“Watershed teachers continually amaze me with their unparalleled dedication to student learning and the craft of teaching! One of Watershed’s seven design principles affirms that the best educators are also learners and mentors. Our teachers put that principle into action on a daily basis and center it during three, week-long professional learning intensives each year.“ - Hannah Nelson, Assistant Head of School
The new year began with an intensive week of professional development for Watershed educators. From January 4-8, 2021 Watershed staff embraced the opportunity to think about learning and teaching at Watershed from the 30,000-foot level and to also plan individual course details. We launched the week with discussions of Difference Making at the Heart of Learning by Tom Vander Ark and Emily Liebtag, an all-staff read over winter break. We used Vander Ark and Liebtag’s research as a springboard to discuss how difference-making-- what we call “work that matters”-- already at the heart of the Watershed experience, will continue to drive our courses and planning. Echoes of these early discussions were heard later in small group work on fine-tuning spring courses, May term planning, and better use of student portfolios. Week-long intensives devoted to professional learning provide valuable opportunities for our staff to gather together, discuss current best practices, and reflect on ways to incorporate selected new ideas into courses, student experience, and assessment.
Watershed celebrates the critical role of professional learning in teachers’ professional careers and in student learning. Our educators pursue their own professional development throughout the year via conference attendance/presentations, reading educational research and writings from thought leaders, and, during non-covid times, visits to other schools. We also build more than 20 all-staff professional learning days, including three, one-week intensives into our academic calendar.
Tim Breen, Head of School reflects, “Devoting this much time to school-wide professional learning requires a significant staff time commitment and financial commitment from our school. I am proud to be part of an educational community that walks the talk of professional development. At the core of Watershed is our interest in and ability to respond to changing needs and changing times-- supporting our educators as learners is critical to this goal.”
