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There are no bells or buzzers that signal the start of class at Summit School.
Instead,
you're likely to hear the jazz stylings of Louie Armstrong or a tune from the
1950s pop charts. When the music stops, class is in session.
The instructors
here are called "crew leaders" not teachers. Students are distinguished
as important components of each crew, but never simply passengers. The emphasis
throughout the school - as it has been since it was founded four years ago - is
on involvement and balanced discussion, not one-sided lectures.
In Dan
Powell's class, a mix of seventh and eighth graders study Shakespeare and take
field trips to places like the Hiawatha Trail to learn more about their latest
study topic or "expedition," in this case, the history of the Transcontinental
Railroad.
There are typically three expeditions a year for students
in grades 1-8, while Kindergarteners study two. Themes range from colonial history
to the Olympics with plenty of frogs and insects along the way.
Earlier
this week, Powell's crew went on a journey to Riverfront Park as part of their
research on the railroad. When people ask Powell to define his workplace, he talks
about a sense of constructive community.
"This is not a prep school,
a gifted school or a private school," Powell said. "But at the
same time, we're going to have kids who are going to go on to college and succeed."
Part of Summit's environment is created by the school's geography.
For instance, Powell's classroom is situated next to a Kindergarten crew. Older
students help younger kids with different topics and work as "reading buddies,"
teaching Kindergarteners the basics of literature during designated library times.
Powell
said the atmosphere of teamwork helps his students "realize they're not the
only ones in the world."
In the kindergarten class of Sarah Ellis,
students start their day with a crew meeting followed by studies of art and habitat.
Currently the crew is on an expedition centered around frogs. Ellis said the key
to Summit's success is how everyone in the school makes it a point to pitch in.
"We're
equally supportive of each others' community," Ellis said.
Grade
levels are defined by terms like "voyagers" and "navigators"
instead of numbers. Summit Principal Lyle Krislock said the approach to education
here relies heavily on discussion and debate among students with teachers acting
more as facilitators.
"You have to ask yourself, 'Is it meaning
something to kids?'" Krislock said. "In a good, healthy learning
environment, a teacher is more of a coach."
Summit parents hold an auction
once a year to help pay for field trips and various classroom materials. Last
year's event raised $20,000 for the school.
In the school's media center,
colorful kites hang from the ceiling. Media Specialist George Moon, also the school's
librarian, makes it a point to purchase "the newest and best books"
as a way to emphasize the value of reading.
"The books should
really mean something," Moon said. "It's about their learning improving
through reading."
Books, puppet shows and charades are part of
the agenda at home for Powell who hasn't owned a television in 18 years. The focus
on creativity - not video games - carries over into his classroom.
"I
think it's important for kids to have their own imaginations intact," Powell
said.
Crew leaders like Powell and Ellis talk about building a legacy
that will last long after their teaching days are over. It's a process that involves
teaching responsibility, accountability and an enthusiasm for learning, all part
of a constructive map that guides Summit students to great heights.
"It's
about opportunity and expectations," said Ellis. "There's a privilege
to being very intentional about building a community. We're definitely a team
here.
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By
Craig Howard
