On Friday, I watched Rivers students perform Man of La Mancha. The performances were captivating, and the young Rivers thespians earned a standing ovation. The play presents the struggle with the age-old conflict between delusion and hope – the romantic vision versus the practical reality. In the end, despite the misguided, fanciful antics of Don Quixote, hope seems to win. Quixote's romantic vision softens the heart of Aldonza/Dulcinea, almost erasing the grit and grime of her soul so she can find compassion and reach out to the man who believed in her.
"Hope is a good thing." Remember that line from the Shawshank Redemption. The pragmatists wrongly believe that hope is about the future, about a misguided, unfounded prediction of what will happen. Hope is about the present; it's about finding ways to sustain ourselves when life goes terribly wrong. And it works, not always in the way that we intend, but it works. Aldonza became Dulcinea because Don Quixote saw her and treated her with respect and even reverence. It was his romantic vision that changed her. Once she accepted that vision – in essence once she accepted his love – she could rise above her self-absorbed life to find meaning.
A friend of mine once said of hope: "Act as if it's real, and see how your life is changed." A big thank you to the Rivers actors for reminding me of this lesson.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
How Art Prepares Students for a Changing World
Rivers' recent results from the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards competition remind me of the importance of art in preparing our students for a changing world. Fifty-one Rivers students garnered recognition including 10 Gold Key recipients. It's an astounding achievement, and a testament to our superior art faculty and talented students.
So, why should we care about art in secondary education? Why does Rivers insist on a two-year art requirement when most schools require just one? After all, many colleges do not consider art grades when evaluating student applications. When I came to Rivers in 1997 these were questions I asked with an eye toward reducing the prominence of art in the curriculum. But after a few years, I became a convert, and now I'm a "true believer."
Here's why: Art demands that students use the skills of an entrepreneur. The student must use her imagination to create a vision. That vision must be adjusted to match her skills. In other words, vision and execution are bound to each other. The student must then be open to mid-course changes as she executes her plan. And finally, she must have standards by which to evaluate each step of the process. What other subject so consistently demands imagination, vision, creativity, execution, mid-course adjustments, and honest evaluation? These are the skills that will make a difference in the 21st century. These are the skills of an entrepreneur.
Art matters for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the cultivation of important skills not always found in the traditional disciplines.
So, why should we care about art in secondary education? Why does Rivers insist on a two-year art requirement when most schools require just one? After all, many colleges do not consider art grades when evaluating student applications. When I came to Rivers in 1997 these were questions I asked with an eye toward reducing the prominence of art in the curriculum. But after a few years, I became a convert, and now I'm a "true believer."
Here's why: Art demands that students use the skills of an entrepreneur. The student must use her imagination to create a vision. That vision must be adjusted to match her skills. In other words, vision and execution are bound to each other. The student must then be open to mid-course changes as she executes her plan. And finally, she must have standards by which to evaluate each step of the process. What other subject so consistently demands imagination, vision, creativity, execution, mid-course adjustments, and honest evaluation? These are the skills that will make a difference in the 21st century. These are the skills of an entrepreneur.
Art matters for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the cultivation of important skills not always found in the traditional disciplines.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Enhancing the Quality of Student Experience
A few weeks ago, each of the four Upper School Deans spent the day shadowing a student from his/her respective class. The idea for this “shadow day” originated with our Assistant Head of School and Dean of Student Affairs, Jim Long, and has continued now for several years. The insights gleaned from these days allow us to assess our students’ quality of experience.
When I use the term "quality of experience," I am referring to the degree to which students are truly engaged in the learning process, the extent to which they are deriving real meaning from their experiences at Rivers, and the balance between their intellectual and social pursuits. After “shadow day,” the Deans always come away with a great appreciation for the high caliber of teaching they observe, but they also invariably come away with a concern about the intensity and pace of the school day. These observations have led us to re-examine our daily schedule this year with the hope that we can do a better job of enhancing learning and improving the quality of student experience in the future.
We examine our program constantly. Excellence is a critical value at Rivers, but we refuse to achieve it at the expense of other equally important values: quality of experience, relationships within the community, our spirit of innovation, and character development. At Rivers, "balance" does not mean sacrificing a part of each of these values. Rather, it means living in the tension these values sometimes create and using our collective imagination to reconcile these tensions to produce a stronger learning environment and a better experience. We want our students to leave Rivers loving to learn, and that's why quality of experience matters to us.
When I use the term "quality of experience," I am referring to the degree to which students are truly engaged in the learning process, the extent to which they are deriving real meaning from their experiences at Rivers, and the balance between their intellectual and social pursuits. After “shadow day,” the Deans always come away with a great appreciation for the high caliber of teaching they observe, but they also invariably come away with a concern about the intensity and pace of the school day. These observations have led us to re-examine our daily schedule this year with the hope that we can do a better job of enhancing learning and improving the quality of student experience in the future.
We examine our program constantly. Excellence is a critical value at Rivers, but we refuse to achieve it at the expense of other equally important values: quality of experience, relationships within the community, our spirit of innovation, and character development. At Rivers, "balance" does not mean sacrificing a part of each of these values. Rather, it means living in the tension these values sometimes create and using our collective imagination to reconcile these tensions to produce a stronger learning environment and a better experience. We want our students to leave Rivers loving to learn, and that's why quality of experience matters to us.
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