.
One of the great strengths of our school is the relationship that teachers develop with their students. It has a great deal to do with our small school culture and the value we place on teaching the whole child. Our teachers get to know their students in a variety of ways: in the classroom, on the playing fields or in the gymnasium; at Kilcoo, or on a community service venture; or simply through day-to-day encounters in the Lodge, Success Centre, or dare I say, the after-school homework room. Having the ability to connect with young adults is the key characteristic we look for when recruiting teachers. E. M. Forster, the British writer, once remarked that the sole responsibility of a writer was to “only connect” with the reader. Technique, subject matter, and so forth were all important, but no amount of skill or artifice would make up for a writer who has nothing to say.
Forster’s advice applies to teaching as well. Great teachers connect. Great teachers inspire. Great teachers bring out qualities in us that we didn’t know we possessed. This connection is paramount when working with teenagers. It has been said before, but teenagers have a great BS detector. They can tell when you really don’t believe in what you are saying or when you don’t know the answer and are simply saving face. I think if you look back on your experience with teachers, you could easily identify teachers who truly connected with you.
For those of us who have become teachers, these memorable teachers form our template or mental model of the kind of teacher we would like to be. Quite often the experience with a memorable teacher was the turning point in choosing education as a career path. One of the questions I always pose when interviewing teachers who want to work at Greenwood is to tell me about a teacher or teachers who played an important role in your life. In doing so, prospective candidates identify what they value and how they approach teaching.
Keeping the Green and the Gold!
Those of you who read my blog (and I hope you do!), know that I have been meeting with groups of parents to listen to them discuss the school’s needs and priorities over the next few years. The sessions have been enjoyable, as well as informative. One interesting topic came up at the session with the 7/8/9 parents and it had to do with the teaching staff. Many parents emphasized that the school needed to ensure that it retains its talented teachers, a point I wholeheartedly agree with. We have been fortunate to be able to hire some terrific experienced teachers and some outstanding teachers new to the profession. As I indicated at the meeting, my ideal staff composition is a balance of beginning teachers (the green!), and experienced teachers (the gold!). What we have tried to do in our professional development practices is create a formal structure that enables a transfer of knowledge from the gold to the green, and from the green to the gold. The use of technology is a good example of this latter point. I am generalizing here, but our beginning teachers tend to arrive with an affinity for technology, and adapt readily to its use within the classroom. Conversely, you learn the nuances of managing a classroom and planning lessons when you do so on a daily basis. Even the best teacher education program can’t provide this learning to beginning teachers. In this area, consistent mentoring is critical. This ongoing exchange of ideas and support is the essence of a professional learning community, which I believe we are.