Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Summer 2014

FACULTY
IN THE FIELD
with MICHAEL GILBERT
grade teacher here at Duke School and now I
was learning how to be a better teacher from
her. Working with one of my former teachers on
a professional level and reminiscing about when I
was in third grade was wonderful. I now walk my
students to art and PE with the very same teachers,
Marki and Candy, that I had when I was at Duke
School. It is very cool.
age, and I am happy that the kindergarten children
will continue service learning at Duke School.
Q: You have had several professional development
and training opportunities, including working
personally with Dr. Sylvia Chard. How did these
opportunities prepare you for your first school year
as a Duke School teacher?
A: The experiences I had in AmeriCorps greatly
influenced my life. Building trails and working
with the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief
were both humbling and exciting. I was able to
make the outdoors accessible and provide help to
people in Louisiana. Working with children was
great too, although what really opened my mind
and made me committed to becoming a teacher
was teaching Spanish-speaking adults English at
an elementary school in Colorado. Other Corps
members and I taught parents at the school
while their children were
in class. The adults were
so kind, grateful and
eager to learn, plus they
occasionally cooked us
amazing food!
Before becoming a teacher, you joined AmeriCorps
and volunteered with the hurricane relief, built trails and
taught young children. Can you talk about this experience
and how it influenced you to become an educator?
Q: As a Duke School
alumnus, having attended
Duke School from kindergarten to eighth grade,
how has project work and inquiry-based learning
evolved since you were a student?
A: In sixth grade at Duke School I had a teacher,
Thomas Carson. For our science project we were
interested in making a pond here at the Erwin
Road campus. The class decided how big to make
it and researched the plants and fish that would
best survive in the climate we provided them with.
We called garden stores and researched how to
make the pond. I think now, our faculty continues
to follow student interest, guide children and
“Duke School continues to
have a wonderful, supportive
community of learners. The
teachers and parents all want
what is best for the children.”
facilitate meaningful learning in a very similar way.
I just think the work continues to get deeper and
the investigations more varied. I have noticed
that the children are using even more reading,
writing and math in project work than when I was
a student here.
Q: Duke School’s campus has changed a lot since
you were a student on Duke School’s former Lower
School campus on Hull Avenue, but what has
remained the same?
A: Last night I was sitting at
graduation for the eighth
graders and thinking
about this same question.
It seemed like our eighth
graders were experiencing
the same things I felt when
attending Duke School.
Duke School continues to have a wonderful,
supportive community of learners. The teachers
and parents all want what is best for the children.
The children work together and collaborate. The
children are still funny and have fun together.
Q: After experiencing Duke School as a student
and now a faculty member, do you feel like your
connection to the school gives you an advantage?
A: I think the connection does give me an
advantage. I was fortunate last year to substitute
teach in Kate and Kerry’s class. Kate was my third
Q: Duke School incorporates service learning
projects and community outreach activities into
the curriculum at an early age. As a kindergarten
teacher, how do you prepare your students for
service learning?
A: Service work is important to me. I did this in
AmeriCorps and still do it today. This year our
kindergarten class was able to help build the garden
beds at the new and fantastic community garden.
They brought shovels and wheel barrels and put
the first dirt into the beds. I was surprised at how
hard and how long they worked. They insisted that
they would not stop until the job was done. This
attitude is so important to instill in kids at an early
Eight students from the Lerner
School, Triangle Day School and
members of the homeschool
community performed
alongside Duke School’s
Middle School band and chorus
students in this year’s winter and
spring concert.
A: I am very fortunate to have studied with Dr.
Sylvia Chard. I love project work. Dr. Chard and
former kindergarten teacher/consultant Marilyn
Ornstein helped us at the beginning of this year
when our class was studying pets. Our children
started to make a list of questions they wanted to
investigate. These questions were honestly pretty
low level, and Laurie Ann and I didn’t know what
to do. Dr. Chard and Marilyn gave us great advice.
When asking a question, the children should always
pretend they are talking to a real expert. Then the
questions will be more thoughtful and meaningful.
Sure enough, this method worked. Our children
continued to ask thoughtful questions throughout
the year.
COLLABORATIVEARTSPROGRAM
These students travel to Duke
School’s campus twice weekly
for combined rehearsals with
Duke School students.
“Opening the Middle School
music programs to students
from schools without band
and chorus programs and
homeschool families with no
access to band or chorus exposes
families from other schools to
Duke School’s campus, culture
and community,” says Director
of Auxiliary and Alternative
Programs, Les Webster.
“It also has the added benefit
of giving Duke School students
an opportunity to work with
like-minded students from
the surrounding independent
school and homeschool
community.”
6 UNDER THE OAK UNDER THE OAK 7