TANG INSTITUTE AT ANDOVER | December 2020

Dear Friends of the Tang Institute,

Campus looks quite different than it did a few weeks ago. Students departed after their fall term assessments, and they will not return until 2021. Snow has arrived. The campus is quieter, but learning continues as the winter term gets underway remotely. While December tends to be a quieter month for us here at the Institute, we have several events in January we are excited to share with you. Please see the bottom of the newsletter for details; we hope you might consider participating in some (or all!) of these events.

We are also thrilled to announce our partnership with the Klingenstein Center of Teachers College. Two graduate students from their Private School Leadership program will spend their academic year collaborating with Tang Institute staff and fellows. Together, we will reflect on how best to create and sustain communities of professional development that can have a transformative impact on campus -- and beyond it. Our Economics teachers recently piloted a new module from the Opportunity Insights team, Track the Recovery, and will continue to build out data-driven approaches to economics teaching and learning. Stay tuned for more details about current student projects and an upcoming teacher training collaboration with the Opportunity Insights team.

In the meantime, my best wishes to each of you for a safe and healthy end to 2020. Please be in touch with us any time with questions, comments, or suggestions.

Warmly,

Andy Housiaux
Currie Family Director, Tang Institute

A view from The Vista

As the debut term of The Workshop, an immersive and interdisciplinary program through the Tang Institute, made a sharp pivot to fully distant learning in the spring, an Andover alum put it best: “it’s an experiment on an experiment!” Here, Andover’s Knowledge & Goodness campaign newsletter The Vista shares how Workshop students and faculty built community online and, together, dove into the complex challenges facing the world today.

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Getting to Know Dr. Kington

All of us at the Tang Institute enjoyed watching the 'A Minute Andover' interview with our new Head of School, Dr. Raynard Kington. If you haven't seen it yet, you'll hear his answers to queries on books, cooking, and a mega-question here at Andover: Will we have a HOS day?

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Deepening Impact: a Tang-Klingenstein collaboration

Throughout the 20-21 school year, we are grateful to have the opportunity to work with two graduate students, Mary-Patricia Moynihan and Matt Spotts, from the Klingenstein’s Center’s Private School Leadership program. This year-long collaboration will allow us to lean into the expertise of these leaders in education and co-develop an evidence-based strategy to enhance the Institute's impact.

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3 Questions in 3 Minutes

Our next 'Three Questions in 3 Minutes' episode features instructor in mathematics, statistics, and computer science and former Tang Institute fellow, Paul Murphy. During his Tang Institute fellowship in 2016-17, Murphy created and refined the summer online geometry course. The development of this course has had long-lasting impact on learning, including for Murphy as he moved his classes fully online last spring.

Learn More

Upcoming Events in 2021

We are excited to virtually welcome the following speakers who will lead conversations around self-compassion, supporting students during challenging times, and more. We hope you will join us for some or all of these events. As always, these opportunities are free and open to the public.

Parent Session, “Navigating School During Uncertain Times”
We invite parents and caregivers to join us on Tuesday, January 12, at 7:00 p.m. ET for a presentation led by Dr. Denise Pope, Senior Lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and founder of Challenge Success. Dr. Pope will share ways parents and caregivers can establish a healthier home environment for their school-aged child during uncertain times, reduce academic stress without sacrificing achievement, and increase their child’s resilience, creativity, and well-being.

Additional details are available on the Tang Institute website.

Mindfulness for Educators: Self-Compassion during Challenging times
On Wednesday, January 13, at 7:00 p.m. ET mindfulness educator Alison Cohen will lead a conversation for educators and school-based professionals around the importance of cultivating self-compassion, especially during challenging times.

RSVP to tanginstitute@andover.edu.

A Weekend with Matthew Hepburn
As part of our Mindfulness Speaker Series, mindfulness instructor Matthew Hepburn will offer two opportunities to explore balance and calm in everyday life. An evening presentation will take place on Friday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. ET and a daytime workshop on Saturday, January 30; these events are open to the Andover and wider community.

Additional details and registration information will soon be available on the Tang Institute website.

What We're Reading (and Watching)

Here are a few links that have recently caught our eye. Happy reading (and watching)!

TEDxPhillipsAcademyAndover alum Andie Pinga '19 delivered a powerful TEDx talk in 2017, “We Should Feed the World More than Just Rice and Beans”. Her work didn't stop there; Pinga was recently celebrated by the 2020 World Food Prize for her ongoing dedication to confronting hunger.
How do we best prepare young people for digital engagement? In her BostonEd talk, Tang Institute Research Affiliate Michelle Ciccone shares her views on digital citizenship, and how schools need to move beyond a list of internet do's and don'ts. Note: this talk was recorded prior to Covid.
'Tis the season for year-end reviews. Here, Edutopia shares their list of the ‘10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2020'. (We're particularly intrigued by #6 and #8).
Lastly, this short clip was taken at the conclusion of mindfulness instructor Alexis Santos’ virtual ‘visit’ to campus in November, and a great reminder of the importance of community, be it via Zoom or otherwise. (sound on!)

We inspire teachers.

We inspire learning.

Phillips Academy
180 Main St
Andover, MA 01810