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5th Grade Trip to Stone Harbor
David McCormick, Lower School Science and Discovery / May 1
During the first week of May, our 5th-grade class took an overnight trip to the Delaware Bay, staying at the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor. It will be a trip not soon forgotten by all the students because they were continually busy with exciting activities....
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Writing Onward
Ran Holeman, Upper School Head, Upper School English / April 1
While completing the long overdue process of cleaning out my desk last weekend, I found an essay I wrote in high school. The margins of the now yellowed paper were filled with handwritten notes from my teacher. Some of these notes were encouraging, referencing phrases or...
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The Importance of "Failure" and Self-Assessment in Science Education
Michael Russell, Chair of Mathematics and Science Departments / March 1
Science educators have long sought to create learning environments in their classrooms which make use of the seven steps of the scientific method. The reason for this is clear: Science is inherently an inquiry-based field in which students posit hypotheses, develop methods...
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SPANISH FIVE DAYS A WEEK
Allison Baratta, Head of Middle School / February 1
I was thrilled some years ago when Doane Academy's administration decided that all Lower School students would be attending Spanish class five days a week. This bold decision was another step towards our goal of graduating students who are confident, fluent Spanish...
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WHY SINGAPORE MATH?
Christine Harris, Lower School Dean and First Grade Teacher / January 1
We all remember some aspect of our own schooling, especially when it comes to recalling days spent in that well-loved or awfully dreaded - MATH CLASS! Let's face it, some of us loved learning the basic facts, the algorithms, solving algebraic equations, plotting geometric forms....
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COOPERTIVE LEARNING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM
Andrea Miller Anza, Middle School Math and Science / December 1
Group work - Some people hear “group work” and probably start shaking their heads, remembering poor experiences they had as a student that led to a negative opinion of the topic throughout their entire academic careers, and for some, into their adult lives...
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METHOD AND MINDSET: EXPERIMENTING WITH HARKNESS
Kath Brandwood, Chair, Upper School English / November 1
In June 2017, I attended the Exeter Humanities Institute, a week-long immersion program in the Harkness discussion method. At Phillips Exeter Academy, Harkness is a cultural keystone—not a pedagogy but a “way of life.” I joined educators from around the world...
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WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY?
Dr. James Paradis, Dean of Upper School, US History / October 1
The research that I would like to focus upon is the “Harvard Test of Inflected Acquisition.’ Harvard psychologist, Robert Rosenthal, teamed with the school principal, Lenore Jacobson, to study the tendency of certain students to “bloom”—to have a considerable spurt of academic progress...
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REWORKING HOMEWORK
Matthew Gorman, Mathematic Department / September 1
Early in my teaching career, my practices mirrored the popular belief that a rigorous and prestigious academic program should have an abundance of challenging homework each and every night for its students. The thought was that the more work assigned to students outside of school hours, the more...
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THE NEUROLOGICAL ANSWER IS AN UNQUALIFIED YES
Jordan Bennett, Upper School English / August 1
Technology integration is one of the most important areas that both students and parents frequently suggest is critical for teachers to focus on in the classroom. As a teacher of writing, what does that mean for me? Am I to abandon the hardcover book? How much to embrace web-based...
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THERE IS NOTHIN' LIKE YOUR BRAIN
Dr. Shelley Zuckerman, Director of Upper School Choir and Lower School Music / July 1
Every year on the first day of choir, students pour into the choir room and pile their backpacks on the table. They come in like they’re coming home to something familiar and fresh but also new. They breathe in the bird’s-eye view of the river and, a-buzz with excitement...
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TO ENGAGE STUDENTS, GIVE THEM MEANINGFUL CHOICES IN THE CLASSROOM
Kristin Rusinko, Second Grade Teacher and Lower School S.T.E.A.M. Facilitator / June 1
“You get to have an idea to make up your own [activity], and I think that’s pretty cool.” says Second Grader Rocco during a recent classroom discussion. We are talking about a new learning activity during reading time - choice boards, or “think-tac-toe,” and Rocco and his....
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“I get the concepts, but I don’t know where to start in this problem.” This is a common complaint I hear from students in my Physics classes. Though they feel confident in their ability to describe concepts and terms, students are stumped by the challenge of quantitatively applying those same concepts and terms through...
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