Faculty News and Notes

Teacher of German Peter Chase has been recognized by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) for his outstanding work in the field! Chase has been awarded the Goethe-Institut/AATG Certificate of Merit “for his achievements in furthering the teaching of German.” Katrina Bauerlein, from Mahopac Central High School in New York, nominated Chase for the award, and four professional colleagues, including Pennington’s Dr. Lida Castro, sent in letters of support. The 2023 award recipients will be recognized at a virtual presentation to be held on November 12.

“With their dedication to excellence in German language instruction, these award recipients promote the transatlantic friendship between the US and German-speaking countries and foster the much-needed intercultural awareness so their students can lead successful lives in a globalized world,” said Priscilla Layne, president of the American Association of Teachers of German. Congratulations to Mr. Chase on this well-deserved honor!

Nathaniel Van Yperen, chair of the Religion department, had a non-fiction essay published in Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment, an online literary journal based out of Iowa State University. 

Van Yperen's essay, "In and Out of the Wilderness," is one of seven non-fiction pieces chosen for the Winter 2023 issue of the publication. His work can be read here. Congratulations on this recognition!

On January 2, 2023, The Pennington School welcomed Dr. Liza Talusan to campus as guest speaker for a day of faculty professional development. Dr. Talusan is the author of the acclaimed book, The Identity Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for a More Inclusive School. Her work with Pennington was focused on the four steps she identifies as necessary to build a more inclusive classroom.

Talusan kicked off the day with an activity to identify the types of identities and experiences that teachers may have familiarity with and/or distance from. Her reflection/discussion question was, "How might your proximity inform and have an impact upon your teaching, leading, learning, advising, or coaching?" At the end of the session, she invited the faculty to “move to action” by introducing a framework of "start, stop, change, and continue.” Teachers then spent some time in small teacher teams reflecting upon Talusan’s presentation and sharing their experiences with one another. 

Faculty development at The Pennington School is continual, important, and essential to maintaining teacher excellence. Work for the 2022-23 academic year has included a study of student assessments and evaluation of achievement, through the lens of equity and inclusion in the classroom. Dean of Faculty Deborah Fermo noted, “We create many opportunities throughout the year for our teachers to engage in intentional and collaborative professional development that examines best practices. This benefits all students and is critical to who we are as educators and as members of the Pennington community.”