One of the many deeply rewarding benefits of my job is the opportunity it affords me every day to watch the miracle of growth and learning in children. Whether it is the more common, gradual growth that builds layer by layer over time or the more immediate growth that accompanies a sudden understanding or achievement over challenge, I am always humbled by the ways in which children often embody what is best about the human spirit. Our girls are very serious about their work. On any classroom visit I know I will see the girls apply themselves fully in that open, honest, and uninhibited way common to elementary school students. As they focus on following specific teacher instructions, I can see the girls practice and often master the character traits they will need for the rest of their lives: resilience, collaboration, kindness, creativity, tenacity, mental stamina, and patience.
As extraordinary as the miracle of growth in children, is the miracle of great teaching. In more than six years at Holton, I have learned more about what great teaching looks like than in my 16 years of teaching before coming here. In terms of teaching practice, I have learned at Holton that there is an almost limitless array of effective ways for thoughtful teachers to nurture authentic growth in children. Some teachers are the models of consistency and organization, offering students the perfect practice and timely feedback necessary to allow students to master important skills. Other teachers have a more improvised approach, adapting to the unique interests and aptitudes of a class. What is common among all great teachers, regardless of individual teaching style, is a fundamental respect for the dignity of each child and an appreciation for the lasting impact great teaching can have on character. In this way, what teachers teach is less important than the ways in which they teach it. This is why, for example, a lesson on math facts is both a lesson on the patterns in five times tables, but also, and perhaps more importantly, an opportunity for the teacher to model the patience, respect, and support that we want our children to learn. This is true for all school subjects, academic, athletic, or from the arts.
Great teachers establish the right environment for growth in a myriad of subtle ways -- tone of voice, a smile, the use of humor to redirect and defuse student stress. It is important that students learn to work with a wide variety of teachers and teaching styles at school. This affords them an opportunity to practice the character trait of adaptability that will be invaluable in later life. At Holton, we are blessed with an abundance of teachers who share a common appreciation for the long lasting impact of the ways in which they nurture their students. I see this every day and I hope you see its impact in your daughters.
