By Mark Silver, Head of School
It started at 12:45 PM exactly. There was no time to waste. The lights went down, the curtain went up, and the Middle School Student Council emerged on stage, enthusiastically singing and dancing. The Talent Show had begun.
Hillbrook’s Talent Show is a longstanding tradition. Students from ages 6-14 delight their peers with a broad range of talents, from musical performances to magic tricks, from short skits to original comedy routines. This year’s Talent Show with 55 acts was the largest ever, bringing more than 100 students onto stage. The show is created by students, run by students (with a heavy assist from some fabulous adult leaders), and is, most definitely, for students. Unlike many schools where the event is highly stage-managed and the focus is on production value, this event is about process – the process of taking a risk to sign up, the process of collaborating with others to prepare, the process of taking a deep breath, walking onto stage and being the best you that you can be in that moment. It is a powerful example of our students “showing their work,” one of the core pieces of the Hillbrook Way.
The Talent Show perfectly captures who we are as a school, the culture we have created. It’s a culture that puts student choice and engagement at the center of the learning experience, and that challenges learners of all ages to take risks, share their passions, and show their learning – and talents – with the community. Our culture is something that more and more schools and organizations want to understand. Like entrepreneurs eager to learn how organizations like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook shape culture, more and more educators are eager to understand how Hillbrook and other dynamic schools create a culture of intentional innovation.
This week, we were invited, along with a small group of schools from around the country, to share our innovation journey at the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference in Atlanta. The leaders of NAIS increasingly recognize that many independent schools are stuck, preparing children for a world of the past. They have invited Hillbrook and seven other schools from around the country to provide inspiration and concrete examples of how schools can provide an educational program that will prepare children for a future that we cannot yet imagine. We are sharing the Hillbrook Way, highlighting the myriad stories of how we are pushing ourselves to reimagine education so that we continue to achieve our vision – to inspire students to achieve their dreams and reach beyond themselves to make a difference in the world.
While a full exploration of Hillbrook’s innovation journey this past decade can be read here, at its core, we have focused on creating a culture of collegiality and collaboration that honors our past, and ensures we are continually reimagine our future. The topics we will present about include reimagining learning spaces, redesigning adult learning, unleashing student-directed learning, reimagining our use of time, and engaging in real-world learning beyond our campus. Within these categories are specific examples – the creation of the Resident Teacher Program, the development of our first-ever Middle School Reach Beyond Week this April, and the launch of the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship – that highlight our school’s approach to change.
How have we managed to do all this? The Hillbrook Way, a culture that guides everyone from our youngest learners to our most seasoned faculty members. The Hillbrook Way captures our conviction that the creation and continual renewal of culture—not just the implementation of specific strategic initiatives is what enables us to continually find innovative ways to better meet our vision and mission. While two ambitious and successful strategic plans have guided our actions, the commitment to the Hillbrook Way creates the environment in which innovation emerges from throughout our community, as adults and students embrace the opportunity to ask, start, collaborate, and show.
Returning to the Talent Show, a few of our 8th graders this year have performed in every – or nearly every – Talent Show since 1st grade. We have had the joy of seeing them grow up on stage these past 8 years, both literally and figuratively. Watching them this year, I marveled at their poise, their confidence, and their talent.
And, I realized, this is just one of the many ways in which Hillbrook students are given the space to grow, thrive and show their work. Other 8th graders are shining on our playing fields and basketball courts, in our classrooms, and in our community. 8th grade speeches at Flag, capstone presentations in May, and, of course, the 8th grade play, will provide other opportunities this Spring to see these students share who they are and how they have grown as learners and people. These experiences highlight what we know about learning – that an essential part of the learning process is the creation of spaces for children to show who they are, what they know, and what they are still striving to learn.
And, we know, this also applies to adults. Our adult learners share at conferences around the Bay Area and across the country and world, knowing that showing our work in conversation with other educators is a critical component of our lifelong learning cycle. Whether you are 5 years old, 15 years old, 45 years old, or, like Hillbrook itself, nearly 85 years old, we know that meaningful learning involves choice and engagement and provides ample opportunity for each person to ask, start, collaborate, and show.