In my role as Director of Education, my days are filled with classroom observations, sharing feedback on teaching and learning, conferencing with teachers, teaching lessons, and designing and leading professional development. Some days, I have had the opportunity to see every single teacher teaching and all students learning in a variety of classes around campus in a single day. These are powerful moments for me that are a reflection and embodiment of our mission statement in action.

 

This is my motivation for writing. While we are currently on an extended Spring Break, this spirit of collaboration and passion, along with the power of strong relationships was evident. Even over the weekend, our faculty and staff were in touch via Google Hangouts, emails, Google Documents, and myDA.

 

In short, the required social distancing will not diminish our core values and mission. Despite the fact that everyone is off campus right now, I am amazed by the creativity and innovation of our teachers.

 

For example, we have a long-standing tradition of singing happy birthday to teachers celebrating their special day (it's not just a song to sing while washing hands). While it was impossible to do in person - you guessed it - the celebration and singing in a "bouncy C" did take place over Google Hangouts (pictured right). 

 

Prior to Spring Break, training was led for teachers on distance learning and we activated even more features on our already robust platform, myDA. Last week, the IT team visited each classroom to check in with students and help with any login or access issues.

 

We are all working to make adjustments due to this global event and navigate our daily routines. I am grateful for the work our teachers have already done and will continue to do to make DA’s distance learning experience as powerful, personal, and meaningful as possible during these unprecedented times.