Summer Conferences Inspire Faculty
St. Andrew’s faculty/staff were awarded 140 grants for professional development this year, providing them opportunities for continued growth in their various fields of study. Twenty-eight of those grants were for summer conferences, and now some of our faculty are sharing their lessons learned with us.
Dina Tucker and Dorothy de la Garza drew inspiration from the expertise and insights of prominent speakers at their respective conferences, and are returning with many fresh ideas to apply to their classrooms. At their conferences, Elizabeth Martens and Kendall Evans found a healthy balance of qualitative and quantitative analysis to help them accurately assess the strength of their curriculum moving forward.
Middle School English teacher Elizabeth Martens attended the Middle School Institute on Writing conference at Rice University. Elizabeth says, "This writing seminar affirmed how important it is for our school to have a dedicated writing program in place for 5th-8th grades. Instead of teaching basic writing skills in 4th and 7th-8th grades per state standards, we are introducing and strengthening analytical writing skills throughout the middle school years."
Director of Diversity Kendall Evans attended the Diversity Directions conference in which 75 participants from across the country held group discussions and listened to keynote speakers. Kendall notes, “While the sessions were quite poignant, the speakers and facilitators offered pragmatic, data-driven advice as well. The seminar helped me connect the dots between research and practice, especially where it concerns organizational school culture and inclusivity topics beyond the black-white narrative.”
Upper School Science teacher and Sustainability Coordinator Dina Tucker attended the Educator Climate & Conservation Colloqium, where, “Teachers and administrators from all over the country, including Besant Hill School, Princeton Day School, St. Luke's School, The Evergreen School, Hotchkiss, and Riverdale Country shared their stories, ideas, existing programs, and struggles in several open Q & A sessions. We also heard from several prominent environmentalists and authors, including David Orr (Oberlin), Richard Louv (author and journalist), and Dr. Stephen Kellert (Yale). Learning from my colleagues about the projects in place at their schools helped me to think about the learning opportunities at our school. I am now working on two interdisciplinary curriculum projects this summer: ‘Agriculture as a Central Theme in Ancient Civilizations’ with Richard Kriese and Linh Tran, and ‘Science + Art = Life’ with Susan Kemner-Reed. In the first project, we are combining the discussion of food systems and sustainability with the discussions of ancient civilizations. In the second project, the visual art and science departments are working together to integrate an Othermill 3D printer into our curriculum."
Middle School English teacher Dorothy de la Garza says, “At age 71, no doubt I was the oldest participant at the Teaching For Experience (TFE) Symposium at the Masters School, yet I returned to St. Andrew's feeling ‘young in spirit.’ In three days of workshops and dialogue with teachers as close as Holland Hall and the Woodlands and as far away as South Africa and Australia, we explored how and why students should be authors of their own learning, and not sponges soaking up lesson plans. Our keynote panel featured seven distinguished Heads of School, including St. Andrew’s Sean Murphy, who have been fostering transformational learning at their schools. College Board President and CEO David Coleman also shared his views about the roles of standardized testing and experienced-based learning in preparing students for college admission and an unknown future. This year's seven-day rotation at the Middle School will require an innovative approach to collaborative, student-directed projects. Some ideas include engaging students with the history, architecture, literature, and social fabric of Austin's urban center through research, interviews, and walking tours. The TFE Symposium convinced me that I'm not ready to retire but instead to curate change.”
Most summer conferences will occur this month; Director of Curriculum and Instruction Geoff Harrison is preparing for the Next Generation Science conference at the end of July, and he says, “I'm excited to attend the National Science Teachers Association summer institute to learn more about next generation science and how the standards are transforming teaching and learning at each grade level."
Stay tuned for more insights from our faculty this fall as their summer conferences conclude.
Stay tuned for more insights from our faculty this fall as their summer conferences conclude.
