HOS Blog: Putting the Right Teachers in the Classroom
A friend who is a long-time head of school told me years ago that the most important part of leading a school is putting the right teachers in the classroom. She was right.
The magic happens in the classroom, in the studio, in the theater, on the court, and wherever students find themselves with caring, inspiring adult mentors. Everything else we do – fundraising, facilities enhancement, strategic planning, curricular innovation, professional development – is in service of facilitating those experiences between students and teachers. We are blessed with a cohort of teachers who love their subject and love these students even more. They are the ones who work with students to create that magic.
With a handful of teacher openings for the fall, we are in the midst of hiring season. By design, it’s an inclusive process; finalists meet with teachers, staff, and students, all of whom offer their feedback; they teach a class; and they observe a class to witness what makes this place so special. It is heartening (and not surprising) that we have hundreds of qualified applicants for each teaching position; this is a place that teachers want to be, largely for the chance to work with these remarkable young people. And we ensure that the teachers we invite to join us embody the values that have defined this faculty and culture for decades: challenge, scholarship, passion, joy, partnership, and love.