Summer Break Offers Professional Development for Faculty
Episcopal’s summer break provides faculty with opportunities to pursue professional development initiatives that ready them with fresh insights and sharpened skills to bring to a new school year. This year was no exception, with faculty venturing near and far to dive into work designed to enhance their service to the EHS community.
Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair and English teacher Rick Dixon traveled to New Bedford, Mass., site of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, for the National Endowment for the Humanities seminar on “Moby-Dick and the World of Whaling in the Digital Age.” Rick taught a semester-long class on Moby-Dick last year.
“The seminar, while focusing mainly on Melville´s most famous work, also discussed all aspects of Melville´s career at sea, and his writing life. Twenty-five teachers participated in the seminar, which included reading and discussions of Moby-Dick, as well as outings to Mystic Seaport, Connecticut (where we climbed aboard the world´s last existing whaler, The Charles W. Morgan, built in 1841 and almost an exact copy of Melville´s whaler, The Acushnet), and Nantucket and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which formed the high point of the seminar in the form of a visit to Melville´s Arrowhead, his home from 1850-1862, and the site of the actual writing of his greatest work,” said Rick. “The thrill of history and the exuberance of literary study culminated in standing in the very room (and, later, at the very desk) where America´s greatest novel was written.”
Lucy Whittle Goldstein ’97, English teacher and dean of residential life and advising, attended the Exeter Diversity Institute at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH.
“The focus was on helping teachers and administrators become comfortable facilitating conversations around different kinds of diversity (racial, gender/sexuality, religion, and body) with students. I will apply this in my American Studies classroom since so much of the history of American literature has to do with race and gender, and it is always a topic that students broach. The work of the conference will also be helpful as I approach my administrative work in residential life with an eye toward equity and inclusion,” said Lucy.
Natalie Davies, math teacher, learning specialist and Whispers advisor, participated in the Jostens Adviser University, a 4-day conference for journalism advisers in Orlando, FL.
“I participated in workshops on telling important stories well, on the latest trends in graphic design within the world of yearbook and beyond, and on organizing the complex process of producing a yearbook from start to finish. JAU brings together yearbook advisers from all over the country, providing a unique opportunity for networking and fellowship among colleagues who share a common passion. I returned excited to share lots of new ideas with the Whispers editorial team during preseason as we begin work on this year's edition,” said Natalie.
Along with colleagues Jessie George and Brad Kovach, English teacher Mitch Pinkowski traveled to Santa Fe, N.M., for the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network Summer Institute on Experiential Education Pedagogy and Practice.
Mitch said, “I worked closely with colleagues in our discipline from across the nation to develop and workshop curriculum plans that involve students in real-world experiences to actively realize the content of their learning. My individual work focused specifically on a ‘Shakespearience’ project that will be implemented in both my freshmen and senior English classes this coming fall.”
Along with colleagues Ben Courchesne and Stefanie Smith, English teacher Millie McKeachie attended the National Coalition of Girls Schools’ Global Forum on Girls’ Education in Washington, D.C.
Said Millie, “What I most enjoyed about the IGSC conference was the range of topics. The opening speaker, Azar Nafisi, spoke about how the novel's democratic structure (potential for multiple voices) encourages girls to look for and appreciate a wide range of perspectives, which in turn enhances their confidence and ability to speak up.”
Session topics included addressing stereotypes about intellectual ability across gender, the challenges around and problems with pornography and today’s teenagers, and how today’s boarding school environment can best equip girls to thrive beyond school by finding the best balance between the need for independence and healthy opportunities for interaction with adults. “Overall, this dynamic range of topics provided me with many ideas (and many questions, too!) about how we move forward in education for our young women at EHS,” Millie said.
Timothy Seamans, assistant chaplain and director of service learning, participated in a three-week intensive at Virginia Theological Seminary for the Doctorate of Ministry program in Educational Leadership.
Timothy said, "I worked closely with a diverse group of colleagues from across the national Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion to explore how educational leaders can hone capacities to form and transform young lives, and to work creatively with communities to shape cultures committed to God’s transforming work in the world. The classes I took and the case studies we engaged in will have an immediate impact on my role here at EHS: from Christian models of leadership in a pluralistic culture, to creative methods of teaching the Bible, to cultivating spiritual resources for building community and confronting dilemmas. Over the coming school year, I'll be doing an in-depth study of Episcopal High School that bridges social science and theological analysis, and will hopefully become the first stage of research for a future book."
