A testimonial would not do the experience justice. Please feel free to pull from any of my comments. The conference was truly inspiring and I look forward to figuring ways to put as much of the experience into practice as I can. Thanks so much!
— Chris Colbeck, Memphis, TN
Absolutely! This was the best PD I ever attended. I wish all the colleagues at my school could attend. I really hope I can come back and attend the Humanities one again or try the DEI conference. I hope you all will continue to offer this conference for years to come. It was awesome!
— Megan Cox, Bradenton, FL
Courtney helped me rethink annotations and consider “playing” at the table. This was a big take away!
— Suzanna Dudley, Little Rock, AR
Despite working with adolescents for close to two decades, I am fairly new to the field of teaching. To be surrounded by so many fertile minds, who not only inspired me by sharing their experiences and ideas, but validated MY approaches, ideas, and views, was an opportunity I could not have imagined when walking into Exeter for Educators on Sunday morning. During our last session on Friday, one of my colleagues commented that he had never felt more alive. While I am mentally fatigued after a week’s worth of intense critical analysis, I understand what he means. I have challenges ahead in my classroom, my school, and my district. Despite this, I do feel enlivened with the possibilities that lay ahead for introducing the Harkness method to a brand new audience.
— Andy Vlad, Carmel, NY
EHI gives me the confidence to adapt and build Harkness-style discussions in my class. The experience of being a leader, observer, and participant in different discussions allows me to really dig deep into how student-led discussions can be utilized for myriad purposes in my classroom.
— Aaron Fazzio, London, England
EHI inspired me to center trust and collaboration in my classroom. The nature of a good discussion can feel intangible and I feel much more equipped now to understand what a classroom discussion can look like and how to facilitate and foster it.
— Alyssa Northrop, Brooklyn, NY
EHI was one of the most intellectually generative and generous experiences I have had in my lifetime. I feel excited and refreshed to head into my next school year.
— Abby Seeskin, Durham, NC
Every day, I worked through my anxiety about when to speak up and when to listen. Though it sounds simple, this was a tremendously valuable process for me. Our instructors also made this present and acknowledged their own struggles. I felt supported through the process.
— Sally Ingram, Silverspring, MD
Harkness is all about listening to, learning from, and being vulnerable with each other. EHI gave me that opportunity with a group of truly remarkable educators. I felt so grateful every day that I got to be a part of the Harkness journey with these wonderful people. Whether you're new to Harkness or you've been practicing for years, EHI is an invaluable experience.
— Brad Miller, Underhill, VT
This week we were taught to listen to each other and lead with compassion, courage, vulnerability and humility. Questions and confusions were valued and we are the better for it.
— Alison McElwain, Peterborough, MT
I absolutely loved the opportunity to be in an intellectual community of professional teachers learning something useful. Having the opportunity to live as a Harkness student for five days allowed me to have insights into the experience that I could not have gotten in any other way. It also was a great reminder of what it is like to be part of a discussion every day - why it is so valuable as a learning method and also how challenging it can be.
— Tanya Andrysiak, Charlotte, NC
I came to this conference having already spent 38 years teaching in a Harkness classroom. If you are new to the pedagogy or have limited experience this conference is invaluable. If, like me, you are already very experienced with the pedagogy it is a great way to think about your own practices and to recharge your batteries.
— Bruce Robbins, Durham, NH
I encourage educators who are curious and excited about Harkness learning to attend EHI. And I encourage educators who are skeptical about Harkness learning to attend EHI! It was the best professional/pedagogical-development experience that I've ever had. All throughout the week, as well as when I returned home, I felt challenged, supported, and energized. Taking a seat at the Harkness Table is intense, but it transformed me as a teacher. It's made me more open, more exploratory, and more willing to extend grace--both to myself and to others. Those are traits that I want to have, and they're traits that I want my students to have. EHI offered me the tools, resources, and support to do the hard work to help my students build themselves up as critical thinkers, readers, and writers, as well as collaborative and compassionate young people.
— Matt Rinkevich, Pottstown, PA
I feel so inspired. Based on a brief training by Exeter teachers at my previous school years ago, I thought I knew how to do Harkness, but I realized this week how much MORE I could do with it and how much I could bring back to my school. Most importantly, though, this week reaffirmed not only how well students can learn from this seemingly simply teaching method, but also how important building the skills required to do Harkness are to our world today; reading sources carefully, respectfully communicating with others, collaboration, etc. are truly the skills we need of our future. My school says that we hope students can “converse to comprehend, not convince,” and now I think even more that Harkness is the clearest and simplest way to do that in our classrooms so that our students do that in the real world.
— Kristin Roberts, Saint Louis, MO
I grew as a person through this experience. This was quite an experience living in the wild and I am grateful to have had a seat at the table. I appreciate the energy of the instructors and the trust they forged. If there is a way to continue the conversation, I would be grateful to receive updates of news related to Harkness. Thank you for your amazing work and impact on our practice! I am inspired and motivated to implement this pedagogy.
— Paul Fajardo, Miami, FL
I am leaving today, wishing I could stay for more, but knowing that my battery has been recharged. I have been reminded that I do, in fact, love to learn and therefore, I also love to teach. I can read deeply and question a text. I can get out of my comfort zone and attend a conference all by myself and meet new friends who I hope to stay in touch with. I am already thinking about what my English classes will look like in the fall. I am sure that my students will greatly benefit all year from the week that I got to spend at EHI.
— Sarah Hubert, Greenville, SC
I was inspired by the teachers that I sat across the table from each day. They showed vulnerability, bravery, and incisiveness in what was a difficult task: opening up to a group of strangers. Nearly each session offered exciting new ideas, questions, and suggestions. In a context where it may have been easy to embrace a bystander mentality, these teachers helped me refine my own teaching.
— Tyler Yoder, Solon, OH
I’m grateful to have spent a week in the company of excellent and highly skilled educators. It was a pleasure, too, to be a student in the classes of two very experienced and skilled practitioners where “Aha” moments flowed freely. I look forward to applying the many lessons and suggestions with my own students. Thank you.
— Warren Baas Auckland, NZ
If you are at all hesitant about Harkness, there is no substitute for this Institute!
— Ben Kwan, Surrey, BC Canada
Thank you for inspiring confidence, creativity, and the conviction that Harkness Can be adapted to meet the needs of my own school and students.
— Elsa Kunz, Bell Buckle, TN
The conference completely changed my way of thinking as a teacher. Even though Harkness seemed unobtainable for me as a teacher with large class sizes, I learned how to get student-led discussion in my classes. By taking myself out of the center of attention in my room, I can give the students the power to learn and grow more.
— Ben Davenport, Johnson City, TN
The EHI conference provides the best of experiential learning for educators. From the first session to the last, I was intellectually challenged and stimulated. As I head home, I find myself asking new questions that I would not have known I had prior to the conference, and I am excited to develop my own pedagogy in light of what I learned.
— Pamela Longo, Basking Ridge, NJ
The Humanities Institute at Phillips Exeter Academy is, by far, my favourite professional development experience in my 16 years of teaching. As a pedagogy so obviously rooted in constructivism, it was only through the experience of being a Harkness student myself—along with recursive reflective practice through discussion—that I came to develop a more comprehensive understanding of Harkness as a pedagogical framework. I left the EHI with a renewed confidence in the pedagogy and an inspired affirmation of my own competencies as a critical pedagogue and democratic educator within an actively decolonising educational context.
I also came to develop a range of professional, intellectual, and personal connections that will productively shape my continuing education and teaching practice. We were also well-fed, and I took full advantage of the fitness facilities on campus, which helped me stay energised and focussed during an intensive week! I also strongly recommend attending the various optional sessions, which were numerous and varied.
Finally, I must also acknowledge how my EHI experience was made all the more enjoyable by the leaders who so graciously offered their time, expertise, and personal selves. Several leaders had a presence beyond just the required sessions they led, and I also appreciated the nascent (if unspoken) DEI growth in the EHI that was planted by certain leaders (Courtney and Sarah) and offers a tantalizing promise for even more transformative growth for both participants and EHI leaders. If I could return for even more intensive training and co-learning, I would!
— Lusheen Beaumont, Vancouver, BC Canada
There are so many parts of the EHI experience that are transformative, but it is the emphasis on participating that makes your week truly meaningful. Sharing responsibilities - leading, observing, participating as a student at the table - all of these things immerse you in Harkness in ways that help you improve your practice. EHI has easily been the most engaging and meaningful professional development experience in my 28 years in the classroom.
— Jim McGowan, Lakefield, NH
This conference inspired me in so many ways. Being thoughtfully engaged in this environment has encouraged me, more than ever, to create similar environments in my classroom. There is a subtle but strong expectation that you engage and work to grow as an educator during this conference that is unlike anything else. This program will make you a better educator and you will be a better leader for your students.
— Perry Harder, Surrey, BC, Canada