Honoring the Conversation: Past, Present and Future
This summer I moved to a new office. Though the act of moving was daunting, the ultimate process was a productive one. The pace of society today rarely grants us the time to look back and consider how the past relates to the present. Moving allowed me this moment.
Like a snake sloughing its skin, I spent much of the time madly jettisoning obsolete articles, notes and handouts and proudly filling recycling bins. Still, several times in the midst of this purge, I would stop short as an item—a graduation speech draft, a thank you note from a former student, a formal evaluation letter from a mentor—triggered a poignant memory. These items revealed and deepened my connection to Graland and reminded me of how much I have benefited from the school as an educator and as a person.
Fifteen years ago I began my career at Graland as a teacher and found great joy in the simple act of conversation. Sitting in a circle of bright, energetic and at times unruly ninth graders and talking about my favorite pieces of literature—The Odyssey, Twelfth Night, Song of Solomon—fueled my passion for this place. In a way it was simple; my job was to find the right questions to ask, questions that stimulated our thinking about literature and life. In a way it was complicated; students came to those conversations with much on their minds beyond the texts, and I did my best to guide them. But, in either case, I loved that forum of teacher and students coming together to find curiosity, joy and humor in an intellectual pursuit.
Over my time as a teacher at Graland, I experienced much as a team leader and department chair, but it was that classroom setting that restored and reinvigorated me. A class well taught brought me much fulfillment, because it was, ultimately, an artistic expression, a rewarding creative act.
Few would claim that administration is artful; still, it also relies on some of the same elements that were contained in that English classroom. It is fundamentally a conversation with different constituencies in different forums. It can occur in a meeting of four or a speech to over 400. It is simple at times; very complicated at others. But no matter the forum or the complexity, it is a dialogue that demands my full engagement. On my good days, I feel that same gratification—I have communicated with grace, I have conversed with compassion.
When I was in the classroom, I devoted much of my instructional time early in the year to helping all students feel comfortable. I wanted to ensure that all voices were heard and valued. Now, as I move into my position as Head of School, I hope that all members of the Graland community—parents, students, staff—can commit to making Graland a welcoming and inclusive place. Nothing helps promote learning more than a feeling of belonging. For any discourse to succeed, for any community thrive, all members must feel respected enough to share their perspective. This variety of perspectives will deepen our intellectual and ethical exploration and growth.
As a teacher at Graland, I always felt free to experiment, to try different strategies and experience both failure and success. This spirit of innovation must continue to resonate from the classroom to the school and finally to the world. The newly constructed Corkins Center, including both the Gates Invention Lab and the Hunt Learning Commons, is a beacon for this type of innovative approach. Moving further into this century, Graland must be an innovator, encouraging students not only to achieve excellence but to invent excellence. Our students and faculty must think beyond how the past determined learning and envision how the future will define excellence. More than ever, students need to have the empathy, the resourcefulness, and the communication skills to thrive as students, employees, and people.
We can only meet Graland’s goals of inclusivity and innovation with the inspiration of faculty. Working my way through the files and binders of my past reminded me of how the heart of Graland is in the creativity of our teachers. They are the catalyst for any change because of their dedication to each and every student, day in and day out. They are fully engaged in the learning experience. For them to inspire, they need to be inspired. We need to honor that need by enabling their professional development. In my first years at Graland, I received so much support from the New Teachers and then the Humanities Cohorts. Now, thanks to Associate Head of School Gail Sonnesyn, we have refined the cohort model and made it an even more powerful learning experience. To facilitate faculty’s continual growth, we must also enhance our support of faculty by looking closely at the pressures they face and seeing how we can best mitigate those challenges so they can give their full focus to refining their craft.
As I moved and molted this summer, I left behind elements that wouldn’t contribute to my future growth, the snake’s skin, if you will. What I carried on were items that I believed will contribute to that growth. In a new office, in a new position, I retained the items that will sustain me, knowing that much growth comes from enduring the challenge and looking forward to the next conversation that stimulates the dialogue to further the school’s pursuit of intellectual excellence.
A former classroom teacher, Josh joined the Graland faculty in 2002. He has a master of education degree in private school leadership from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center, a master of arts degree in literature, and a bachelor of arts degree in English, both from Middlebury College. Josh recently sent his oldest child to boarding school, keeping with a long family tradition. He also has a seventh-grader at Graland.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
