In August, 10 faculty and staff, representing all divisions, set forth on a profound professional journey to Tanzania, Africa. It started as a pen pal program connecting Middle School science classes and has developed into a life-changing experience for those on both sides of the ocean. ESD educators shared their learning with faculty and staff during in-service sessions.
See additional photos from the experience here and read more from Mainsprings below:
Sister School Sends Team of Educators
August 22, 2018 12:38 pm Published by Mainsprings
The Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) began supporting Mainsprings several years ago and their Middle School World Affairs Club and Middle School science students began a Pen Pal program with our Joseph and Mary students. This letter exchange eventually turned into a more formal partnership, and we are delighted to call ESD our sister school!
With this growing partnership, faculty members from ESD decided to take a trip to our flagship campus for the first time this summer. They had the opportunity to not only spend time with students and staff at their sister school, our Joseph and Mary Primary School, but were also able to participate in various service activities while on campus. They also led a Staff Development day for 25 staff members from both our Primary and Secondary School and covered topics such as: learner-centered approaches to teaching, assessments for learning, peer review strategies, peer teaching and learning, team teaching/team coaching, classroom management, science-based practicals, digital learning pedagogies in effective mathematics learning/teaching, the use of teaching aids in teaching language and arts subjects/science subjects, and strategies for helping weaker learners perform well.
"We saw a purity of love. It was incredible how warmly we were included in the lives of the girls, the students, the faculty, and the village. It was a kind of love that challenged me to confront my own unnecessary boundaries, that pushed me to reject my comfort with complacency and to participate in the life of my own community more fully. If any of us thought we were there to do good, we were outdone. The daily shared goodness, the cooperation and unity that we witnessed was inspiring and instructive. That's just one of the treasures that we will bring home. am grateful for the fellowship, and cannot wait to continue learning with and loving this special school and community." – Lindsey, ESD Curriculum Specialist.
"Professional development is an important part of every educator's life. Even knowing that, it can be hard to have enthusiasm for early morning and late afternoon growth sessions. The enthusiasm and buy-in from the teachers at Joseph and Mary School was infectious, as was their excitement to try out the new ideas they took away. All the teachers who participated in the staff development – ESD and Joseph and Mary School – walked away with new understandings about teaching and a sense of trust to try new things." – Megan, ESD Lower School Library Media Director