trevordayschool

Trevor's Advisory Program: Asking Questions, Finding (Some) Answers Rebecca Damas Director of Middle School 1 8 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 7 S chooling is neat and tidy: You go to class, do your homework, pass the test, and repeat this cycle over and over for each subject until you graduate. Education, though, is a messy affair. ere are questions with no right answers: When, if ever, is war just? We have the ability to alter the chemistry and biology of living organisms, but should we?…Knowledge in one subject area connects with another: Art clarifies the results of a science experiment. Physics and calculus blend together and become nearly indistinguishable at times. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches us about history and literature. An education should make us feel uncomfortable: When we read Lord of the Flies or study history, we must ask ourselves if we would join in cruel, depraved behavior under similar circumstances. ere's a lot of mucking around when getting an education— but when the fog lifts and some truth becomes evident, we wonder why it wasn't obvious from the onset. e best metaphor for learning that I have encountered is a visual—that of an island of knowledge surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the boundary with the sea of ignorance. Our awareness of just how ignorant we are grows as our knowledge grows. at is called wisdom. While knowledge might be an island, I couldn't agree more with John Donne, who first said that "no man is an island." Education is an endeavor on behalf of humanity, but without a purpose, the best schooling in the world is for naught. Teachers are a group of people who recognize the importance of being earnest. ey are rarely jaded or cynical; instead, they are hopeful and find magic in the world—and students admire this about their teachers. It is this admiration that leads students to first work hard in a class; their interest in the subject matter comes second. Education as a human endeavor means that collaborating with others is non- negotiable. ere can't be a French class (or any class) without conversations, nor can there be a team of one, or an ensemble of soloists. Because a true education is about knowing and working with other people, a considerable portion of a Trevor education takes place outside of the classroom. We devote a significant amount of real estate to our Common Room and Centers and organize our schedules so we can spend time in those spaces. In addition to the Common Room and Centers, we view our entire campus as an instructional space, one in which all faculty and staff play roles in our students' education. Our admissions team teaches our students to become tour guides for prospective families— and, inevitably, students become ambassadors for the Common Room. Our maintenance staff helps teach students how much work goes into repairing damaged furniture. e entire faculty takes part in teaching students how to interact respectfully with one another, everywhere from the elevator to the auditorium. e curriculum that is taught in these spaces isn't academic in nature. It is a curriculum in citizenship, if you will, because, at Trevor, it isn't enough to get good grades in classes. at would be merely schooling, compartmentalized

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