Holiday Spirit and Building Bonds
We insistently talk about Browning being a “relational school,” and with good reason; indeed, both scholarly research and institutional experience show us that boys learn best in environments where teachers will seek connection with students not only as learners, but as full people with whom they can share interests and concerns. As boys’ school educators Michael Reichert and Richard Hawley put it, for boys, “relationship is the very medium through which successful teaching and learning is performed.” As a consequence, we at Browning always emphasize that a boy must be known and loved before he is challenged. It’s the best guarantor of growth for our students, and for their capacity to find meaning in that growth.
As much as we talk about the benefits of relationships for students, however, we might also appreciate what that relational emphasis does for Browning as a whole. When a faculty or staff member truly comes to know a boy, the rewards don’t simply belong to the child. The old joke about the three best reasons for being a teacher (“June, July, and August”) may draw a wry smile, but it also misses the mark. The teacher who is connected with their students, who notices their hard times, cheers their triumphs, senses their needs, and revels in their joys—that is the teacher who is most apt to find meaning and purpose in their work.
And when relationships become real currency in a workplace, when interpersonal connection is the presumed default condition in a culture, the ties are not just forged between students and teachers; they’re strengthened between colleagues themselves. When you’re committed to being curious and supportive about the experiences of your students and athletes and advisees, it’s a short leap to extending a similar interest and care to the adults around you as well. Now, I recognize that friendships can often emerge in the workplace—seemingly half of television sitcoms are predicated on the fact—but I find that there’s something more ambient happening at Browning, where colleagues who may not socialize together are still inclined to take a sincere interest in one another’s narratives and experiences.
“The words that animate the thoughts above—”love,” “trust,” “together,” “celebration”—bespeak not just a school, but a community, and I’m so grateful that Browning is mine.”
Like any institution, Browning has its flaws, frailties, and growth edges. We aspire to meet the high standards of our mission, but we sometimes fall short, because everyone involved is necessarily imperfect. But as we prepare to take a break and meet the New Year, what has really captured my focus is the degree to which it can just feel very good to be in and around our school. I love that our teachers root for and authentically love our students. I love that our boys see their teachers less as gatekeepers and taskmasters than as coaches, cheerleaders, and confidants. I love that our families—at a time when polarization in many quarters is threatening partnerships between parents and educators—look upon our faculty, staff, and coaches as trusted guides and genuine role models for their children. I love that during this busiest time of year, we long to come together, for social occasions and holiday celebrations and musical programs. The words that animate the thoughts above—”love,” “trust,” “together,” “celebration”—bespeak not just a school, but a community, and I’m so grateful that Browning is mine. I wish you all a safe, happy, healthy Winter Break.