LIFELONG LEARNERS

Through professional development grants, faculty and staff are able to grow as learners, expand their knowledge, and explore the world. Then, they bring those lessons and experiences right back to their Marksmen.

    • Science teacher Zach Smith summits Mt. Kilimanjaro.

One lesson that is constantly reinforced to all Marksmen is that education should be a lifelong endeavor. Learning does not end after graduation. As boys mature into men, they should be constantly challenging their minds. And there is no better example of lifelong learners than the St. Mark’s faculty and staff. To this end, the School approves more than a quarter-million dollars in professional development grants each year, all supported by the philanthropy of the St. Mark’s community.

Over the summer of 2019, more than 50 faculty and staff members used professional development grants to attend workshops and trainings, pursue advanced degrees, and become immersed in the history, language, and culture they teach.

Teachers Share Their Craft

    • St. Mark's faculty and staff attend the 2019 IBSC Annual Conference in Montréal.

At the end of June 2019, eight St. Mark’s teachers and administrators traveled to Montréal, Canada, to attend and contribute to the 2019 International Boys Schools Coalition Annual Conference hosted by Selwyn House School. The theme of the conference was “Boys and the Arts: Great Minds, Big Hearts,” which put the focus on the importance of arts education in boys’ schools and its unique ability to foster and improve the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of the boys, the faculty, and the other members of those communities. Through this lens, St. Mark’s faculty made presentations about some of the innovative lessons and programs taking place on campus.
"This Conference fosters conversations with like-minded schools and provides us practical, tactical lessons to be learned from colleagues around the world. Every year, I attend a handful of workshops dedicated to the art of teaching boys, and every year I bring back an innovative lesson, project, or program that I can apply to my Humanities 6 classroom."

~Jason Lange
Assistant Head of Middle School

A Micro-Safari in the Burning River

    • John Mead at the Amazon's Burning River

      John Mead at the Amazon's Burning River

Just weeks before the start of the 2019–2020 school year, John Mead, Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science, traveled to the banks of the Amazon's Boiling River in Peru as a member of the National Geographic MicroAmazon team. John, along with 30 other scientists, teachers, and artists, worked to better understand the geology and biology of the River, where water temperatures can reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit. John's work included daily rainforest hikes to gather data and collect insects, as well as fossil hunting and drone photography to map the River's ecosystem.
"In addition to my micro-safari videos of what we collected, our team discovered at least four species of extremophile insects living in the hot waters of the river as well as collected over 70 mantises for future study."

~John Mead
Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science

Full Immersion

    • Paige Myers at the ancient ruins of Teotihuacán.

Spanish teacher Paige Myers immersed herself in the language, culture, and history of Mexico during a 10-day excursion across the country. She visited cultural sites including museums, churches, temples, archaeological sites, monuments, markets, and parks that are significant to both Mexico’s history and present day. A tour of Frida Kahlo's house enriched Paige's understanding of pre-Hispanic Mexico. A Folkloric Ballet show at the Palace of Fine Arts gave her new ideas for her unit on music and dance. She even visited the alebrije workshop that served as inspiration for the movie Coco.
"Spending time in another Spanish speaking country allowed me to expand my knowledge of the language, to learn new vocabulary, and to better understand cultural norms. This practical knowledge of Spanish and the people who speak it is information the boys crave, and I am excited to be able to share more of it with them."

~Paige Myers
Spanish Teacher

Bringing History Back Home

Susan Morris bolstered her second-grade social studies curriculum with a tour of New York City's most important historical and cultural landmarks, including The Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island, The American Museum of Natural History, and The 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Susan soaked up the stories, fact, and histories of these sites, which directly intersect the lessons she teaches.
"The opportunity to travel to New York City provided me with firsthand knowledge of many of the lessons I teach. I was able to personally explore locations integral to the story of America and I came away with personal insights that I’m excited to share with the boys.” "

~Susan Morris
Second Grade Teacher

About Goals for St. Mark's IV

Goals for St. Mark’s IV is the fourth statement of strategic goals for St. Mark’s School of Texas. Goals IV was adopted by the School’s Board of Trustees on January 10, 2017, and it replaces Goals for St. Mark’s III, which guided the School for more than a decade.