There is a shift on campus, a transition that is more than the collective relief of exams completed. Some students will be back on campus in a little more than a week, while others are getting ready to head to France, to Spain, or to spend a term on Mountain or in Costa Rica. This is the break that reveals the tidal rhythm of the school and reminds us of our constant motion.
Some endeavors provide immediate gratification. You put in the hard work and see immediate results. The arts is not one of those endeavors. Students spend an entire term refining their talents, exploring new techniques, trying different mediums. There is no right or wrong, just a constant opportunity to get better. The end of the term provides the community a window into this journey as student work is showcased at the art show and the dance team, jazz/rock ensemble, and vocal music ensemble perform.
Faculty are engaged in Teacher Learning Groups as an on-going professional development initiative focused on modeling a growth mindset for our students. Small groups of three or four faculty members are observing each other's classes and meeting biweekly to coach each other through those observations. Today, I had the opportunity to sit in on Corby Leith’s A block studio art class.
I get a strange feeling when I think about how the eight most fun weeks I have ever had are coming to an end. This final week of European Art Classroom felt like the perfect conclusion to our experience. It is nearly over as our group takes its final breath of Provençal air, and our eyes take their last snapshots of the beautiful scenery here to remember. We hope that the scent of fresh baguettes, lavender sachés, and noisettes will last in our minds forever, or else we must visit again whether it be part of a college, with family on vacation, or later in life.
In the eight short weeks of the Spring Term, Proctor’s drama department holds auditions, learns hundreds of lines, builds an intricate set, organizes dozens of costumes, and performs a full-length musical. It’s a miracle, really.
This week is our last week in Aix before we leave for our final adventure to Copenhagen. We are all working hard to finish our final book project which includes everything we learned in art history and literature this term.
Last weekend we had a bevy of visitors come in from the United States to spend the weekend with us. It was lovely seeing our families, though the visit did cause a bit of disruption to our schedule. Monday, as usual, was spent in town. Morning classes, afternoon free time. Tuesday was the day most parents were retreating back to stateside, so for some, that afternoon consisted of spending the last minutes with them, spending their money in town (graduation dress, anyone?). It ended up being a dreary day, raining for hours.
This week, most of us were lucky enough to see our families. A mix of emotions overtook us students, as we were happy to spend time with our families, we were also quick to realize that our lives here, as exciting and adventurous as they are, will not last forever.
