What do marshmallows and data sets have in common? Not a lot unless you are lucky to be a student in Wheeler’s N-8 Divisions.
Much to their delight, 8th graders get a marshmallow in their first Cityside class as part of a design challenge. In this challenge, students have to elevate a marshmallow off their work table with 25 strands of spaghetti held together with no more than about two feet of masking tape. They quickly learn about the strength of triangles, the physics of a wide base, and the science and art of effective collaboration. Students also learn about humility as they watch a video showing kindergartners outperforming MBA degree holders (and them) in the so-called marshmallow challenge. While those with MBAs know about data sets, so do our Lower Schoolers. Lower Schoolers learn to see the world mathematically even in a bag of Skittles. Third graders analyze, and are somewhat shocked, that a bag of Skittles has an uneven distribution of flavors. They do data analysis on everything from their backpacks and their DIB Lab-designed trebuchets. In these analyses, Lower Schoolers begin to learn that math “possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty” to quote Betrand Russell. They also learn that math can be a tasty and joyful experience. Marshmallows and data sets are just two examples of the curriculum progression made in unique ways in our N-8 Divisions.
Last year, in preparation for my new role and to welcome Felicia Vinces as Lower School Director and Vanessa O’Driscoll as Middle School Director, I made a commitment to visit all the Lower School classrooms. In those Lower School classrooms I was privileged to visit, I witnessed remarkable teaching and learning in every grade and across the disciplines. While the teaching style and methods were different in concrete ways than those in the Middle School, the commonalities were striking.
As I reflected on my Lower School observations and nearly thirty years of experience in the Middle School as a teacher and leader, I came to see the ways that our N-5 and 6-8 grade programs share one N-8 identity. This identity is based on:
- the potential of learning without limits;
- the blurring of the lines between tradition and innovation in our practice;
- the emphasis on challenging and meaningful work; and,
- the critical importance of teacher/student relationships, relationships of shared curiosity, respect, and joy.
Manifesting the N-8 Identity
How does this N-8 idea manifest itself? How are these things palpable? And, why are they important in your child’s education and preparation for our Upper School?
Learning without Limits on a Permeable Campus: At Wheeler, N-8 students enjoy a permeable campus. Students learn on the 216 Hope St. block, at the 120 acres at the Wheeler Farm (home to Forest Fridays and the Farm Program,) and in the Waterfire Arts Center home of the Cityside Program. Learning environments vary from conventional classrooms to stands of conifers, to public parks and community agencies, and finally to studios and athletic space. In this way, Wheeler’s N-8 is more of an educational set of principles and approaches than an isolated, physical place surrounded by literal and figurative walls. Whether nursery students dig in the dirt for earthworms learning the fundamentals of soil biology (without knowing it) or are 8th graders participating in a longitudinal study of water quality in the Woonasquatucket River, the students’ educational experience is hands-on, experiential, and vivid. Truly exciting to me is the opportunity a permeable campus affords: learning limited only by the curiosity of the student rather than by walls and limited resources. Many schools, including Wheeler, tout learning without bounds via internet-connected technology. But Wheeler’s N-8 Divisions offers the Wheeler Farm, Providence, and beyond as learning environments.
Expert, Flexible and Individualized Teaching: Wheeler N-8 students are surrounded by expert teachers who can move flexibly between more “traditional” educational practices and programs in all disciplines and those requir