Teaching and Learning at the Core—Our Pedagogical Model
James J. Young III '70, Headmaster

December 2003

Great things are happening at Rocky Hill School! When we began to develop Master and Strategic plans for the future of our school, our vision was deeply rooted in our mission and history; our mission is the catalyst for change. Expertise and collective ideas serve as our guide, fortified through the process of consensus building within the various constituencies. Implicit in our approach to bringing our vision to life, is the concept that we not only plan with imagination and foresight; we must believe in our plans. As Anatole France once stated, "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but dream; not only plan, but also believe." We believe that Rocky Hill School, in preparing for the 21st century, has maintained its focus as an institution that cares deeply about our students, and fervently, in the mission of our school. In this vein, we continue to believe that we serve our students and alumni well. And, we further believe that alumni, parents and friends of Rocky Hill have faith in our mission, and the direction our school is heading.

In our efforts to encourage our students to strive for excellence, we need to do more to provide them with a learning environment that allows students and faculty to continue to meet greater challenges. One of my primary jobs, as community leader, is to seek excellence in all aspects of school life and determine ways in which we can be better at what we do best - educate children and prepare them for the future. Since my appointment as Headmaster, almost eight years ago, I have outlined for the Rocky Hill family, what we need to accomplish together to move the school forward, in all the ways that matter. This vision includes the need to construct a state-of-the-art academic building, first and foremost. Not only will this allow us to offer the best pedagogical model for learning, and integrated technology, but also, it will provide new learning opportunities for one division, and alleviate space issues in all divisions. We believe that all of our students will ultimately benefit from the use of space the new building creates throughout our campus.

We believe the design of our Upper School Academic Center will continue to build on the uniqueness of Rocky Hill School. There is a model of the academic center, located in the living room in Hopelands, and pictured on the cover of this issue of The Bulletin. It speaks volumes about our mission, our educational philosophy and our effort to strive for excellence. Please feel free to come by to view it at your convenience. You can detect the ways in which the building speaks to our uniqueness. The first thing you will notice is that the building is designed to look like a part of a country estate to reflect our history and the family-oriented atmosphere of our country day school. It is warm and inviting; two wonderful qualities we love about Rocky Hill School. If you glance at the location site for the new building and the open "porch" effect, as well as the use of glass, you will note that the building is set to take full advantage of our location on acres of field, along the river and bay. Thirdly, and most importantly, when you look at the space inside of the building, you will glean the varied learning opportunities this design affords us in support of our philosophical commitment to teacher-student interaction.

What emerges throughout all aspects of this process is the formalizing of The Rocky Hill School Model of teaching and learning. This continues to incorporate and emphasize the value of small, challenging class environments, where the teacher and student are actively engaged in learning; a critical element of our model. Students are engaged, through the shape of the Harkness table they sit at, through the varied role of the teacher, the sharing among students, and the integration of technology within the classroom. Since each student will have a laptop in a wireless environment that will serve as a dynamic tool, not an end unto itself, this model fosters more writing and more process in problem-solving. As we all know, the computer is most easily used by today's generation. Even the selection of teachers takes on renewed importance. Our faculty must be committed to reviewing their art and craft. As this model evolves, it is even more critical that faculty are committed to the pursuit of excellence, and to facilitating dialogue and collaborating with their students and their colleagues. Teachers are the primary font of knowledge, but Harkness classes are less teacher-centered, and therefore, more dynamic. Our goal throughout is to remain true to our mission, and to graduate students who are self-advocates in their own learning, confident of their role as learners in any setting. We believe that our Model, which evolves continuously, will not only bring our students greater success in college, but also, in life.

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