Lise's Lens: May 9, 2024
This week I am thinking about teachers, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the documentary, American Symphony.
WHAT I’M READING
- Here is a resource that I browse about once a month: Edutopia. It is rich with information for teachers in Pre-K-12 schools. Of course, not all of this information pertains to our work here due to age group and class size, but I find it helpful! In case you have never heard of it. Edutopia was founded by George Lucas (yes, THE George Lucas), in 1991 and its mission and work is as follows:
We believe that improving education is the key to the survival of the human race. We envision a new world of learning, one where students become lifelong learners and develop 21st-century skills. It's a world where innovation is the rule, not the exception. It's a world where schools provide rigorous project-based learning, social and emotional learning, and access to new technology. It's a world where students and parents, teachers and administrators, policymakers, and the people they serve are all empowered with a shared vision to change education for the better. We call this place Edutopia, and we provide not just the vision for this new world of learning but the information, the evidence, and the community connections to make it a reality.I bring this up in this edition of Lise’s Lens because, as you may know, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week! As such, I have lately been thinking a lot about the many teachers — especially here at CSW — who have contributed knowledge, wisdom, practice and time to this field. Whether a teacher here is in their first or 35th year of teaching, they continue to strive toward the best possible education for our young people, and for that, I am very grateful.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- Holocaust Remembrance Day was earlier this week. One of the ways I’m going to honor and reflect on the Holocaust is to take advantage of the Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit currently in Boston. As they state themselves, “no book, podcast, or history lesson can prepare you for the impact and power this extraordinary collection of artifacts holds.” I am sure that is true. I can remember vividly my first visit to a recently opened United States National Holocaust memorial museum in Washington, DC, in the mid 1990s and how that proximity to the artifacts was such a different experience from all the readings I had previously done. This doesn’t say that books and remembrances aren’t important, it’s just that the proximity to the artifacts is a direct flow into your mind, body and soul.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- I am watching the American Symphony documentary on Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad, his wife. I cannot believe how generous the two of them were in letting the filmmakers into their lives in this very intimate documentary. I don’t think I could ever open myself up in such a way! But it was fascinating to see how they both dealt with the blow of her cancer while John continued to write, create, rehearse, and perform the commissioned piece, “American Symphony.”
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Yesterday was Heritage Fest at CSW, a celebration of the diversity of heritages and cultures within the CSW community. It’s an opportunity to showcase culture, heritage, and/or personal passion in a format that is innovative and engaging. I think I speak for everyone when I share that the food, especially, was incredible! And I know a lot of parents stepped in to help with the prep, so thank you!
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.