In my role as Head of Middle School, I wear many hats: cheerleader, mentor, advisor, teacher, and leader, to name a few. But, one of the most rewarding (and fun!) is observer.
Every day, in ways big and small, I get to witness the amazing learning that takes place across our academic, physical education, and arts classrooms.
A quick perusal of hallway art, an impromptu drop-in on a class, an overheard hallway exchange between students collaborating on a project—these small moments offer inspiring affirmation that we are on course, targeting our mission as a learning community committed to discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
Daily, I see our faculty embracing that mission with passion, translating it in developmentally appropriate ways that fuel student curiosity, foster engagement, and inspire a true love of learning. And, every morning, I see our students come to school genuinely excited, curious, and happy to be here as a result.
And, their excitement is palpable.
Year after year, what I’ve noticed about our students—and this year is no different—is that they race to their classes. Literally. Our sixth graders run from the dining hall to the Middle School so they can be in their seats for afternoon classes ahead of the bell, ahead of their teachers.
Mind you, this is not a start-of-school phenomenon—it happens all year long (and I’d venture this is not a problem that all schools have). When I stop a student—pointing out that they needn’t run to get to class on time—I’m met with a common refrain: “I just don’t want to miss anything.”
A glimpse at some of the unique classwork occurring over these past five weeks offers insight into our students’ enthusiasm and illustrates how our teachers carefully create and deliver learning opportunities that tap into the excitement, curiosity, and energy of their students.
You’ve recently read about two immersive, transdisciplinary comprehensive year-long learning projects that have authentic community connections—the sixth-grade’s retooled Backpack Buddies program, and the seventh grade’s new Change the World project, the Migration Collaboration. But, other examples of the exciting learning that takes place in the Middle School abound. From beginning of the year class trips that teach teamwork and social skills; to the “Becoming a Charger” unit in which students are learning and utilizing the essential skills of responsibility, collaboration, communication, curiosity, and reflection; to kicking-off the numerous student clubs that let students pursue their own interests beyond the classroom, wonderful educational experiences happen all the time and they are not by accident.
Utilizing the same skills they impart to their students, faculty members spend a great deal of time collaborating, researching, learning more about subject matter and the adolescent learner, seeking feedback, reflecting, and tweaking their work. It’s a continuous and dynamic process grounded by Cary Academy’s mission and the middle school philosophy.
On the horizon, we’ll be kicking off the affective education curriculum of Charger Trails and soon we’ll be exploring the marketplaces of various world civilizations with our beloved tradition of the Y1K Festival.
Observing is fun and affirming. You can feel the energy in the classrooms and see the engagement on students’ faces. To echo our students: “I just don’t want to miss anything.”