Our Wildwood, Winter 2017, Volume 40

g o o d t o k n o w

New Partnership with USC Rossier School of Education

Wildwood Faculty Scott Johnson Receives Distinguished Award

Our Wildwood /Winter 2017 24/25 {

Recently four veteran Wildwood teachers embarked on an important adventure as the inaugural mentors to four graduate teaching candidates from the USC Rossier School of Education. A year of conversations about this exceptional collaboration led to this initiative that brings together carefully selected teachers- in-training with classroom experts skilled in what matters about the Wildwood approach. Here’s what’s truly unique: This is a three-way partnership between Wildwood, USC, and Palms Elementary, our partner public school in Systems Thinking learning. Now each of the teaching candidates will be able to spend their time both at Wildwood and Palms for the rest of the school year to gain insights and experiences they may find in many ways both different and similar.

We’re thrilled to announce that Scott Johnson, upper school math and science teacher and senior seminar instructor, received the prestigious Outstanding Educator Award from

the University of Chicago. He was nominated by Jesse Silva ’16 who is currently a freshman at the university. An excerpt from the letter Wildwood received about Scott’s honor reads, “This distinguished award has existed for more than three decades. Each year, we invite entering first year students to nominate an educator who has influenced them, challenged them, or helped them along the path toward intellectual growth. We receive letters back from hundreds of students, inspired by teachers who have changed the course of their lives, who taught them to re-imagine texts, to delve deeper into problem-solving, and to think beyond the borders of the classroom in the pursuit of their own education. As an institution that prides itself on being committed to the life of the mind, we at the University of Chicago are heartened to see that your school fosters and supports such outstanding individuals.” This distinguished award reflects beautifully on our entire school and faculty.

Carra Rooke and Sea Otter Pod Teacher Grace Lazzarini

Child-centered learning is the core of the Wildwood pedagogy, and worth sharing in every way we can with a range of partners. Our connection with Palms is in its third year, with many meaningful teacher-to-teacher learning relationships across the two campuses. USC Rossier School of Education leadership was persistent in making this new teacher training program a reality because of our Wildwood approach. Plus, our genuine connection to public schools in Los Angeles made it an obvious match. The Wildwood Outreach Center facilitates this kind of work because we believe—and the data shows—that Wildwood School culture is unique. Our philosophy is not just words on a page. Our teachers actively model in dynamic classrooms what it means to encourage respectful, thoughtful, reflective learning that engenders personal growth and academic outcomes.

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