In keeping with this year’s schoolwide theme of “dialogue,” Steward faculty and staff participated in two professional development sessions this fall that support civil discourse within our community. Civil discourse is one of Steward’s core values.

First, in September, all faculty and staff gathered to learn from Dr. Pascal Losambe, an educator, author, independent school leader, and speaker who led two sessions. The first was about the cognitive, emotional, and social impact of COVID-19 on students and the second was about how educators could successfully navigate the 2024 election. He provided research-based insights and actionable tips.

Both sessions carried themes of civil discourse, a topic he explored in his book “Breaking the Barriers to Belonging: United by Our Biology and Shared Humanity,” which he co-authored with his wife, Crystal Losambe. This session was the Steward faculty’s second touchpoint with Dr. Losambe; his research was referenced in Head of School Dan Frank’s white paper on Civil Discourse this fall. 

“Dr. Losambe gave us hope in navigating difficult conversations, emphasizing the importance of listening and processing before responding in a conversation,” said Lower School Teacher Ron Coles. “When we feel like we are ‘correct,’ we are less likely to hear our conversation partners when we disagree. When we learn to fully listen in the effort to truly understand, commonality becomes more important than just being ‘correct.’”

Then, in November, the Lower School faculty and staff completed a “Navigating Difficult Conversations” session with Susanne Carpenter from Carpenter Leadership Consulting. In breakout groups, teachers and administrators practiced applying the skills Ms. Carpenter taught, such as identifying a goal for the conversation in advance, considering a conversation starter, “controlling your controllables,” and active, empathetic listening.  

“Our teachers can model these skills for our young students, enabling them to learn from our example, and integrate them into classroom lessons,” shared Lower School Director Becky Groves. “Additionally, this training will have the added benefit of enhancing the quality of communication among our faculty and staff and their communication with our students’ parents.”

Plans are in the works for additional sessions about civil discourse in the second half of the school year.