| One of the challenges of working in a school is, while maintaining and responding to the day-to-day experience of instruction and activities, we also need to explore our practices, learn new things, and engage in ways that make sure we are changing based on what is new while strengthening those elements that we want to be intentional about preserving. A friend of mine likens it to trying to repair a plane mid-flight. That’s why time set aside to be reflective, strategic, collaborative, and restorative is critical for faculty growth. At Park that occurs best when dedicated time is set aside for that work: Wednesday afternoons, Days of Collaboration, opening and closing meetings, and the winter professional development day are some of the ways that dedicated time occurs. While students and their families enjoyed an extra day off on Monday, January 6, faculty spent the day learning and growing together. We began in the Theater reconnecting after the break and proceeded to undertake three major tasks for the day. First, we gathered in whole school subject area teams to more consistently articulate cross-grade and cross-divisional philosophies and standards–a fairly monumental task, but necessary work worth doing. Secondly, teachers met in their new growth trios. In these trios, for the next calendar year, faculty will meet with colleagues to share goals and will observe each other teaching–once this spring and once next fall–at a minimum. In the afternoon, the newly formed Teaching and Learning Committee and the Student Life Committee met to review recent data related to their areas of focus. Members of these groups also signed up to serve on smaller subcommittees to review specific areas within the program. Our teams sustained a high level of enthusiasm and engagement on this day as our remarkably collaborative teams greatly appreciated the dedicated time to focus on the program elements and professional growth that enable us to continue to serve our students and families in ways that align with our mission, our vision, and our values. – Ken Rogers, Assistant Head of School for Curriculum & Instruction |
Setting the Stage Together: Park School’s Growing Theater Program
At Park School, theatre isn’t just about putting on shows – it’s about collaborative spaces where
