Development of the Intellect

Hamlin students are expected to meet high standards of intellectual development in an environment of encouragement and support. The teaching faculty dedicates itself to the important structural questions of each discipline that require students to understand the thinking and performances that, for example, historians or scientists or mathematicians or writers need. The teaching faculty embraces the performance view of understanding that requires a student to demonstrate true understanding of a concept by being able to teach it to someone else or to apply it in a novel situation. In order for a student to do this, a teacher must assess what a student knows and ascertain the right challenge for the student’s growth, utilizing Vygotsky’s definition of “the zone of proximal development.”

The teaching faculty sets high standards for student performance, well aware of different learning profiles that may impact a student’s achievement and conversant with the use of mastery benchmarking and enrichment work. The mission underscores the importance of innovative and thoughtful curriculum as well as the importance of hard work and learning how to learn. Teachers use creative and dynamic learning strategies--reader response, journals, presentations, models, cooperative learning strategies, essays, demonstrations, debates, problem-solving challenges, and reports--to inspire students to develop a developmentally appropriate mastery of a topic or subject.

Character

Equally important at Hamlin is the development of character in each student. What defines a girl’s character is her understanding of right and wrong, the development of a personal ethic, the formation of principles that will guide her words and actions. The Hamlin creed is the distillation of the values that guide our work: Be respectful, Be responsible, Be caring, Be honest, Be positive. Teachers use the creed to discuss student behavior--in the classroom, at recess, on teams, for technology usage, at every available moment. Students are asked to reflect on their behavior, and clear expectations are delineated about the attitude and behavior that meet the standards for good character at Hamlin.

Citizenship for all Hamlin Students

The third important goal for student achievement and learning lies in the development of citizenship. In order to be an effective citizen, a girl must have a meaningful shared experience; she must become involved in social concerns that support and help her immediate community as well as the larger world. To this end, students learn to examine current events effectively, to study history, to recognize bias and cultivate perspective, to evaluate primary sources, to deconstruct media, to understand the meaning of service learning, to experience the power of leadership opportunities; to understand world religions and globalism; to vote and practice democratic rituals; to practice ethical decision-making; to learn tolerance and kindness in relationship with others. Students experience participation in a diverse and inclusive community.

The importance of an excellent teaching faculty is a key component to the development of student achievement and learning. Hamlin places great importance on recruiting, attracting, and retaining a professional teaching faculty. High expectations for the professional growth of the faculty are key elements in effective and on-going development of student learning goals as derived from the mission statement. There is widespread consensus among all constituencies, including alumnae, that the program serves to prepare Hamlin students effectively for the “challenges of their time.”