Posts
The Importance of Early Childhood Education
After more than 30 years in education, spanning both early childhood and elementary school leadership, I find myself at a transition point. At the end of this year, I will […]
Tip of the Iceberg: Looking Beyond the Surface
One of the most important questions Middle School students begin to wrestle with is simple, but not easy: “Who am I?” It doesn’t always come out directly. Instead, it shows […]
Reflections on Alumni Weekend
“The campus is transformed, but it’s still my school.” That’s a sentiment I heard again and again over the course of our recent Alumni Weekend. For alumni coming back to […]
Celebrations of Learning
One of the great benefits of living on a school calendar is that we have definite beginnings and endings. The tangible energy on the last day of school and the […]
Marking the Moment at Seven Hills
In their book “The Power of Moments,” authors Chip and Dan Heath posit that “defining moments rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world. In a few seconds or minutes, […]
Transference
One of my favorite former professional experiences was to serve as the global studies coordinator at another independent school. I helped design and implement experiential opportunities for students to “learn […]
To Be Seen is to Be Known
Three-quarters of the way through my first year as Head of Middle School at Seven Hills, I’ve experienced many meaningful moments, but nothing quite like what I walked into on […]
How Project-based Learning Looks in Lower School
Walk into our Lower School classrooms at Seven Hills, and you will most likely find students actively imagining, designing, creating, and devising solutions to student-identified (and sometimes teacher-proposed) challenges. Whether […]
Inclusion Means Learning and Listening: Why Civil Discourse and Parent Partnership Matter More Than Ever
Recently, I shared a letter outlining our commitment to building an inclusive community — one where every student feels seen, safe, and successful. Inclusion is not simply about policies or […]
Building Bridges: The Power of Home-School Partnership
As parents and educators, we share a common goal: helping our children thrive. While students spend significant hours in the classroom, their growth and development truly flourish when home and […]
Towards a Mentor Mindset
At the most recent LEAD Together event, a group of parents, teachers, and administrators gathered to discuss the book “10 to 25” by Dr. David Yeager (a must-read for anyone […]
Reflecting on Two Weeks at Columbia Teachers College
This winter, I had the great privilege of spending two weeks at Columbia University Teachers College as part of the Klingenstein Heads Fellowship. This long-standing, fully funded program brings together […]
Relationships Matter
My grandmother, Maude Broadbent, was born just over 103 years ago on Jan. 29, 1923. Shortly before she passed away, I was in town for a conference, and we met […]
Why Belonging and Peer Relationships Matter in Middle School
Middle School is a season of remarkable growth. Students are learning more complex material, gaining independence, and beginning to see themselves, and one another, in new ways. It is also […]
Building Our Future
“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” About 90% of quotations on the internet are falsely attributed to Winston Churchill, but this is one he actually said, […]