Welcoming New Faculty to the Masters Community

Think of it as a crash course in all things Masters. During the week of August 22, teachers who joined the Masters community at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year participated in a five-day intensive New Faculty Institute (NFI) in which they explored the School’s mission, got to know school leaders and the campus, and bonded as a cohort. 

Led by Director of Learning Initiatives Jason Hult, Math Department Chair Marianne Van Brummelen and co-leader, upper school English teacher Miriam Emery, NFI is a time when new teachers are introduced to the School’s educational philosophy and values regarding diversity, equity and inclusion to helpful pointers on technology and the history of Estherwood.

Emery fondly remembers her first NFI nine years ago and is thrilled to share her expertise and enthusiasm. “I think some of the most powerful aspects of the program are its focus on the Masters mission statement, and the mission-aligned “North Star” document that defines teaching excellence at our School,” she said. “Beyond that, the program fosters authentic connections between new faculty members and new staff.”

Through daily workshops and activities with administrators, faculty and students, there was a great deal to navigate: logistics, routines, expectations. Grateful for the lessons learned and meaningful connections made, Jodie Greenberg, middle and upper school health and wellness teacher, compared the week to summer camp. 

“We shared a lot of laughs, and we also shared a lot of our vulnerabilities with one another,” said Greenberg. “It was comforting to be in that space with the other new faculty, all going through the same experience.”

For Hult, this year’s NFI left him feeling encouraged and excited by this “lively, thoughtful, and driven group of educators.”  With the first week of school behind them, he added “it is heartening to see the warmth with which the wider community has welcomed this group, and hear students tell me about how great the new faculty are.”

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