School Environment
A Community Built on Collaboration
Collaboration is a cornerstone of the Wildwood experience. Through participation on task forces, work groups, and related endeavors, Wildwood’s faculty and staff have an opportunity to interact with and learn from a wide range of constituents from within our school community. Collaboration creates community, empowers teachers, and helps us to become the best version of ourselves as educators.
Collaboration helps teachers stay motivated to constantly deepen and refine their practice. Teachers work in teams to create curriculum, design projects, grapple with student learning, and to think big about education. Teachers have regular opportunities to collaborate in their division, their department, and with their teaching partners. Teachers also work in small cohorts through our Critical Friends Group (CFG) program.
Professional Development
Wildwood provides a rich professional development program. Some of the conferences that Wildwood faculty and staff attend include the Progressive Education Network Conference, People of Color Conference, Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum, Computer Using Educators (CUE) Conference, White Privilege Conference, and the Association for Curriculum and Development Annual Conference.
Those who attend conferences and workshops share their learning with the school community through a comprehensive internal faculty development program that utilizes teacher leaders. Faculty meetings occur each week and topics range from technology to multicultural skill building.
Faculty Evaluation
At Wildwood, we adhere to an ethos of reflection and constant growth. Teachers participate in a comprehensive observation, evaluation, and support program in their first, third, fifth, and subsequent increments of five years. This program includes annual goal setting, classroom observations throughout the year, periodic check-ins, and a year-end review.
