[…]that in the past she probably would have let the inappropriate comment slide because she was not comfortable addressing it. Now she felt encouraged by what we were doing in Socius Club. Another positive outcome was when a colleague shared a concern about the lack of diversity on the senior thesis curriculum. He noted that nearly all of the authors—as well as the main characters—in the books our seniors read were male. This led to a discussion on opportunities to include more female voices in the curriculum and ultimately led us to switch out one of the books and replace […]
Katie’s Story Katie Carmer (formerly Buetow) taught at Arete for three years before completing a master’s degree in education policy, organization, and leadership studies at Stanford University and returning to serve as Academic Dean and teach 11th grade Humane Letters. She helped to found Orchestra Club and Socius Club and has been a mentor advisor for four years. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, hiking, and hanging out with her husband and cat. Reach Katie at […]
[…]was worried about Danno. “I keep texting him. He’s not responding. Why isn’t he responding?” “I don’t know, Eddy. I’ll call his parents after class.” In every class we checked in, holding up our fingers. My students were all over the map. Some held up fists; terrible, and buried their faces in their arms. A couple students held up four fingers; it was a good day for them. “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “I’m really glad to see you today. I am so glad you came to school today and that I get to see you. We’re all still […]
Introduction “Hey, I think I found one! Come take a look, it’s right here.” “Really?” “Is it like the other one?” It doesn’t take long for the dozen or so people hiking up Pothole Dome to scramble up the slope and gather around the person who first called out. A handful get notebooks out and make quick sketches while others snap pictures. Then someone, hoping to get a closer look, lays belly-down on the warm granite slab. “Notice how the mark looks different than the other cracks and are all oriented the same direction,” she says. Another person chimes in, […]
[…]ruined the peach blossoms or the persistent rains that bogged down the plows, weather is where newcomers from the city and third generation cattle ranchers find common conversational ground. A frequent misconception in my earth science classroom, my rural Colorado community, and society as a whole is the conflation of the terms “weather” and “climate.” This confusion can lead students and the public towards unscientific conclusions about the existence and consequences of global climate change. Weather is an ever-changing melange of chaotic atmospheric conditions; the study of climate requires looking for patterns by examining decades—even centuries—of carefully averaged data. This […]
[…]the class for the second time and dreading every moment of it. There was simply no way I felt comfortable sharing this raw part of me with them, especially as the class ring leaders and I were already on delicate footing. My pre-calculus class, on the other hand, was filled with model students who were eager to learn and emotionally aware of themselves and the people around them. I would have been willing to be transparent with them, but students talk and it would eventually get to my algebra students. I took the safe route of silence and secrecy. As the […]
[…]in nature for that long and physically pushing my body to new limits was completely out of my comfort zone. I remember condensing all my gear and preparing my pack while my parents were telling me, “Hiking 30 miles in three days carrying all your water, food, clothes, tent, sleeping bag, everything on your back? Are you crazy?!” Although I talked a big game and told them I was prepared, I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to take the trip. I allowed my competitive nature to push me and decided to at least try. On our first day of […]
[…]get-your-hands-messy, make-mistakes, not-quite-sure-where-we’re-going-to-end-up sort of learning,” and it stuck with the teachers well into the school year.” Download Article Kate Miller, a Knowles Senior Fellow, is currently in her fifth year of teaching physics at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. In her free time, Kate enjoys training parkour and Krav Maga. Reach Kate at kate.miller@ […]
[…]can be, and what radiant hymns ring out when they surpass our expectations. As a scientist, I am uncomfortable with the amount of subjectivity I bring to my job everyday, but as a human being I am equally uncomfortable with the amount of objectivity my profession requires. – Katrina Jones, 2015 Teaching Fellow Teaching has taught me to have more patience and understanding for my students. Many students have so many challenges to overcome at home that they need care and concern to succeed at school. – Kim Lintker, Senior Fellow I’ve learned that there are some core psychological […]
[…]Okay with Imperfection”—was published in Spring/Summer 2017, Heidi Park, whose article—“What Makes Good Teaching?”—was published in Fall 2016/Winter 2017, and Cacia Steensen, whose article—“Finding Sustainability in Strengths”—was also published in Fall 2016/Winter 2017.” We have to see our small successes instead of making our mistakes all that we can see.” – Maria Chal To hear more about the relationship between good teaching and teacher sustainability, listen to Teacher Voice: The Podcast. Download […]
