Ever Curious and Innovative

The focus, concentration, and smiling eyes speak volumes.

One month into our 71st year, examples of active engagement in the scholarly and creative abound at Saint David's: Our young scientists in first grade learn how to use pipettes and microscopes.

Second graders engage with museum educators and their Saint David's teachers for a months-long collaboration with the Guggenheim Museum on an art inquiry and creation unit that takes place just down the block at the museum and in our art studios. Our eighth graders, as part of their micro-to-macro exploration of human anatomy, prepare to dissect cows' eyes; this hands-on experience will provide a deeper comprehension of anatomy than can be gleaned through illustrations in text books or videos.

The Philharmonic Ensemble, Chamber Singers, and Percussion Ensemble are all back - our boys are flexing their creative muscles as they play instruments or sing, all safely and in accordance with pandemic protocols. It is wonderful to once again hear music through the doors of the Otto-Bernstein Theatre on our second floor.

In these and all our endeavors, Saint David's teachers guide and coach the boys to think deeply and creatively; to explore the questions "why," "what if," and "how;" to be ever curious and to innovate.

And our teachers have modeled this, themselves. This past summer more than 50 of our faculty members engaged in a variety of professional development experiences that sparked innovation in several units. The very nature of these workshops used tech creatively to eliminate the barriers of time and space.

Led and organized by our Director of Teaching and Learning, Jamie MacNeille, the experiences ranged from workshops and conferences, such as the International Boys' Schools Coalition seminar on relational teaching, to Teaching for Understanding workshops, and innovative curriculum-related projects. TFU, developed by Harvard's Graduate School of Education, is the common pedagogical framework we utilize to design or redesign our courses with the goal of maximizing learning and depth of understanding.

Most exciting on the professional development front was the launch of our new Exploring Action Research initiative the summer. The initiative enables our faculty members to engage in original action research on a topic that has pedagogical and practical implications for the effectiveness of teaching. At Saint David's, it is driven by real-world questions that arise in the classrooms, within the context of our school's mission, values and pedagogical imperative. It is where the science and craft of teaching boys intersect, honoring our school's rich traditions while inspiring research-based innovation. I look forward to sharing more on this topic in later entries.

Resilience in the Teaching of Languages

Above: The Nerf microphone ball enables boys learning remotely to hear their classmates well. The pandemic has challenged educators to reinvent and reimagine units of study to keep learning engaging, regardless of how it is delivered. The following article, written for Saint David’s Magazine by our Modern Languages Chair Dr. Victoria Gilbert and Lower School Spanish teacher Flor Berman, addresses how this was done in the Spanish immersion language program at Saint David's. Ms. Berman and Dr. Gilbert, recipient of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers' Ruth E. Wasley Distinguished Teacher Award, presented on the topic at NYSAIS’s Flexible Classroom Conference last summer. How Spanish Classes Have Bounced Back Resiliency implies an ability to bounce back, but as teachers working with the youngest learners in the school, we would reframe resiliency as the opportunity to reimagine. Whether boys are learning through a face-to-face experience or through the med

The Role of Faith in Social-Emotional Learning and Psychological Well-Being

The following article by our School Psychologist, Dr. Michael Schwartzman, appears in the current issue of Saint David's Magazine : During one of my first observations in a Saint David’s classroom 15 years ago, I witnessed two first grade boys in a verbal altercation. Although it was contained just between the two boys, their observant teacher had them talk it through and then shake hands on being in a better place for having done so. I was very impressed, and still am, with this approach that the school takes many times throughout the day. It helps establish a firm idea of how to behave, especially in social situations where emotions can be stirred and run high. Through this experience repeated consistently day in and day out, better, more productive ways of engaging become increasingly integrated by the boys as they develop socially and emotionally in interaction with each other. As the School Psychologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about the touch points for student and t

Storytelling Demonstrates Understanding

Their time had arrived. As the lights dimmed in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre, the astrophysicists, a mix of jitters and excitement, awaited their opportunity to share insights and stories about the workings of the universe. Which planets might support life? Is there water on Mars? What are Dwarf Planets? "Let's take a look at our closest neighbor, Venus," invited one presenter, before revealing that the planet - while ideal in proximity - has surface temperatures of 900 degrees F: "Imagine - standing on the surface would be like being burned alive!" Later that same day, in our Graham lunchroom, early 20th century immigrants of all ages from Italy, China, Ireland, Russia, among other countries, waited, with hope and determination, their turn to be interviewed for admittance to America. It wasn't going to be easy. They would be asked pointed, potentially life-altering questions by various processors. "What's that cough? It doesn't sound good,&qu

David O'Halloran, Headmaster - Saint David's School, New York City

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