Upper School Newsletter - February 15, 2023

As we approach the beginning of the course registration process, it is important for us to reflect upon the class recommendation process. Every year, the Academic Office directs teachers to examine each student from a holistic perspective with the goal of predicting which class would be the most appropriate fit for the student when they return to campus in August. This examination looks far beyond just an overall grade in a course; it also includes a student’s academic habits, curiosity for the subject, consistency, and relevant skills. Each teacher is aware of the particular skills that the classes in the subsequent year required for a student to be successful. With that in mind, the teacher’s goal is to determine the placement that will keep the student in the Zone of Proximal Development. In other words, which class will challenge them enough to grow but won’t be so overwhelming that the student feels resigned to be unsuccessful in the course.

With this in mind, I use my mid-February message to parents to talk about how students should be thinking about class recommendations at this point of the year. If a student has a particular advanced-level class that they are seeking for next school year, I encourage them to visit their current teacher now for feedback. This allows the student to ask “what qualities or traits do I need to demonstrate for you to feel that I will be successful in ________ class next year?” By having this conversation now, it allows the student time to demonstrate any particular skills that might need more development before they attempt to tackle a particular class. Whether the advice to the student is to become more consistent with their notetaking, to work on organizing their writing around central themes, or to add more detail to their lab reports, February is the perfect time for students to get this type of individualized feedback so they can create a plan to further strengthen those habits.