05/25/2017 by Carney Sandoe Staff |
Conferences
“Lean On” Spotlight: Laurie and Carla
CS&A's inaugural Women's Institute will be held on June 16 in Boston.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be shining the spotlight on the incredible individuals who will be speakers and panel leaders at our Women’s Institute, the theme of which is “Lean On: Strengthening One Another Through Mentorship and Collective Wisdom.”
Laurie Lambert
Laurie Lambert-Current Associate Head of School, The Winchendon School (MA)
-Former Head of Upper School at The PerkiomenSchool (PA),
-Various teaching and administrative roles at The MontclairKimberley Academy (NJ), The Taft School (CT), and Blair Academy (NJ)
Tell the story of your journey.
My ideas on education have been formed over the more than 25 years that I have spent inside the independent school classroom and after doing professional development and research on teaching and learning. I have learned from other faculty and from workshops and conferences, as well as from the community and boarding aspects of the schools for which I have worked. I want students to be excited about their learning and to build important skills as well as insights. Creativity, spontaneity, and innovation matter, particularly in this high-tech global learning environment. Also, honor and integrity are the most important qualities that a person can possess, and independent schools model those characteristics in a myriad of ways. I can only hope that I succeed in my teaching and life goals and that I continue to learn for myself, for my students, for the teachers who work with and for me, and for the parents who entrust their children to the communities that I serve.
What about the Institute are you most excited about?
I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that is bringing together a group of powerful, ambitious, and smart women so that we can talk about what it means to be an educator today, as well as a woman. I hope we can empower young women to think about what they want from their future and to encourage them to move forward in their careers. I want to emphasize that it is okay to be ambitious, as long as you are willing to put in the necessary work and time.
Why do you think it's important we host the institute?
We are making a statement about what is important! All of us are coming together to brainstorm, plan, strategize, inspire, and celebrate each other. There are not many opportunities to share knowledge in this way and to build relationships. I attended the National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls Leadership Seminar years ago before that organization became The Head’s Network, and it was an incredible experience. I met several incredible heads there and have stayed in touch with two of them. One of those two women became my mentor at the NAIS Aspiring Heads Fellowship Program.
What do you think is one of the biggest challenges women in the educational community face? How do you hope it’s addressed at the Institute?
Just one? Prejudice, condescension, lack of mobility at the highest administrative levels, a need for more more role models and mentors for women, and clear professional development that targets and empowers women are all challenges we face. I think the Institute will address this by a great deal of discussion and examples of how to rise above the challenges.
Carla MacMullen
Carla MacMullen-Dean of Faculty, Hopkins School (CT)
-Will become the first female Head of School at The Kew-Forest School (NY) this summer
-Will graduate this May with a M.Ed. in independent school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College at Columbia University
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
“Sleep on it.” When you are confronted with a difficult situation or decision, take some time to come to a conclusion (often in collaboration with other people) and then hit “pause” and give it 24 hours to see how it sits with you after that time has passed. You will often affirm your thoughts and decisions, and other times your mind will be free to consider new angles that will lead to a different thought or decision.
Who was your favorite teacher in school?
A significant educator was my seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at a small Catholic school in western Pennsylvania. She made science incredibly interesting and made me believe that I could do anything I set my mind to achieve. In hindsight, I realize what a gift that was in a steel town in the 1970s.
What about the Institute are you most excited about?
I am most interested in meeting other women leaders who will influence my own leadership path and making connections with women who I can support in their own leadership journeys.
Why do you think it's important we host the Institute?
Even in this day and age, a woman's ambition can be viewed as unseemly. Women must aspire to leadership roles in our schools and in order to do that they must be given opportunities to develop their authentic leadership styles and find mentors who will guide and coach them. Women who have been fortunate in their own leadership paths must seek ways to pay it forward.
Check back as we share more about the fantastic and talented Honorary Faculty members who will be joining us in June.
Registration has closed for our Institute. We'll see everyone in June!
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