Darlington School awarded professional development funds to faculty members in March following a competitive grant application process.
Thatcher Faculty Development & Research Fund grants have been presented to history teachers Hannah Decatur, Brian Inman, Matt Peal and Kelly McDurmon for the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference; ELA-8 Spanish teacher Ashley Evans for a trip to Bolivia and Peru; Physics teacher Tim Garrett for a Summer Physics Institute as well as curriculum development along with Mano Hernandez, network administrator. Established in 2014 by the Thatcher Foundation, these annual awards honor the memory of Samuel E. and Mary W. Thatcher, the parents of John Thatcher (’44). This fund provides five grants of $2,000 each to faculty and staff who wish to pursue professional development directly related to their teaching duties.
Thatcher Master Teacher Fund grants have been presented to middle school history teachers Patrick Collier and David Yarborough for curriculum development; Dean of Student Life and government teacher Brant Evans for a trip to Bolivia and Peru; the Teaching and Learning Center staffs to build a Teacher Training Institute and investigate ways to sustain, improve, and broaden services for current and future students; and ELA-2 teachers to attend Tim Elmore's National Leadership Forum. Established in 2014 by the Thatcher Foundation, these annual awards honor the memory of Samuel E. and Mary W. Thatcher, the parents of John Thatcher (’44). This fund provides five grants of $2,000 each to faculty for personal use in travel or other experiences. Not strictly curricular in nature, these experiences nurture the dedicated teacher as a lifelong learner whose personal travel and other activities return them to the classroom refreshed and renewed.
Wood Faculty Professional Development Endowment Awards have been presented to two teams of faculty this year. First, English teachers Charlie Beaucham, Jennifer Sikes and Beth Wilson; communications teacher Adrienne Forgette; Assistant Librarian Michael Hall; and ESL teacher Tara Inman will use their funds to attend the Future of Learning Institute offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, working before, during, and after the institute to develop effective strategies to teach research, writing, design, and digital literacy skills that prepare students who face an increasingly diverse and global society. Second, science teachers Mike Hudson, Phil Titus and Randy Smith will use their funds to develop an ELA-12 horticulture program, facilitating faculty involvement with experience-based learning related to botanical science and business education. Established in 2011 by Carla and Leonard Wood during the Second Century Campaign, the Wood Fellowship seeks to create a culture for professional growth and perpetual improvement in our faculty by funding scholarly activity of an exceptional character. Applicants submit an ambitious and rigorous proposal which must identify the critical steps of planning and execution, and clearly state how this project will benefit both students and faculty.
