The Children’s School
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Interim Director of Curricular Innovation and Learning Design (2018-2019)
The Children’s School is passionate about unlocking the potential of children from early childhood (age three) through eighth grade. At TCS, play is seen as serious learning. Through laughter, play and hard work, TCS creates an environment where children are free to be themselves and where adults remain in touch with their original sense of wonder and joy. Learning is facilitated through immersive project-based learning experiences to inspire children’s’ curiosity and motivate them to action. Students engage with communities beyond the school walls, develop empathy for others, and strive to help create a more equitable world. As a result, our students grow into powerful problem finders and innovative solution builders in the classroom and in their broader communities.
My role as the Interim Director of Curricular Innovation and Learning Design was created to lead teachers in their work designing immersive, community-based learning experiences that enrich minds and inspire dreams. This was a 9 month role developed to support the school in implementing the $450,000 grant from the Goizueta Foundation to support the financial aid program and new STEAM initiatives. The following are the responsibilities I manage to make that work happen:
- supporting innovative and strategic pedagogical approaches to implement the curriculum
- overseeing the development, implementation, documentation, and alignment of curriculum across the grades
- curriculum as constantly evolving in response to new learning
- responsible for initiating, motivating, and mobilizing that curriculum evolution
- leading change initiatives
- supervising, supporting and collaborating with adult learners
- developing and implementing programs
- maintaining focus on a 21st century, hands-on, inquiry-based education
- possess strong interpersonal and collaborative skills
- relate quickly to others
- demonstrate flexibility
- skilled in facilitating and documenting group processes
- strong communication skills in speaking and writing
- possess excellent organizational skills in developing and structuring documents
- able to manage and follow through with complex long-term projects
- a process-driven and detailed thinker and have the ability to work flexibly, independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision
While I enjoyed my time as a consultant with The Children’s School the role of the Interim Director of Curricular Innovation and Learning Design was not one the school continued beyond the launch of the Goizueta grant at TCS, and I was asked to continue my work with the school as an Elementary Principal. While honored by the schools faith in my abilities as a leader, a principalship is not a role I feel passionate about pursuing and had already acquired a role that allowed me to maintain focus on my interest of being a leader of educational innovation.
