Student Interns Enrich CTTL Academy Experience

The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning hosted the first-ever Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy a few weeks ago and a key component to the Academy’s success was the involvement of students.
Seven Upper School students and two college students worked as Academy interns, assisting with final preparations before the 150 participants arrived at St. Andrew’s July 23. During the Academy, interns worked behind the scenes—setting up for the next session or Tweeting about the day—but they also took the stage when they spoke with groups of participants about how they learn during student speed pitches.

“There are a lot of places like St. Andrew’s that are trying to make learning better for students,” said intern Josh Magee ’18. “It’s cool to see how the CTTL is connected with other schools that are all trying to achieve the same goals.”

Dr. Ian Kelleher, Director of Research for the CTTL, said the Academy purposely featured student voices and student faces throughout the week. During the student speed pitches, educators moved to different places to listen to students—an intentional role reversal, he said.

“You couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without students,” Kelleher said. “Their stories kept us grounded in why we’re doing this.”

“It was an extremely gratifying experience,” said intern Ekene Ifedi, a graduate of Georgetown Visitation and a current neuroscience major at New York University. “As a student, you rarely get a chance for a teacher to listen to you in a setting where your opinion is a lesson.”

The interns agreed that the experience taught them skills they could apply in the classroom next year or in a professional setting, such as collaboration, task management and problem solving. They added that they enjoyed observing sessions and picking up on the collective motivation to bring more Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) science to the classroom.

The Academy concluded with a wrap up delivered by intern Sam Liggins ’18. Liggins spoke about her learning journey and what it meant to her to have teachers support her through challenges.

“It’s nice to see all these teachers are here for students and they really do care and want to know about our perspective,” Liggins said. “It’s a good environment.”

For participant Jodi Simpson, a second grade teacher at Paonia Elementary School in Paonia, Colo., listening to and interacting with students at the Academy was symbolic.

“The students are leading us,” Simpson said. “How full circle is that, that we’re putting our belief into this [MBE science], and these kids are literally leading us into the future?”
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St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is a private, coeducational college preparatory day school for students in preschool (Age 2) through grade 12, located in Potomac, Maryland.