Designing the Revolution

As Berwick parents know, we made a decision to use our professional day for 2015 to attend the National Association of Independent Schools conference, which happened to be in Boston this year. Given that this event usually comes to Boston once per decade, it was a unique opportunity to expose our entire faculty to the national conversation at independent schools. When we scheduled it a year ago, the decision to close school on February 27 and bus our teachers to Boston seemed like a no-brainer. After four snow days this winter, I must admit that it seemed a bit more audacious as the actual day approached. Most of all, I want to thank our families for allowing this to happen. The experience turned out to be remarkable on a number of levels.

I was honored to be a part of the “Think Tank” planning group in Boston, which landed on a theme of Designing the Revolution for Independent Schools. This theme spoke to a combination of innovation, design thinking, and new leadership required for our students these days. The conference always offers provocative high-level leaders coupled with practical sessions offered by individual schools. I left with a new understanding of the possible paths for secondary and higher education in an age of blended learning and an increased desire to see education become student-centered and deeply engaging. It was nothing short of inspirational.

For our teachers, this was a rare opportunity to step out of the busy and slightly provincial existence of teaching in South Berwick. Our teachers gained valuable perspective on what’s happening at independent schools around the country. My sense is that all of us returned to Maine with a deep appreciation of the school we enjoy today and optimism about the school we can become. Our teachers attended sessions on makerspaces, fab labs, mindfulness, and cultural competency. We connected with educators from around the globe. Additionally, it was a moment when we were able to put Berwick into the national conversation in two exciting ways. I survived my personal opportunity to introduce a session in front of 5,000 people regarding entrepreneurship and innovation. More importantly, we presented our own session regarding the progress of our Berwick Innovation Center with the E.E. Ford Foundation. We enjoyed a packed room of nearly 150 people – from all over the nation. While junior Eric Rawn clearly stole the show with his remarkable reflections on his own Innovation Pursuit, I suspect that we will be having visitors from other regions in the weeks and months ahead. People are excited to learn from us.

Professional development is critical to the future of Berwick Academy and the quality of our teaching and programs. Days like Friday were inconvenient for sure, but I wanted our parents to know that we took a meaningful step forward as a learning community. We are deeply grateful for the gift of this extra time.