Page 12 - Priorities 4

Supporting Students’ Individuality
Academics
Fifteen hundred years ago, St. Benedict hand- ed his followers a challenge that we educa- tors still face today. He challenged Benedictines to recognize and encourage both indi- viduality and community as components of human growth.
To me, as Academic Dean, his challenge means that leading our student community through an exemplary college preparatory curriculum is impor- tant, but not enough. An exemplary curriculum, alone, provides a standard set of tools, but it does not necessary help the student put them to use in support of his or her individual traits.
Hopefully, our students and faculty foster indi- viduality every day through the heterogeneous composition of our community and in the way we talk to and work with each other.
Let me share with you some specific examples of how we deliberately foster student individuality here at the Priory.
Simply staying flexible is the most obvious. For instance, a student in my seventh-grade Spanish class came to me last spring and asked for permis- sion to miss her 8 a.m. class once a week. She had an opportunity to perform in a skating exhibition and needed extra time with her skating coach for a few months.
It seemed to me that she would gain more self- discipline and self-esteem from her skating experi- ence than her missed Spanish class. These are important characteristics to foster in seventh grade, and I believe they will pay off for her academically in high school. I said “yes”, with the provision that we review the plan if her grades slipped.
Another example is Derek Thomas’ exciting opportunity to spend two semesters sailing around the world with other students. He just finished his first semester at sea. By coordinating his on-board studies with Priory graduation requirements, it will be possible for Derek to return in September 1997 for a standard senior year, undoubtedly much matured by this extraordinary experience.
On the campus right now we have students seriously pursuing off-campus interests in horse- manship, flute, jazz piano, tennis, community lead- ership, choral music, and probably many other areas. Some have needed adjustments to their aca- demic schedules from time to time; others may need them in the future. I encourage them, within limits.
Here are two critical limits. First, the added opportunity must not weaken a student’s academic experience. Our college preparatory curriculum is very clearly defined and all parts of it are required of everyone.
Second, the student’s talent or opportunity shouldn’t have to be overwhelming in scope to qualify for special attention. The criterion is wheth- er the student’s individual growth will benefit, not whether the student may someday be a Nobel prizewinner or perform in Carnegie Hall.
Some students haven’t yet discovered a pas- sion. We believe it’s in them. We try, through class retreats and club activities, to get every student to find and foster that sense of what’s important within themselves.
The Priory’s class retreats are aimed primarily at developing a sense of community, rather like corporate team-building retreats. Individuality is the harmonic theme. Starting in middle school, stu- dents write a letter to themselves, describing where they want to be in a year’s time. They read the let- ter at the next year’s retreat. In another exercise, students are asked to identify who sits on their per- sonal “board of directors” and provides the leader- ship in their lives. Older students are asked to notice and write down positive qualities about their peers. Juniors and seniors work on projects, such as mask-making, designed to help them become more aware of their own positive qualities. Students have a great time on their retreats — they hardly realize they are defining themselves as well as building a support group for the stressful junior and senior years!
Deborah Walen, Academic Dean
“An exemplary curriculum, alone, provides a standard set of tools. It does not necessarily help a student put them to use in support of his or her individual traits.”
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