Seeing Our School Through Students’ Eyes
In February, I took part in the Shadow a Student Challenge, following three boys – Shawn L. in the Lower School, Jonathan V. in the Middle School and Jack L. in the Upper School – through their daily routines. I learned a lot from the experience, and I thank these boys for letting me briefly enter their world, the world of students. It is a world I sometimes forget but need to remember.
As Headmaster, every day I must make decisions affecting our students’ experience. Typically, I get advice from adults who haven’t been students for a long time, some who never went to a boys’ school, and some who went to schools that were very different than Crescent is now. Some adults wonder why I even bother asking students about their school experience, saying “nobody asked me when I was young and I turned out fine.”
The hard truth is that because schools like ours strive to be great, we must always be paying attention, getting better and growing each day – just as we expect from our students.
So what did I learn from shadowing students?
First, our Lower School is a warm, inviting and encouraging space. The Lower School boys learn about themselves, develop relationships with classmates and teachers, pledge their character, and enjoy a great variety of learning opportunities – artistic, athletic, robotic and civic. Breaks are nicely spaced out, lunch is perfectly served at 11:45 a.m., and the daily schedule allows for the right combination of fun and flow. In our Lower School, I learned that boys are enjoying being boys at Crescent.
Second, our Middle School is filled with inspiring and passionate teachers, who constantly challenge boys to be their best selves and put forth their best effort. I loved the open space and natural light provided in the Lau Family Wing, but I didn’t like the daily timetable very much. I was late twice and felt some classes could have been shorter and others longer. In our Middle School, I learned that boys’ character is put to the test – with themselves and with others.
Third, Upper School is a diverse learning environment fuelled by dedicated and caring faculty. I enjoyed the range of teaching styles and personalities who brought the curriculum to life through lectures, activities, coaching and a hybrid of methods. But by the end of second period I was starving, and by the time my brain processed what I ate at lunch, my day was done. I was also privy to student concerns about the quantity and quality of homework. In our Upper School, I learned that boys are expected to juggle a lot – different teaching styles, assessment methods and competing priorities – in pursuit of being a Man of Character.
In all, I learned one important lesson: it may be more difficult being a student at Crescent than being a Headmaster.
I also learned that there is still much to do to address a fundamental question: what if Crescent School can be a place where boys and staff come to be well? If so, what must we start? Stop? Continue?
Over the next few months, I invite you to help me further our mission to be a great place to both teach and learn. Our school-wide conversation will shift from our Portrait of the Crescent Graduate toward our Strategic Academic Plan and our Master Facilities Plan. The latter will determine what physical resources and spaces we need to build and create in support of our mission and vision of the Crescent graduate. I encourage you to weigh in, share your ideas and help me imagine what Crescent School requires to be an even better school than we are today.
