Kravis Center for Excellence in Teaching

Kravis Center

Great teachers never stop learning.

The Henry R. Kravis ’63 Center for Excellence in Teaching guides and nurtures our faculty in their ongoing pursuit of excellence. The mission? To sustain in the faculty the same passion for lifelong learning that we aim to instill in our students.

Through the center, teachers delve deeply into the latest findings on mind-brain education science with an eye to teaching for understanding and long-term retention of material. Teachers also learn how to maximize student belonging and motivation as well as fine-tune their grading practices in response to the evolving needs of students.

The center provides the space and the time for teachers to support each other and learn from each other, all in the service of student learning. Our teachers challenge each other to be the best teachers that they can be . . . to be the best teachers you will find anywhere.

The Power of Observation

Open Classroom Week

This Kravis Center initiative — which takes place three times a year — is an opportunity for teachers to observe, and be observed by, their colleagues in the classroom.

While teachers invite their colleagues to observe their classes at any time, Open Classroom Week carves out time for them to observe their colleagues in their own and in other departments, to celebrate what is happening in our classrooms every day, and to gather to exchange more formal feedback at the end of the week.

The Importance of Lifelong Learning

Books on Learning & Teaching

One of the many ways that our faculty model lifelong learning for our students is through professional development opportunities such as the Kravis Center’s Books on Learning & Teaching (BLT) initiative. Teachers across departments keep up to date with and gather regularly to discuss the latest pedagogical research and new and effective teaching, evaluation and grading practices.

The work of Education

New Faculty Cohort

Through this year-long program, faculty who are new to Loomis Chaffee gather together on a regular basis with Kravis Center staff to get to know the school, to learn from each other, and to practice their teaching.

podcast

What Teachers are Talking About

Join colleagues in the Kravis Center for Excellence in Teaching as they share their insights on the topics that educations everywhere are discussing — from grading for equity to ChatGPT.

Listen to the podcast

BLOG

Learning Loop

This blog, written and compiled by Kravis Center staff and occasional guests, provides our faculty — and all interested educators — with thoughtful reflections on topics relevant to the field of education today.

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