Raji Swaminathan, middle school science teacher, recently published the third book in her series about the elements, titled “The Halogens – Oh, So Reactive!” As with the previous two books, this book follows Atom and her dog, Electron, as they travel to visit the elements via a magic periodic table. The book is currently available to purchase through Amazon and will be available to download for free on April 5-6. The second book in the series will be available for free March 25-28 and April 5-6. Swaminathan’s other two books, “Hydrogen and the Alkali Metals” and “My Basketball Game – A Lesson about Accuracy and Precision,” are available as free downloads through Apple Books.
Grade 7 science teacher Raji Swaminathan recently published her second book about the elements, titled “The Alkaline Earth Metals – They Rock and Bone!” The illustrated book follows Atom, who is gifted a magical periodic table for her birthday and is transported (with her dog, Electron) to each element’s domain to learn more about them. The book, which also contains illustrations by Swaminathan, takes Atom to locations including Utah, California, Greece and Scotland. Proceeds from the book, which is available through Amazon, are being donated to children’s charities.
Earlier this year, upper school English teacher Charles Shuttleworth, a noted expert on the life and works of Beat generation author Jack Kerouac, was selected as the keynote speaker at this year’s Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, which takes place Oct. 8-12. Shuttleworth’s lecture, titled “Kerouac: The Buddhist Years,” will be viewable throughout the festival, and he also will be holding a special Q&A session via Zoom at 11 a.m. PST on Oct. 10. Those who would like to participate in the Q&A are being asked to RSVP.
The Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival is held annually by the nonprofit organization Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! Inc., which was founded in 1985 and is based in Kerouac’s birthplace of Lowell, Mass., where he is also buried. The festival typically includes walking tours of places Kerouac mentioned and alluded to in his works, but is being held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the summer, Shuttleworth had an essay published in Beat Scene, and independent magazine dedicated to covering authors of the Beat Generation, such as Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Charles Bukowski.
Each year, the Raju and Bala Vegesna Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Program at Harker launches a group of teachers on voyages of discovery. The teachers apply for and are awarded grants from the program to further their teaching skills. The program, started in 2015, has sent a score of educators to seminars, study abroad programs and other educational opportunities. Grants are awarded to individuals and to groups, and are used for entry fees and travel expenses.
“We are incredibly grateful to Raju and Bala for their commitment to teaching excellence at The Harker School,” said Kim Lobe, director of advancement. “The generosity of Raju and Bala Vegesna in allowing our teachers to pursue an opportunity they are passionate about and then share it with their students in the classroom creates an opportunity to impact student learning in a transformational way.”
The San Diego Wildlife Experience
Kristen Morgensen, middle school biology teacher, expanded her world with a weeklong visit to wildlife preserves in the San Diego area focused on conservation science and education.
“The first three days were spent at the San Diego Safari Park and the Institute for Conservation Research located within the park,” said Morgensen. “This was a three-day course offered each summer to help teachers incorporate conservation into concepts and topics that are already being taught in the classroom.
“The course was designed with five modules, and we were put through the rigors of being students for the three days. What I did in the workshop was exactly what I am able to now do in class with my students. Three of the five modules are being incorporated into the classroom this year.
“The first focused on biodiversity and specifically living in a biodiversity hotspot. A hotspot is defined as an area with high natural biodiversity and high human impact. This activity relates greatly to the Bay Area and our students, as we are impacted by higher populations and more development. The other two modules I plan to use this year are focused on genetics and the reproductive system.
“During our genetics unit, we will be studying California condor genetics and how the researchers at the institute were able to save and rebuild the California condor population. During our study of the body systems, we will be looking at the elephant populations and how they have been impacted by habitat loss due to palm plantations in Africa. By studying their hormones, researchers have been rebuilding elephant populations as well. We will also discuss the research that is more recent and related to the Northern White Rhino. This species is considered reproductively extinct as there are only two females remaining alive in the world and neither can carry a baby to term. At the workshop, we met one of the leading researchers looking at rhino feed in captivity and how it is impacting their reproductive rates by influencing their hormones as well.
“After doing the biodiversity activity earlier this year, students have told me they are more aware of their water usage and how the drought impacts native ecosystems. As grade 6 class dean, I am working with Pat Burrows, assistant middle school division head, and Janet Rohrer, assistant facilities director, as we try to save/transplant some of the native plants currently on the Union campus. This year’s grade 6 will be the first grade 8 class promoted from the Union MS campus. We will be taking a representative from each advisory over to Union to transfer native plants into pots so they can be replanted after the construction by the same group of students.
“Another tool I learned at the workshop was a method of peer review. As each group of teachers prepped a poster for presentation to the group, we were given two Post-its. We went and looked at the other groups’ posters and wrote three things – one thing we liked, one suggestion we had and one question we had based on what was written. I have used this method in my classroom and the students really appreciated seeing the feedback and being able to revise their submissions.
“The non-classroom based highlights of the trip were a few special treatments for the teachers. We had a few animal encounters with a three-banded armadillo, and a caravan Safari into the African exhibit where we fed a giraffe and a greater one-horned rhino. We also had a tour of the vet hospital located at the Safari Park as well as the Frozen Zoo. This is where they have cell lines from almost 10,000 animals representing 1,120 species for research as well as reproductive tissues from over 400 species cryogenically frozen for research as well as the hope of helping to rebuild genetically diverse populations of various endangered species.
“The final component of my trip was a day spent behind-the-scenes at SeaWorld. It was interesting hearing of the conservation efforts of a for-profit organization compared to the non-profit zoo. I found it fascinating how little they publicize the efforts they have made like working with the governments in South America to preserve the penguin and turtle breeding areas by regulating the collection of guano for fertilizer.
“This truly was an amazing experience that I would not have without the Vegesna grant. I am looking at many things in my life differently after this experience and carrying what I learned professionally into my personal life as well,” Morgensen finished.
Institute for Social Emotional Learning
A group of teachers from the middle school availed themselves of a Vegesna grant to attend the summer 2019 Institute for Social and Emotional Learning (IFSEL) held at Nueva School in San Mateo in early June. Attending the conference were Patricia Burrows, assistant middle school division head; Mark Gelineau, English teacher; Sharmila Misra, computer science teacher; Kathy Pazirandeh, math teacher; Samantha Salfen, physical education teacher (Salfen had and individual journey, as well; see below); and Ramsay Westgate, history teacher. The group attended the intensive conference for four days, taking workshops, discussing ideas, and learning ways to incorporate social-emotional learning into the Harker middle school community. “It was an absolutely incredible experience,” noted Burrows.
“The selection of this activity came about from the evolution of the middle school advisory program and a growing need we are noticing in our students,” she added. “Last year, the grade level advisory deans and I attended a conference by the IFSEL and came back with not only wonderful ideas to implement, but a sense of direction to help steer both our faculty and students.
“Our educational environment here at Harker is rigorously academic, and while that is one of our greatest strengths, when divested from character, empathy, and a general awareness of the complexities of social and emotional interaction, can also be one of our greatest challenges with our students,” said Burrows. “This conference and the knowledge gained from it was a tremendous step towards helping to ensure we are preparing our students in all facets of their growth and education.”
National Association of Independent Schools Diversity Leadership Institute
Bernie Morrissey, middle school librarian, used his grant to attend the National Association of Independent Schools Diversity Leadership Institute at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. “This intensive, residential experience brings together independent school faculty from across the country to explore topics related to ability, bias, racial equity, gender identity, socio-economic status and more,” said Morrissey.
Sessions are taught by faculty from schools around the country, including heads of school, directors of diversity and other leaders within the NAIS community. Working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. most days in both plenary sessions and smaller groups, attendees enhance professional competencies, build credibility, foster innovation, and plan strategically for building and sustaining school communities that maximize the potential of students and adults alike, according to the institute.
“This opportunity can help me make our school a safer, more supportive and inclusive environment for all students, teachers and families,” Morrissey noted. “As a librarian working with teachers in all departments, I have the unique ability to impact a large number of classes and students, and I hope to use the learning from this conference to benefit all of these constituencies in the Harker community.
“One of the first steps, which Pat Burrows and I have already discussed, is expanding the windows and mirrors reading program beyond just grade 6, maybe to summer reading, Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) days or other occasions. This experience may also enhance my collection development practices and information literacy integrations.”
The Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study
Scott Paterson, Latin teacher, participated in Caesar in Gaul, a two-week program last summer for AP Latin teachers organized and run by The Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study.
“This program combines in-class seminars with visits to various important ancient Roman sites in modern France,” said Paterson. “Classes were taught by Dr. Luca Grillo, assistant professor of classics at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Dr. Christopher Krebs, associate professor of classics at Stanford University.” As co-editors, they recently released “The Cambridge Companion to The Writings of Julius Caesar,” said Paterson.
“Classes focused on Caesar as a man of letters, rather than as military man or politician, and included examinations of Caesar’s literary style, his contribution to the standardization of Latin grammar, the genre and themes of his ‘Commentarii de Bello Gallico,’ and possible approaches to the analysis of his literary works,” said Paterson.
“Site visits were led by Paideia staff and generally included some Latin readings that were relevant to the place. Places we visited included Bibracte, the Pont du Gard, and Alesia, the location of the final showdown between Caesar and Vercingetorix, the leader of the unified Gallic resistance to Roman occupation,” he noted.
“Participating in this program was a truly wonderful experience for me,” said Paterson. “Because the study of Caesar had to a large degree fallen out of fashion by the 20th century, I had never formally studied Caesar – indeed, had scarcely even read any Caesar before the College Board changed the AP Latin syllabus to include one semester of Caesar beginning in the 2012-13 academic year.
“The College Board’s decision resulted in much surprise and not a little consternation throughout the Latin teaching community,” Paterson said. “Publishers rushed to provide new texts and commentaries, and Caesar scholarship in universities flourished. My experience with Caesar in Gaul was a terrific chance to engage with the latest Caesarian scholarship and to develop a better appreciation for and understanding of Caesar’s literary achievements, and I have returned to the classroom with renewed enthusiasm.”
Asia Pacific Physical Education Conference
P.E. teacher Samantha Salfen and lower school P.E. teacher Walid Fahmay attended the Asia Pacific Physical Education Conference in November in Hong Kong to enhance their gym and field expertise. The trip gave them the opportunity to learn from the leading global innovators in the physical education field, noted Salfen. “I had the opportunity to learn new practices in physical education while creating friendships to broaden the Harker physical education network,” she added.
“I expanded my knowledge in gymnastics, while also learning the best teaching practices of health education, integrating movement in the classroom and how a healthy physical education program can combat the challenges facing young people in our countries,” she said. “The most interesting thing I received from the conference was from the keynote speaker who opened the conference by speaking on what the end (the purpose/outcome) of physical education should be: to improve its longevity and purpose. He went on to talk about the research of what physical education should look like and how we as physical educators can embody these practices in the ever-changing environments today.
“That speech inspired me to look deeper at my own practices, and to look for different ways I can implement these practices not only in my class but also schoolwide,” said Salfen. “My goal is to create an environment where ‘soft skills’ of physical education are transferable to other subject matters and real-life applications. These ‘soft skills’ include teamwork, communication, problem solving, intrapersonal skills, conflict resolution and leadership.
“Starting in the month of December, I will be kicking off by implementing the activities learned in the pre-conference gymnastics session into my own grade 8 girls class of tumbling. I would also like to start working closely with a classroom teacher in trying to implement the sports education model in the classroom, which involves the ‘soft skills,’ allowing students to see and apply these applications in physical education, the classroom and in the outside world,” Salfen noted.
Fahmy noted the pair attended various workshops on P.E. and health. “Each workshop was geared towards improving the P.E./health teacher and their skills in that specific area (i.e. health, invasion games, nutrition, etc.),” he said. “I was also networking with other educators from all around the globe, bouncing ideas off each other. We learned about the different cultures and health needs for each. It truly was an amazing time learning and networking.”
Fahmy added that one of the highlights was just going overseas. “The more adventurous the destination, the more learning and often times the more enjoyment.” He and Salfen attended and networked during all of the sessions, and “it was well worth it,” he noted.
Fahmy brought home the useful values of tolerance, adaptation and preparation. “The idea of mindfulness and using meditation during our health class was great,” he said. “This will bring tolerance into the classroom. Adaption is strictly for me, we need to understand we are not raising robots, but each of us is an individual and therefore we must adapt accordingly in our teaching methods. Preparation – if we are prepared for the day, then nothing can stop our success and progression.”
During the conference, Fahmy said he was reminded about the importance of “being the sunshine” in the room. “Students feed off of our energy. Whether they admit it or not, students look up to their teachers and hold them in high regard. That really reminded me to continue to be a positive role model. I want to always demonstrate confidence and leadership, let the students see that in me and watch it catch on with them.
“I am going to double down on being a good role model!” said Fahmy. “This is someone who is always positive, calm and confident in themselves. You don’t want someone who is down or tries to bring you down. Everyone likes a person who is happy with their achievements, but continues to strive for bigger and better objectives! I really felt passionate about wanting to make things better, for both myself and my students!”
Alan Alda Center for Science Communication
Andrew Irvine, upper school chemistry teacher, attended a workshop in New York City in June to learn about science communication through the Alan Alda Center for Science Communication, affiliated with Stony Brook University. Better known as an actor, Alan Alda has devoted himself to helping scientists and doctors learn and improve their communication skills about technical ideas to the general public using acting and improv games. “I spent two days with Ph.D. scientists from a wide variety of specialties,” said Irvine, “working with communication specialists and acting coaches to learn how to erode barriers and build connections with an audience so that our messages were clear and easy to digest.
“On day one, our focus was building a message to be delivered in 60 seconds or less without using technical jargon. On day two, we focused on how to craft our story about science to better connect and engage with our audience. I’m excited to share some of these activities with my colleagues to help improve their message, delivery and connection with their audience during my workshop at the 2020 faculty retreat. The conference has helped me not just in the classroom, but in my engagement with my friends and family in personal life. I look forward to sharing my experience with the community,” he finished.
This article originally appeared in the winter 2019 issue of Harker Magazine.
Abigail Joseph
In September, Abigail Joseph, middle school learning, innovation and design director, was named one of the first recipients of the Computer Science Teachers Association’s Equity Fellowship. She is one of 10 teachers chosen for the program, which provides an array of opportunities for career development aimed at increasing equity in computer science education.
Ie-Chen Cheng
Golf coach Ie-Chen Cheng was named one of the Central Coast Section’s 2019 Fall Sport Honor Coaches. CCS identified Cheng’s focus on team aspects as a key factor, notable for a sport that typically emphasizes individual achievement. Her method has proven effective, leading girls golf to second place in CCS in 2018 and boys golf to six consecutive WBAL titles.
Lisa Diffenderfer
In October, lower school learning, innovation and design director Lisa Diffenderfer and lower school math teacher Eileen Schick presented at Fall CUE, an educational technology conference, in Rancho Cordova. The two held a workshop on games that improve students’ math skills, creative problem-solving and computational thinking. The workshop included a demonstration of the games and allowed teachers in attendance to try the games for themselves.
Last week, Abigail Joseph, the middle school’s learning, innovation and design (LID) director, was named one of the first-ever recipients of the Computer Science Teachers Association’s Equity Fellowship. “I am part of a cohort of 10 educators from around the U.S. that are participants of the Computer Science Teachers Association organization’s inaugural Equity Fellowship,” Joseph said yesterday. “This is a true honor to be chosen out of 112 applicants, and I am happy to share my journey with all of you.”
The program provides various opportunities for career development to support efforts to increase equity in computer science education. “CSTA’s Equity Fellowship is a selective, year-long program that elevates educators who have demonstrated success in disrupting the disparities impacting females, underrepresented students of color, English language learners, and students with special needs in order to bring their inclusive teaching practices and leadership to educators across the country and around the world at the 2020 CSTA Annual Conference,” according to the organization’s website.
Debra Nott, Harker’s director of nursing, was awarded the 2019 Excellence in School Nursing Administration Award by the California School Nurses Organization in mid-February. “Debra’s dedication to student health and excellence in school nursing practice is an inspiration to her peers and colleagues throughout the state,” said Sherri Vitali, state awards and scholarship chair for the California School Nurses Organization. “CSNO is very proud of Debra and her many accomplishments.” The award was presented at the 2019 CSNO conference in Monterey in front of 600 of Nott’s peers.
Each year, a number of Harker teachers apply for and are awarded grants to further their teaching skills thanks to the Raju and Bala Vegesna Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Program at Harker. The program, launched in 2015, has sent a score of educators to seminars, study abroad programs and other educational opportunities. Grants are awarded to individuals and to groups, and are used for entry fees and travel expenses.
“The generosity of Raju and Bala Vegesna in allowing our teachers to pursue an opportunity they are passionate about and then share it with their students in the classroom creates an opportunity to impact student learning in a transformational way,” said Kim Lobe, director of advancement. “We are incredibly grateful to Raju and Bala for their commitment to teaching excellence at The Harker School.”
“The Raju and Bala Vegesna Foundation Teacher Excellence Program allows our faculty to ‘dream big’ and take their ideas about how the academic experience for the students can be further enhanced, and make those ideas a reality,” said Jennifer Gargano, assistant head of school for academic affairs.
“The foundation reflects, for me, many of the best elements of Harker,” she continued. “It allows our teachers to continue to grow and stretch, modeling the lifelong learning that is such an important part of our mission. It also reflects how much our faculty truly care about our students as people; teachers take their summers and much of their personal time to enhance the learning experiences because they feel an immense responsibility to leverage the students’ impact through intellectual pursuits and experiences, which is facilitated by this program.”
Gargano added that Harker prides itself in having teachers who are experts in their subjects, noting as an example, teacher Charles Shuttleworth’s project on the Beat Generation. “He took the grant seriously and sought out to be and accomplished the task of being a true Kerouac scholar and someone who is seen, from the wider community, as a Kerouac expert.”
The Projects
Rebecca Williams
Rebecca Williams, middle school English teacher, attended the Mariposa Foundation Volunteer Institute in the Dominican Republic to educate and empower girls to create sustainable solutions to end generational poverty. She traveled to Cabarate in the Dominican Republic to teach a course on the Holocaust at the Mariposa Foundation, and supported Princeton Fellows there, as the organization used the curriculum she created.
“I spent my time working with girls, volunteering at the center and meeting with the founder,” said Williams. “I wanted to work with the Mariposa Foundation because I knew they were doing great work empowering young women despite some of the community norms and values. In the Dominican Republic, most women have children by the age of 18, and they are often objectified. Strong, smart, powerful women certainly is not the norm, yet at this center, they were creating exactly that.
“I wanted to learn how this center is able to empower the girls with a message that was different than what they received at home. I believe that at Harker, we often are messaging our students with a perspective that is not always shared with the family. We message balance and well-roundedness when, often, the families’ top priority is academic achievement.”
Williams was heartened by the advances in building empowerment that she saw in her group. “The message was everywhere: what they read, what they were taught and in the art around the building,” said Williams. “They even had a #iamnotyourmamacita campaign. There was purpose and commitment to teaching these girls that they were in charge of themselves.”
Aside from the payoff for women in the program, Williams has brought that empowerment to her classroom. “At the middle school, we have launched the #beyondmygrades campaign,” she said. “We are planning activities in advisory, we are hosting a LID day to showcase student work done beyond the classroom, we are hosting a talent show. Most important, as a school we are branding this hashtag and actively working to create programing around it. We have formed a committee of seven people: an administrator, two counselors and four teachers.
“Students are … excited to celebrate,” Williams added. “They recognize that the message from school is different than home. It is our goal to loop parents in on this process as well. Working with the Princeton Fellows was a wonderful reminder of the power of young, educated people. I am inspired to continue working with Harker students as I know that they are the future.”
The Character Group
Kate Shanahan, Heather Russell, Andi Bo and Mike Delfino, all lower school teachers, along with Mary Holaday, lower school dean of students, used Vegesna grants to attend the 2018 National Forum on Character in Washington, D.C.
They attended various seminars and classes and were inspired to introduce a number of initiatives to the lower school community.
Knowing strong character has been at the core of Harker’s history and mission, “the team was reminded how influential and effective teachers can be when living out and purposefully communicating character,” noted Russell. “After attending a pivotal session at the conference, the team guided the lower school staff in the ‘I Stand’ staff experience where they worked to identify qualities faculty members each bring to the community and the importance of teachers leading students by example.”
Following various team-building exercises, Shanahan, Russell, Bo and Holaday introduced Character Connections. Weekly emails sent to staff reinforce a character focus, highlighting and celebrating positive character examples inside and outside of Harker, and offer discussion questions to engage the whole campus in a shared focus for the week. “The weekly reminders give the lower school community a sense of unity in purpose, a common language for focusing on character, and build enthusiasm by honoring the many efforts students and teachers are doing to show character in action” Russell noted.
Also, the group joined The Great Kindness Challenge, a weeklong nationwide effort to promote kinder communities. Efforts on the lower school campus included compliment cards, daily challenges to show respect and kindness, and activities prepared and shared with staff to use in classrooms.
“The regular focus on and application of Harker’s tenets have brought a sense of community and positivity at the lower school,” said Russell. “Several staff members commented, noting Harker does not only preach it, but we emphasize it and teach it throughout the day in all subjects and grade levels.” Another told her, “I would like to thank the character education team for all that you have been doing for this program. It’s been very helpful to me not only as a teacher but also on a personal level. I feel the entire Harker community can only continue to benefit from this program as it develops.”
Future efforts from this grant may include applying as a National School of Character. Following guidelines and principles recommended, the team surveyed staff regarding the effectiveness and improvement of the character program. “A Character Committee composed of caring teachers and staff was formed, and the committee will help define Harker’s lower school character curriculum scope and sequence, as well as implement new ideas to encourage positive character,” said Russell. “Currently, efforts are focused on the lower school program by introducing initiatives, sending out the weekly character connections, and refining the character curriculum. Future efforts may involve collaboration across campuses to reinforce the importance of the character education continuum. By giving character center stage, it has communicated a powerful message of how critical social-emotional skills are for a Harker students’ early years and beyond.”
Ann Smitherman
Ann Smitherman, lower school English teacher, attended the Teachers’ College Reading and Writing Institute (TCRWP) in New York for two weeks.
Smitherman noted the impetus that drove her to apply for the grant. “I teach P1 (‘core’) students in grades four and five,” she said. “These are our students whose academic development most closely matches their physical development. I’m interested in meeting these students exactly where they are intellectually, while also accelerating their learning in reading and writing – knowing that growth in these two areas will help them grow in all academic areas.
“I’ve been on a quest the last few years to find an approach that will help me help my students to develop these core strengths. I found out about the TCRWP while at a conference with one of their staff development experts. It sounded like exactly what I was looking for: research-tested lessons that were presented in a sequence proven to enhance long-term adoption of skills. But the cost of the summer classes and two weeks in New York City were going to exhaust my professional development budget for years to come. Thank goodness for the generosity of the Vegesna Foundation!
“My time at TCRWP reinforced my belief that research matters when designing an approach for student learning. It also reminded me that reading and writing are not mysterious gifts that you’re either born with or not. Reading and writing are acquirable skills, and all students can become deep, reflective and insightful readers of complicated texts and creators of thoughtful, meaningful, readable writing.”
Smitherman brought her new skills right into the classroom. “This fall I used the TCRWP approach in a narrative writing unit with my fourth and fifth grade students,” she said. “They were enthusiastic and responsive to the approach, writing more than they ever had before, and creating interesting personal narratives and complex realistic fiction pieces. Just as important as the work they created, students began to recognize the techniques we were using in class were also used by ‘real’ writers in the texts we were reading. They really could write like Natalie Babbitt and Katherine Paterson! I’ve also honed my conferencing skills, making my one-on-one coaching of students more effective and efficient.”
The ultimate result? “Students fell in love with writing, checking the daily agenda on the board and cheering when ‘writing workshop’ appeared,” Smitherman noted. “They also continue to use skills taught in the fall, both in reading and in writing. Perhaps the most important transference I’ve seen is that students are planning their work before they begin writing. This is tremendous growth for our students at this developmental stage.”
The program was an eye-opener for her own learning, as well. “While I think I’ve grown a great deal as a teacher since trying the TCRWP approach – more efficient, more direct, more succinct in lessons – what I’ve really learned is how much more I need to learn,” she noted. “It’s both daunting and inspiring!”
Other teachers have joined with her to use the methods espoused in the program. “I’m so happy to be continuing that learning process with some colleagues who have agreed to continue to pilot this approach with me this year: Larissa Weaver, Heather Russell, Mariel Nicolary, Eric Leonard and Katie Molin,” said Smitherman. “They are such a smart and inspiring group who are wholly committed to their students.”
Smriti Koodanjeri
Smriti Koodanjeri, upper school chemistry teacher, attended the Academic Life Coaching Program over a six-month period, after which she was certified as an associate life coach.
“The program involved weekly two-hour classes with a master coach via Zoom, submission of coaching recordings every six weeks, meeting with coach for the critiquing of the recording, a midterm and a final exam,” Koodanjeri said. “All this took 24 weeks and I received a certificate in the mail stating I am an associate life coach.”
Having finished life coaching 1.0, Koodanjeri is now working on 2.0, which also will run for six months. When she completes that program, she will be a certified professional academic life coach.
When asked what motivated her to become a life coach, Koodanjeri said, “to enhance my teaching ability and understand the student motivation. If I am successful in guiding the student both in class and overall as a whole student, I would consider myself a better teacher. So, to be a better teacher was my motivation.”
The most interesting thing she learned was, “there is a lot more to learn about teaching and interacting with young adults.” And that goaded her to work out a program to help students.
“I am designing activities which help student learn better and be more organized,” she noted. “I frequently encourage students to plan better and make goals (these emails go out at least twice a year). I run time management workshops on B- and D-schedule days at the upper school from 1-1:30 p.m., open to all upper school students. I work with counselors and the academic dean helping and guiding students who seem to need the service. Counselors and academic deans are kept in the loop with all the students with which I am working.” Reactions by both students and their parents has been positive, “particularly parents of the students,” she added.
The entire experience helped her grow as a teacher. “I learned to view each child as a bundle of possibilities,” Koodanjeri said. “I learned the difference between an open- and close-ended question, I learned that all of us can grow and improve by taking specific steps in the right direction. Learning is lifelong and we should continue to want to seek knowledge. Because of this course not only are my students are getting a better experience but so am I!”
Charles Shuttleworth
With his grant, upper school English teacher Charles Shuttleworth has delved further into the world of the Beat Generation, including primary research and interacting with influential Beat figures. He has constructed a special learning plan, titled the “Jack Kerouac Experience,” that is enriching his students’ understanding and appreciation of Beat literature and Kerouac’s writing in particular. As a bonus, Shuttleworth has become immersed in the work of Beat poets and may end up editing a new volume of unknown works by Kerouac, so students get to hear about that process.
Shuttleworth’s class, “Jack Kerouac and the Beat Generation,” grew from his belief, “that Jack Kerouac is the American writer who has had the most influence on literature and culture since World War II,” he said. “I applied for the grant to deepen my knowledge of his prolific output, and in particular his experience as a fire lookout in Washington State, which was pivotal in his life and career.”
Shuttleworth first taught a course on Kerouac and the Beat Generation in 1994 at the Horace Mann School in New York, which Kerouac attended. “That year there was also a major conference on Kerouac at NYU, and I researched and wrote a paper on Kerouac’s Horace Mann experience, interviewing more than 30 of Kerouac’s former classmates,” Shuttleworth said. “I then presented my findings at the conference, gaining all of my students free admission to the three-day event featuring nearly all the Beat writers still alive then: Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, Hunter Thompson, Ed Sanders, etc. My work was used as a source in Steve Turner’s book on Kerouac, titled ‘Angelheaded Hipster.'” When he changed jobs, Shuttleworth was unable to continue his elective course until he came to Harker. “Teaching such electives was a major factor in my decision to come here,” he said.
Following the Vegesna grant, Shuttleworth made a number of trips to New York City to conduct research within the New York Public Library’s Berg Collection, which houses the vast majority of Jack Kerouac’s draft manuscripts, journals, correspondence, etc., he said. “I also climbed Desolation Peak in the North Cascades National Park, where Kerouac served as a fire lookout in the summer of 1956, an experience which constitutes the climax of his novel ‘The Dharma Bums’ and part 1 of his novel ‘Desolation Angels,’” he added. And I traveled as an invited speaker to Lowell, Mass., to attend the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, where I participated in a roundtable discussion of Kerouac’s life and work.”
Shuttleworth noted he uncovered a number of important unpublished documents that shed new light on Kerouac, and particularly on his experience on Desolation Peak. “Virtually all the biographies skim over this experience, stating that during his 63 days alone on the mountaintop, he was merely bored while performing his duties as a lookout,” said Shuttleworth.
“In fact, Kerouac wrote in excess of 90,000 words, keeping a fascinating journal of his day-to-day thoughts as well as writing several substantive manuscripts, all of which are virtually unknown even to scholars; and one in particular that I unearthed from the archives (it wasn’t properly identified and very likely never had been read by anyone) constitutes a major find,” he noted. “I’ve written two essays detailing my findings, and throughout the past year, I’ve been in close contact with Jim Sampas, the executor of Jack Kerouac’s literary estate. Jim has applauded my work, and the likely result is a book which he has called on me to edit consisting of all the writing Kerouac produced that summer. He’s also planning to produce a documentary film on the subject and has called on me to be a scholarly interviewee.”
Shuttleworth did some wonderful research and brought the process right into his classroom. “My experience allowed me to share my findings with my students, which included photographs of handwritten documents, transcriptions I made of unpublished material – unfinished novels, journal entries, etc., and also photos of photos, [such as] the Kerouac family photographs that are part of the Berg Collection’s archives,” he noted. “Most notably we read in class an unpublished manuscript that I transcribed entitled ‘The Long Night of Life’ that served as an excellent introduction to Kerouac’s writing.”
In addition, the class took a field trip to San Francisco and toured City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum. “Students heard both from Jerry Cimino, the museum’s founder, and Dennis McNally, who spoke with them for a full 90 minutes,” said Shuttleworth. “McNally is the author of ‘Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation and America,’ an excellent biography that puts Kerouac’s life and work in a historical context. My course begins with the reading of that book, so students were able to meet the author, and it was really great.”
“Another major outcome benefiting the school next year is the connection I made with David Amram, a legendary musician and composer who worked with Kerouac and has collaborated with musical luminaries ranging from Leonard Bernstein, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. As a result, Mr. Amram is scheduled to spend a week next year at Harker as an artist-in-residence, culminating in an event as part of the Harker Speaker Series where Harker students will perform some of his musical compositions.
Further, in late-breaking news, an article Shuttleworth has written based on his Vegesna research, titled “Imaginary Reasons of Dust,” will be published in the next issue of Beat Scene magazine, coming out in late May, he said. “The article reveals a little-known rift in the friendship between Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg – significant because their artistic relationship was central and so pivotal to the Beat movement,” Shuttleworth added. “The article’s title is a phrase from Kerouac in a letter to Ginsberg, apologizing for his frequent flare-ups and vowing eternal brotherhood on a day when the mercurial Kerouac was in a better mood.”
As for Shuttleworth’s overall experience with the grant, “The experience has been the richest and most gratifying in my intellectual life,” he said. “I’ve been reading and studying Kerouac in particular for more than 30 years, but through this experience my knowledge has reached new heights. I think my students gain a lot by having a teacher with such a high level of expertise and seeing my passion for the subject.”
A special faculty retreat was held on Feb. 9 to promote sustainability principles and practices among Harker faculty. The event – organized by Harker’s Sustainability Committee – featured talks and activities related to Harker’s future plans to reduce waste and emissions, and actions that can be taken by the entire community to help Harker realize its sustainability goals via the curriculum and more effective use of school resources as well as personal habits. Attendees also had their choice of a variety of morning activities, including yoga, meditation and a vintage clothing swap.
In an effort to make the retreat a “zero waste” event, all decorations were made from recycled or recyclable materials. Spider plants were placed in biodegradable pots, and the attendees’ name tags were printed on recycled paper, each containing wildflower seeds for planting after the event. Attendees all brought their own receptacles for water, coffee or other drinks, and arrived by bicycle, carpooling or taking public transportation. Food for the event was also locally sourced and organic, with options such as the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger that mimics the taste and texture of meat.
A morning keynote was delivered by historian and author Jeff Biggers, who wrote about how his family’s homestead was lost to strip-mining in 2014’s “Reckoning at Eagle Creek.” Now leading the Climate Narrative Project, a multidisciplinary approach to finding climate change solutions, Biggers gave a multimedia presentation titled “Ecopolis,” which offered a future of vision Harker and San Jose as regenerative places and how they might appear with enacted sustainability policies. Upper school music teacher and trumpeter Dave Hart, along with drummer Jason Lewis and pianist Malcolm Campbell, provided musical accompaniment during the presentation.
Late last month, middle school math teacher and department chair Vandana Kadam received the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished Teaching in Middle School and High School. The Mathematical Association of America presents this award to teachers who foster student interest in mathematics by competing in the yearly American Mathematics Competitions.
Candidates are nominated based on recommendation letters from colleagues, and selected for the award based on criteria such as improving AMC scores, increased student participation and increased numbers of students invited to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and the USA Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO). Congrats to Ms. Kadam on this well-earned recognition!