The theme of one our three 18 day field trips this year is teaching about forced migrations. In the course preparing for the trip, we will focus on the push/pull factors that have driven three important mass movements of people: the Trail of Tears; the post-Reconstruction “Great Migration” of Black Americans and today’s humanitarian crisis […]
One of Arthur Morgan School’s greatest strengths is its campus. A hundred acres of farm and wilderness mixed with academic and art spaces makes for a perfect boarding school campus that inspire students to learn and express themselves. As a community we are always striving to improve our students’ experience. We want them to take […]
It’s been just over a year since I graduated Arthur Morgan School and being back on campus for a few days, it feels like very little has changed. I feel fifteen again, scared and excited for whatever comes next, taking for granted my community, my safe place, the thought of being far away still very […]
Middle schoolers experience lots of anxiety when they start a new school year. They switch teachers for all their classes and face higher expectations. They meet new people and need to figure out new social norms. Their changing body feels awkward and causes self-consciousness. Emotions can be intense and last longer than they are used to feeling. […]
Middle schoolers don’t always appreciate learning history. Although they tend to be very curious, they are also at an age where they are more socially motivated than academically. They want to engage with their community and prove their worth to other people. In this context, learning historical facts and figures can feel obsolete. However, once […]
Technology is a complicated issue for many teachers. Educational apps, documentaries, and podcasts, provide valuable and fun learning experiences. However, the frequent use of technology often leads to less interaction between students and may causes a reliance on computers. Just ask any middle school math teacher. The calculator, the most basic form of technology, causes […]
“Is it pertinent?” Lillian asks her classmate who is frantically waving his arm in air to get her attention. The boy sheepishly shakes his head and lowers his hand. Lillian scans the circle and sees another student trying to silently get her attention. She is usually pretty soft spoken, but in a clear authoritative voice, […]
Its a beautiful spring day and several young teenagers are helping me deconstruct a garden bed. Carmella, an eighth grader, is shoveling mulch into a wheelbarrow that her classmate, Silas, then carries to a new plot. On a nearby hillside, a seventh grader and eighth grader are transplanting bushes from one side of a garden […]
Arthur Morgan School has always valued its simplicity. We warm our boarding houses and academic buildings by burning wood that we chop ourselves. We grow vegetables in our garden and raise livestock for eggs. When our roads are in disrepair, we haul wheelbarrows full of gravel to fix them. It could be simpler to buy […]
There is no question that field trips offer wonderful educational opportunities. Being able to interact with professionals doing actual work allows students to see the real world applications of what they learn in the classroom. They become inspired and see actual evidence of what they can achieve if they work hard and apply themselves. A lot […]