The annual Summer Institute for Excellence in Teaching is the main event of our year. At the end of June, we gather a lively group of Peers for two days of presentations, conversations, and connections. Participants come from a wide range of elementary, middle, and secondary schools to share ideas, reflect on their work, and engage in activities that foster new thinking about teaching and learning. Each summer’s Institute focuses on a different aspect of collaboration. The program begins with a keynote address delivered by an expert in the field. The rest of the agenda includes small group discussions, best practices demonstrations, informal meal times, a field lab, and opportunities to build collegial relationships.
Participants in the 2009 Summer Institute
Our 2009 Summer Institute, “Building a Culture of Collaboration and Critical Thinking,” attracted teachers from the greater Boston area as well as Brooklyn, New York. During our two-day program, participants gained a deeper perspective on the legal history of desegregation and equity in schools from Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow, engaged in discussions about classroom culture, technology, and cross-curricular partnerships. Our field lab to the Minuteman National History trail provided an opportunity for our Peers to make immediate connections to history, science, and art.
“The highlights of this program were the informative sessions and open discussions. It was great to create fellowship with a school community whose values and value fall in line with my own school values and school mission,” wrote one teacher from a charter school in Brooklyn. Another teacher commented, “Being surrounded by a dedicated, diverse group of professionals made for valuable conversations but also sowed the seeds for meaningful, lasting professional relationships.” A teacher from Boston noted that the program offered “positive energy, insightful, thought-provoking dialog and useful strategies. I am thrilled to have been a part of this. I look forward to follow up seminars.”
Presentation by mentor teachers and associate teacher interns
Our 2010 Institute, “Relationships at the Heart of Collaboration,” addressed the challenges of working together. Teachers from several schools shared their personal and professional stories of creating teams and building programs. Our keynote speaker, Diana Chigas, delivered an engrossing presentation about international conflict resolution and the parallels that can be drawn to our own day-to-day interactions.
We were delighted to welcome back many Peers from 2009, along with new colleagues from western Massachusetts and urban schools in the Boston area. We were also honored to establish a partnership with the Drinking Gourd Project in Concord Massachusetts, which has developed an amazing set of resources to highlight the African American history of the area. Two of the founders of the project led our field lab and provided us inspiring thoughts and ideas for teaching about conflict and difficult subjects.
Our Summer 2011 Institute, which will be held on June 27 and 28, will focus on “Leadership in a Collaborative Community.” Details about the program are listed in the News section of our site.