Faculty Voices

Hutchison’s Third Grade Goes Walking in Memphis

by Hutchison Third Grade Teacher Maggie Haire

This has been a big year for the city of Memphis. From remembering and celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination to appearing in the network TV show This Is Us, our city has so much to show and tell. As much as the third grade students and teachers loved our Colonial America unit, we realized there was another unit of study that deserved attention… our city.

Discovering Her Passion On the Field

By Assistant Athletics Director Matt Nelson

A couple of years ago, there was a bright-eyed girl who had never played golf in her life before 6th grade. She had a pretty natural swing, but it needed refining. Her coach taught her the game and gave her the tools to improve her swing; but more importantly, helped her develop an intense love of the game. This passion is what drove her to continue to improve her skills. She worked week after week, even while playing other sports. A year later she won the middle school league championship.

10 Ways to Promote a Culture of Literacy

By Upper School Head Dr. Barry Gilmore

If we could boil down all of the overwhelming challenges schools face in promoting literacy to a single disheartening statistic, it might be this: As students age from elementary school to high school, the majority of students who previously read frequently for enjoyment give up the practice (Scholastic, 2015). Simply put, as students grow up, they read less.

Developing Civic Literacy in the Upper School

By Upper School History Teacher Ronnie Robinson

A half dozen seniors stand on one side of the room, ready to disagree with the statement a junior in Global Studies is about to make that clarifies the U.S. position on chemical weapons in Syria.

She takes a deep breath and makes her case.

A Simple Dot Opens Up a World of Possibilities

By Pre-Kindergarten Teacher Missy Prewitt & Upper School Mathematics Teacher Molly Prewitt

What can a simple dot teach us? For Hutchison’s upper school and early childhood girls… a lot, actually.

Investing in Her Entrepreneurial Spirit

By Hutchison Invests Director Kim Ware

The atrium of Labry Hall buzzed with excitement as upper school girls spilled in after lunch to eagerly smell, feel, and test lip balms and body butters made by the co-founders of Hutch Honey.

Not Your Parents' P.E. Class

By Crain Center Fitness Specialist Heather Jordan

I waited a few seconds as my friend stared pensively into the distance, processing my explanation to his questions about my job. When I came back into his focus, he replied, “Gosh, I wish someone had asked me that question when I was in high school.”

Navigating the College Selection Process

By College Counseling Director Lauren Colpitts

This is a busy time of year in the Hutchison college counseling office. As we prepare and send recommendation letters, transcripts, and work with girls as the application deadlines quickly approach, it is important to reflect on the relationships we build with each girl. Because of our one-on-one college counseling, we are able to vividly describe each girl in our letters of recommendation. Yet, our work does not start a few weeks before an application deadline; it starts years before. In fact, our relationship with each girl begins during her freshman year. This is the Hutchison difference.

Building an Inclusive School Community

by Inclusion Visiting Scholar Rachel Shankman

"The best examples of inclusion take place in the classrooms as girls are learning how to become critical and independent thinkers equipped to engage in civil discourse."

Speaking a second language? ¡No hay problema!

by Hutchison World Languages Chair Alejandra Lejwa

Many years ago, I sat in my office anxiously waiting for a parent who had signed up to see me during parent-teacher conferences. This particular student was doing great — straight “A”s in my AP Spanish class, so her father’s visit puzzled me.