In the summer of 2020, the creative studies in the Middle School needed to isolate to one campus area for safety measures. While restrictions limited where we teach, what and how we teach exposed the potential to help students flourish in new ways. To support all creative MS educators, an interdisciplinary teaching approach was designed. Essential Questions [EQs] became the grounding principle to provide connectivity across all disciplines. Guiding students to think about a discipline anew also meant that we could incorporate new content, techniques, and Social Emotional Learning practices. What EI offers is the advancement of a learning environments process. Students have time throughout the week to rotate through content that begins with their choices. Artistic, musical, theatrical, and innovative projects support our school’s commitment to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity across our campus. 

Social Emotional Learning is a part of the foundation of progressive education. In the 1960’s, renowned child psychiatrist James Comer explored social emotional learning environments. His approach began by thinking about our most vulnerable student communities. And today his ideas continue to highlight the influence of holistic education on every learning environment. His three core principles were to review problems in a no-fault atmosphere , develop collaborative working relationships among principals, parents, teachers, community leaders, superintendents, and health-care workers, and all decisions must be reached by consensus .

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We are each other’s guides and youth must practice expressing their voice. Studios, stages, fields, and laboratories represent the most nimble places on a campus. I practice improvisation and responsive skills in each middle and upper school classroom. I am appreciative of Mr. Comer's tenets and see them all come alive in creative spaces.

While current safety measures limit where we teach, what and how we teach is flourishing. To best support all creative MS educators, an interdisciplinary teaching approach was designed. Essential Questions became the grounding principle. Guiding students to think about a discipline anew also meant that we could incorporate new content. New artistic, musical, theatrical, and innovative content supports our school’s commitment to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity across our campus.

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How EQ’s work...

• Each team member rotates through three essential questions for 2020-21at their discretion

  • What is a Narrative?

  • What is Culture?

  • What is a Belief System?

• Culminating with What is Creative Freedom? 

  • The team is invested in showcasing work as a collective and at designated intervals.

• The three core questions allow students with the time and space to play, investigate, listen, and create with an open mind about what makes a person unique and special.

• The framework is designed for any art/creative educator to process and design content to help students blend their education through our unique and imaginative creative spaces