Jakob Wilkins '21 smiles in rapt attention during Dennis Chang's seventh-grade math class.


Whether in or out of the classroom, OES Middle School students are engaged and connected with their teachers and peers.


students, I was hooked. Over the years I have realized that of all the reasons I love this age group, perhaps foremost is the fact that these students are so real. Tey can’t hide anything very well—their emotions, struggles, and joys are all easily apparent . . . there is a certain refreshing and energizing quality to it. I know right away how my students are relating to their learning.” Because Phelps sees her


students’ immediately,


responses she


tailors


almost her


teaching in the most effective way possible. And, she adds, there are “a whole lot of really memorable and funny moments along the way.”


Te low 7:1 student-teacher


ratio allows teachers time to be their authentic selves and connect with their students. It’s not uncommon in many middle schools for teachers to see over 200 kids a day. Because of the sheer volume of students, many teachers must hunker down to grade papers or plan. Tere simply isn’t time to make connections. At OES, by contrast, teachers see 40–60 students


throughout the course of their day. Whether it’s teaching in the classroom, passing the kids in the hallways, or coaching them on the fields, teachers do not turn on a “teaching persona.” Te adults are themselves, and that makes kids feel safe—to have someone with whom they can truly connect. Sulzer reflects on this relationship: “It feels less like there’s this hierarchy. Te teachers are really respectful of those boundaries between student and teacher, but they also recognize that as important as the curriculum is, you’re


18 Oregon Episcopal School


not wear a million different hats; on the contrary, they are quite busy. But inherent within the fabric of the school is space for connection. Te advisory program, wherein a group of 8–10 kids gather daily to check in with their advisor, allows teachers to keep a pulse on how each student is doing. In the OES Middle School, and as is true throughout the entire school, students are known to faculty and staff. In this way, they are supported through their challenges, and challenged relative to their abilities. Supporting both students and faculty is the school’s mindfulness program, which threads its way through the curriculum in many ways. Te program started 10 years ago, when Cindy McEnroe (All-School Director of Counseling and Academic Support) and Steve Brennan (Academic Coordinator), attended a training by


www.oes.edu


The adults are themselves, and that makes kids feel safe—to have someone with whom they can truly connect.


not going to get anywhere with your curriculum unless you’ve developed deep relationships with kids and then of course with families. I think everyone in this building sees that value and works hard to ensure they’re constantly building those relationships and thinking about how best to connect with kids.”


Tis is not to say that OES Middle School teachers do


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