Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/615432
Nourishing the Heart 21 V ickery, Lawrence, Cordes, Lambrakis, Dolezal, Dorer Fitzpatrick, Harris, Kendall, Addison, the list goes on and on – master teachers who inspire curiosity, love of learning and an intrinsic desire to excel. From Latin School's founding, through many changes in its program, it is the one constant that has remained: an outstanding faculty, devoted to excellence at the heart of the Latin experience. In 2014, understanding the critical impact of Latin's teachers and wanting to support their ability to do their best work in serving the needs of students, an anonymous donor pledged a 10-year grant for teacher excellence. In addition to being the largest single gift in the school's history, the Teacher Excellence Grant is exceptional in its purpose and scope. Latin has long been a leader among independent schools for its commitment to providing faculty with professional development opportunities. e grant goes much further in developing and supporting teachers at every stage of their career through a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach that is both qualitative and quantitative. "e central purpose of the grant is to take great teachers from the time they arrive at Latin and build on their strengths, giving them the resources to reflect on their practice, and connect them to their colleagues and new opportunities that will help them to continue to grow and learn," explained Kirk Greer, Latin's upper school History Department chair and administrator of the Teacher Excellence Grant. In the initial year of the Teacher Excellence Grant, Latin began work on a range of initiatives that already are having an impact on teachers and what they do in the classroom. rough a self-study that has included the collection and analysis of data from surveys completed by students in grades five through 12, the school is identifying strengths and challenges in individual classes and across subject areas and grade levels. A historic grant allows Latin to focus on teacher growth and development It's a game changer. Any time a school gets a gift that allows it to do important work that it has never been able to do before, that's a game changer." – Deb Sampey, middle school director Lower school math lab teacher Daley Chan observes as a second grade student considers his math strategies. Latin Magazine » Fall 2015