When Clarity sets in “It has become increasingly apparent from our studies, and feedback that we are receiving from various quarters, that one of the distinguishing aspects of a <strong>Brewster</strong> education is how well we serve the variety of learning needs of our students.” I was at a meeting at the end of January when another head of school who was chairing the gathering made the comment that this was a “time of year when clarity sets in.” I was immediately struck by his words and wrote them down, as it was one of those moments when a few words said a great deal. I am not sure whether he knew at the time just how prescient his words were. When I heard these words we had just been through our winter Board of Trustee meeting where we talked about our budget for the next fiscal year, enrollment trends, and, most importantly, strategic planning. And, with strategic planning, we discussed the importance of creating a compelling vision with equally compelling strategic goals aimed at helping us give meaning and direction to our future. While we, like many, had just gone through what we all hope is the worst of the financial crisis and current recession, it was apparent from our discussions that, if we are to move forward, it will take crisp, focused thinking and a sound bearing … more simply put, great clarity. Closely aligned with the need for clarity is creating conditions for success particularly during times of great stress and what sometimes feels rather chaotic. One of the areas of clarity that has captured our attention is within the realm of academic support. It has become increasingly apparent from our studies, and feedback that we are receiving from various quarters, that one of the distinguishing aspects of a <strong>Brewster</strong> education is how well we serve the variety of learning needs of our students. For some, it is specific and focused learning support, for others it would be more akin to a tune-up – the engine is working okay, but with a little tweaking and adjustment, it can hum on all cylinders. We are finding that more and more families and students are looking to us for that kind of educational experience – not a full-blown instructional support plan but an opportunity to get things on track in a more intentional way. As we have begun to explore where what we do so well can position us moving ahead, we have started to take a closer look at how we can further round out our students’ educational experience. We strongly believe in and are committed to our academic support program, yet are recognizing through our own research and analysis that there are other educational goals that all students want to achieve that we need to be paying more attention to as we help our students become their best. We, like many independent schools, talk about educating the whole student. While we have a solid character development program exemplified by our recognition system, we feel that we can and need to do more. The question becomes, how can we build on what we do to offer greater value to a <strong>Brewster</strong> education? Our thinking has brought us around to examining more closely the question, “How can individuals with a high degree of intelligence, often measured by IQ, have difficulty in the personal aspects of their lives?” Much of the focus and discussion on the answers to that question stem from early work by noted Harvard educator Howard Gardner in the area of multiple intelligences, with others building off his work: Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence and Karl Albrecht on social intelligence. In Gardner’s original work on multiple intelligences he posited that individuals have a mixture of intelligences in varying proportions and degrees, and as a result, educating students with a singular approach may not be the best method. Examining each of the aforementioned works reveals a direction that we have begun to give serious consideration, and that is, how can we assist students as part of their education here to address the “blind spots” that they might have? As Albrecht has stated, “It seems reasonable to posit that the ability to behave skillfully in a wide range of social situations – talking to one’s boss, taking part in a meeting, sharing experiences with a spouse or significant other, interviewing for a job – rests on something more than simply knowing a set of specific skills or procedures.” Goleman talks about it in terms of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Since a desired outcome of what we are looking to offer as part of a <strong>Brewster</strong> education is one that encompasses the whole person, we have been taking a close look at how we can apply this dimension to each student’s experience in a way that adds tangible value to attending <strong>Brewster</strong> <strong>Academy</strong>. While the challenges to how we address multiple intelligences are many, one that leaps to the top of the list is how we are going to ascertain what each student needs within this realm. Closely tied to this Sunrise at the Beaver Brook campus is the need to do so in a manner that is consistent with how we match a student to our curriculum. In fact, this is where our efforts are currently being directed, in how best to assess the other components of intelligence beyond IQ. While the programmatic piece that is developed in response is critical, we believe that knowing where we are at the start of a student’s matriculation and where we end up is of equal importance. Thus another important supporting ingredient is how we assess and determine the efficacy of our program. We believe that offering this component to the student experience will further distinguish ourselves within the independent school world. Given what we know about the skills needed to navigate in the 21st century, a whole-person education of substance and meaning that is tailored to the needs of the individual student brings great coherence to what we do and offer. So, yes indeed, this is a time of great clarity and great expectations for ourselves and for the students whom we are educating. I invite your feedback and look forward to seeing you on campus during the academic year, at Reunion, or whenever you are looking to connect with this great school. l Referenced Works: Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success by Karl Albrecht (2006) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner (1983) Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee (2002) 2 <strong><strong>Brewster</strong>Connections</strong> – Spring 2010 www.brewsteracademy.org 3