Reply to Social climate at Georgetown Day School

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Social climate at Georgetown Day School"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I accidentally stumbled onto this thread (and forum) through a Google search looking for something on the GDS website, and I'm dismayed but not surprised at the overall misconceptions people have about the GDS culture. I'm a current GDS student and "lifer," attending since Kindergarten, so I've always called my teachers by their first names. In my opinion, the first name policy has a wide range of benefits. Academically, it creates a unique student-teacher dynamic where it's acceptable for the students to learn from the teacher, and the teacher to learn from the students. It helps the classroom environment break away from rote lecture and memorization, and instead spark substantive dialogue where all members of the class are able to hone critical thinking skills and establish individual voice.  It doesn't breed disrespectful students--even though I've never had a teacher I call Mr. or Mrs., I've [i]always[/i] addressed adults outside of the classroom using the appropriate title. Students know the GDS environment is a unique social context, and certain practices within the walls of the school are best kept there. If anything, GDS gives students the social education to recognize the various spheres they'll occupy in life--school, family, and later work-- and how to acclimate accordingly. GDS instills a sense of social responsibility in the student body that implies respect for others (including elders) from day 1, so students are unlikely to interpret the informality as a license to insolence.

My gushing over GDS aside, every school is unique. I have friends at just about every high school in DC, and the difference in quality of education between the "big names" in DC schools is virtually null. Kids should visit schools and end up where they feel most comfortable; education should be enjoyable.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics