This year, for our annual Fall Professional Development Day, we did something different. Instead of inviting an outside expert to speak about teaching students with learning disabilities, we turned to our resident experts—the faculty and staff of MMFS. We thought: Mary McDowell Friends School has an outstanding teaching staff, with highly trained and experienced educators. Why not let these experts in teaching students with learning disabilities share their wisdom and best practices with each other?
What emerged was Cultivating Brilliance: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities, a dynamic, daylong professional development workshop dedicated to illuminating and enhancing the teaching of students with learning disabilities. More than 40 teachers signed up to give a presentation. We heard from educators from every discipline and all three divisions.
The day began with a special presentation by some of our other in-house experts—MMFS students. I moderated a panel discussion with three middle school students and four upper school students, who spoke candidly about their learning disabilities. They shared with us the ways in which they have been supported by teachers here at MMFS; what it was like to come to MMFS as a new student and learn about their specific learning disabilities; and what they’re passionate about. At the end of the discussion, I asked everyone in the audience who had taught these students to stand, and about ¾ of the room rose. It was a very moving illustration of the breadth and depth of the MMFS community.
After that emotional moment, faculty and staff dispersed to attend two workshops of their choice. And there was so much to choose from:
We hope to repeat this conference in another setting as well as ensure our faculty is represented at educational conferences across the country. We want to share the principles of “revealing brilliance in students with learning disabilities” with other educators in both LD and mainstream schools. In this way, we not only solidify our reputation as the best school for learning disabilities in the country, but we become a premier source of teacher training and a resource for LD education nationwide. At Tuesday’s workshop, we welcomed guests from The Brearley School, The Lang School, Literacy Academy, Poly Prep Country Day School, City and Country School, Hannah Senesh Community Day School, and Greene Hill School.
Thank you to all the presenters at this conference and everyone who worked behind the scenes—especially Beth Schneider, Associate Head of School, who expertly organized this whole special PD day, from conception to execution.
