Tag: teachers

Join Our Community of Experts

Project Based Learning at Saklan is intentionally designed not only to help students build content knowledge but also to encourage them to consider the authentic purpose behind what they are learning. As teachers plan and implement PBL units at Saklan, they consider how adults in the world beyond school use the content knowledge they seek to teach their students. 

To make those real-world connections clear, Saklan teachers regularly bring in guest experts—both in the classroom and out in the field.

At Saklan, an expert is anyone with specific content knowledge or experience that can support the student inquiry process. Sometimes, guest experts share their experiences with students; other times, they provide formative feedback on the projects students are creating. Last year, we engaged the help of  26 experts, and each year we look forward to adding new voices—like yours!

We’d love for you, a family member, or a friend to join us and enrich and deepen our project curriculum this year. Please complete the form below to join our Saklan expert resource list. As needs arise, teachers would love the opportunity to connect with you during projects where your experiences and knowledge can help support student inquiry and project based learning.

Guest Expert Volunteer Form

Have additional questions? Email Linda Lathrop, our Project Curriculum Instructional Coach at llathrop@saklan.org. 

  • Asian Art Museum Storyteller Docent and Saklan grandparent, Nancy Parker, sharing fairy tales with kindergarten as part of their fairytale PBL unit.
  • Biophilic design expert and Saklan parent, Lauren Owen, providing group feedback to first graders as part of their PBL unit on homes.
  • Author and artist, Marjorie Graham, and Steve Graham, Saklan grandparents, sharing the ancient interpretations of the mythology of Persephone and Demeter as part of a 6th-grade PBL unit on ancient Greece.
  • Hinduism guest speaker and Saklan parent, Manju Rajashekhar, sharing with 6th graders.
  • Japanese Buddhism guest speaker and Saklan parent, Toshi Baba sharing with 6th graders.

#SaklanPBL

My Journey to Ghana: Learning, Music, and Community

Written by Guest Blogger & Saklan Drumming Teacher, Isaac Narell

After years of teaching Ewe music, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghana to deepen my understanding of the culture and traditions that inspire so much of my work with Saklan students.

The short film below chronicles my time in the village of Dzogadze, where I was hosted by the family of master musician Vodzi Torgboh. I had the privilege of studying under his cousin, Kofi, learning ancient drumming, dance, and song. The video offers a glimpse into my daily life—from intensive lessons and vibrant festivals to participating in meaningful community events. It’s a tribute to the people, music, and spirit of Dzogadze.

A special thanks to the Saklan Summer Reflection Fund for helping to make this trip possible.

The Saklan Summer Reflection Fund: Investing in Teachers, Enriching Students

In 2022, thanks to the generosity of our parent community, Saklan created the Summer Reflection Fund—a special resource that empowers teachers to design their own opportunities for professional and personal growth.

This fund (up to $2,500 per recipient) encourages faculty and staff to think outside the box and pursue experiences that deepen their teaching practice. Past recipients have attended the Annual Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City and traveled to Egypt to explore Ancient Egyptian history, art, engineering, the Sahara Desert environment, and the Nile ecosystem firsthand.

The impact of these experiences extends far beyond the summer—teachers bring new insights, inspiration, and creativity back into their classrooms, enriching the learning experience for Saklan students.

The Summer Reflection Fund is made possible through donations to the Annual Giving Fund and the Auction. We are deeply grateful to our donors for their generosity and belief in the importance of supporting our teachers.

#SaklanProfessionalDevelopment #SaklanAGF

My Day as Head of School

Today I got to do something really special—I was Head of School at Saklan! From greeting families in the morning to handing out popsicles in the afternoon, the experience gave me a new way to see our school and helped me realize just how much I love being a Saklan student.

The day started bright and early with carline. I stood out front, smiling, waving, and helping students out of their cars—just like David does every morning. One of the best parts of the morning was getting to greet Penny, Vivi’s golden retriever, who came to school that day. She trotted right up to say hello and gave everyone a happy start to their morning.

I also visited classrooms and saw what students were learning. One of the coolest things I saw was the work the Hoot Owls and Owlets did for their Bug PBL Culmination earlier this week. Their projects were amazing!

Later, I surprised my class with a pizza lunch—everyone was really excited about that! And at the end of the day, I made one last big decision as Head of School: extra recess and popsicles for everyone!

Being Head of School for a day was very fun. It showed me how special Saklan is—not just because of pizza and popsicles, but because of the people, the learning, and the way we do things differently.

Here are my five favorite things about Saklan:

  1. PBL (Project Based Learning): Our projects are always fun and interesting. This year I really liked our Indigenous Peoples PBL. Last year, we did one on Adaptations, and in first grade, our Homes PBL was so much fun!
  2. Field Experiences: I love how we go on lots of cool field experiences. Some of my favorites were to Meredith’s Garden, the Pioneer Schoolhouse, and Chabot Space Center. I can’t wait for Coloma next year!
  3. Kind and Encouraging Teachers: Our teachers are always there to help us and cheer us on. They make learning fun and support us when we need it.
  4. Creative Students: The kids at Saklan are really creative. I see it in art, writing, and the cool ideas people have during class projects.
  5. Coach Rob: He’s the best! PE is always fun with Coach Rob. He teaches us to play fair, try our best, and work together as a team.

It was a great day.

Warmly,

Ruby

Community, Curiosity, and Culminations: May at Saklan

May is a flurry of events and amidst all the special happenings, are PBL culminations! These student-driven showcases of learning are the perfect opportunity for family and friends to come together, and you’re invited! Owlet, Hoot Owl, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade families, do you know what’s coming? Read on for opportunities for all of us to come together in community to support our learners. 

Early Childhood Education

Our ECE students spend many weeks during a project unit building expertise on a topic of high interest. They learn from experts, head out into the field to get their questions answered, and represent what they have learned through a wide variety of methods: dictating stories, creating 3D models, drawing pictures, and much more! 

This semester, both ECE classes have been learning all about bugs! The ECE yard has been an exciting place as students buzz around finding, observing, and sharing critters they find on the yard. Come support our youngest learners and hear all they have learned about bugs on the morning of May 20th after drop off! 

Lower School and Middle School

In LS and MS, our students always begin with a driving question. This question drives the content learning for 5-10 weeks, depending on the product and content standards being covered. Each year the question may remain the same, but how the students answer it, interpret their research, and create a public product shifts. This helps keep the authenticity and student engagement high as teachers are also rigorously assessing content standards. 

After all their hard work, students welcome the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge with the support of the community. Save the dates below to see how our LS and MS have answered the following driving questions! 

GradeDriving QuestionCulmination Information
KHow can writing our own fairy tales help us spread magic and joy?Friday, May 16th after CLAS
1How do homes keep us safe?Friday, May 16th during CLAS with reception after
3How can we become eco-friendly entrepreneurs who create products people want?Friday, May 23rd after CLAS 
6How are we still connected to ancient Greek culture, language, and mythology today?Friday, May 23rd after CLAS

Doing a project is much different than Project Based Learning, and attending culminating events is a great way to support our learners and see strong Project Based Learning in action. We hope you can join us!

#SaklanPBL

Staff Spotlight: Maggie

You may think that to know Maggie is to know her love of hippos– just check out how many of them her students have lovingly gifted her over the years next time you’re in the Hoot Owl classroom! But Maggie brings so much more to our ECE! Saklan is lucky to have such a dedicated, conscientious, and thoughtful Director of Early Childhood Education and lead teacher of our Pre-K Hoot Owl class. Take a moment to read about what she loves most about teaching our youngest learners.

The ECE students love to be outside, rain or shine. What do you think is the most important part of outdoor play for this age group?

Outdoor play isn’t just fun; it’s one of the most impactful parts of our students’ day. For young learners, the playground is more than just a place to run and climb—it’s where some of the most important learning happens. One of our primary goals in ECE is teaching social-emotional skills, and outdoor play is where these lessons come to life. It’s where children navigate real-life situations: negotiating over toys, practicing patience while waiting for a turn on the swing, or learning how to respond with empathy when someone gets hurt.

Outdoor play also builds confidence. We are lucky to have such a large playground, giving our students a lot of opportunities to build their gross motor skills. A favorite recent moment? One of our Owlets, who used to ask for only “medium big pushes” on the swing, now gleefully asks for “big pushes!” Moments like these show us how outdoor spaces empower children to take safe risks, try new things, and celebrate their own growth.

Whether it’s showing off a new trick on the Fire Truck or proudly calling a teacher to “come watch,” our students light up with joy and confidence as they take safe risks and master new skills on the playground. Seeing how proud of themselves the students are as they show you the amazing flip they just learned learned to do is one of my favorite parts of each day. Maintaining a safe, updated, and dynamic outdoor play space is essential to supporting these magical, everyday learning experiences.

Your newest project unit is on bugs! How does the ECE yard support learning outside of the walls of the classroom? 
In all my years of teaching early childhood, one thing has always been true—nothing captures a young child’s attention quite like a bug. They could be running in a race with each other, and the moment someone spots a bug, everything stops. Then, there will soon be a big crowd, with someone shouting “I can’t see” and trying to squeeze their way in for a closer look. With our current project on bugs, the playground has transformed into an outdoor science lab. It’s so cute watching them carefully use bug catchers and magnifying glasses to get a closer look. These moments are powerful, allowing the students to have hands-on learning experiences and explore their natural curiosity in real time.

A few years ago, we added a small raised garden with help from one of our ECE teachers and her dad. Since then, we’ve grown veggies to support various units and teach them where food comes from. We’ve seen that a garden space like this means they are more willing to try new foods when they have a hand in helping grow it. Recently, the Hoot Owls have been digging for worms and putting them in our garden bed because they learned that worms are helpful decomposers that our garden needs. The yard isn’t just a place to run and play—it’s a true extension of our classroom. It offers space to wonder, explore, experiment, and grow. Providing a dynamic outdoor environment is one of the best ways we can support their development.

What do you hope your students learn from you that you don’t explicitly teach? 

I really hope I impart my great love for hippos to my students. Just kidding! (mostly…) I hope my students learn to be able to laugh even when things get hard. I always like to joke around with my class whenever I get the opportunity. I like to joke around when I make mistakes, because I want them to learn not to be too hard on themselves. Life is about having fun and laughing with those around you. Nothing beats hearing the kids laugh because of silliness!

Each year around the mid-autumn festival you have made model mooncakes in the ECE. What are your favorite parts of bringing your traditions to the classroom and/or opening space for families and students to share theirs?

I love having families come in to share their family traditions. Even if people share the same culture, how they celebrate can be completely different. We have a wealth of experts right in our classroom to share about so many cultures and traditions, so why not take advantage?! 

When members of our community come in to share their knowledge or experiences, the classroom lights up with engagement. The students are very excited to learn from a real-life person they know! I also personally love learning about others’ traditions. Growing up, I didn’t experience that in my classroom, and if I did, it was very basic stuff. I would feel ashamed of my family’s traditions because I was different. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way. I want my class to feel love and pride for their heritage and traditions. What better way to develop that love and pride than to have their family and community members share, learn, and celebrate together?

Developing a Community of PBL Practitioners

Just like our students engage in productive struggle during Project Based Learning units, Saklan teachers improve our project curriculum through collaboration and reflection. Sometimes, this happens through informal conversations—while waiting at the copy machine or stopping by a colleague’s classroom during a prep period. At other times, our educators come together in more structured settings such as full faculty training sessions, tuning and reflection protocols for project units, and small-group Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Below are reflections from staff on how these collaborative practices support them in developing strong, impactful PBL units for Saklan students.

Reflection protocols at the end of a unit are a great way to consider how to make a PBL unit better with help from others. They give teachers a chance to step back to look again with objectivity, just like we ask our students to do. The surprising result for me is how excited and motivated I am by this style of reflection. This collaborative approach is really motivating because it is something I could not do on my own.

– Yette Prizeman, 2nd Grade Teacher

I love the tuning protocols because having other people’s ideas helps me improve my projects immensely. Even if I feel like I have a good handle on the driving question, learning goals, project path, and products, during the discussion, things always come up that I didn’t think of. It really proves that more minds in the room means better outcomes. The process also feels very supportive and validating.

– Riva Zippin, Kindergarten Teacher

Taking part in a Professional Learning Community practice this year has made me focus on how to make group work more equitable and how to have the students own their project time. It has given me more tools to help show the students skills to help them work on their own time management. Additionally, I have enjoyed working alongside my coworkers and learning from them. Being in such a small school, it’s hard to find time for these meaningful conversations, and the PLC format allowed time for this discussion. 

– Vickie Obenchain, Science Specialist

In the ECE we work closely together on our units but not usually with Lower School or Middle School staff as much. The PLC groups help paint a clearer picture of what is happening in other classrooms and share ideas.

– Erin DeMoss, ECE Teacher

Working in a cross-divisional PLC small group focused on rubrics allowed us to imagine ways we can align rubrics across grade levels. Each year, the students can focus more on the content and less on the format of a rubric, which increases student independence and self-monitoring of learning. A format to share resources and talk together as teachers about ways to improve our assessment is door-opening. Discussions with colleagues open a new realm of understanding the experiences, successes, and hurdles of different teachers across divisions.

– Lauren Haberly, Art Specialist

These reflections highlight how a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement not only strengthens our PBL curriculum but also builds a vibrant professional community—one where educators grow together to create meaningful, student-centered learning experiences.

#SaklanPBL

Moving Up Day Enthusiasm

On Thursday morning, all Saklan students participated in Moving Up Day. Preschool – 5th graders had the opportunity to move up to the classroom of their rising grade and spend time with the teacher, learning about what the next year holds and getting to know the teacher better. The 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students helped host 5th graders on the middle school side of campus and show them what a day in the life of a middle schooler is like. The students and teachers alike were buzzing with excitement!

This annual tradition allows the students to get a snapshot of what next year will hold. The teachers planned special activities that highlighted their grade level and enjoyed getting to know their rising students a little better. Morning meeting activities, awkward games, questions, book readings, optical illusions, classroom scavenger hunts, and enthusiasm for next year filled the classrooms! If you know a child who “moved up” on Thursday, please ask them all about it. They will likely have something enthusiastic to share!

Successful Community Spaces

As part of their Community Spaces Project Based Learning unit, 7th graders recently analyzed, brainstormed, collaborated and categorized to answer the focus question: What makes a community space successful and sustainable?

First, each student wrote a paper analyzing the successful and sustainable features of one space or structure in the Maya, Aztec/Mexica, or Inka civilizations. The spaces and structures they studied included the construction and urban design of Tenochtitlán, temples, marketplaces, ballcourts, observatories, homes, and palaces. 

Next, the class brainstormed successful features of the places they visited during field experiences: Moraga Commons, the Wellness Center at Los Perales Elementary School in Moraga, the Oakland Museum of California, and Temple Hill in Oakland. The students also learned about contemporary sustainable low-rise buildings designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, such as the National Stadium built for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

After they generated lists of the successful features of all of these spaces and structures, the students worked in small groups to place these features into categories. They used the below visual representation as a model. Next, the class narrowed down their successful space criteria into six categories. Working in groups, the class collaborated to create their own version of the diagram (click the arrows below to see their version).

To conclude the unit, the 7th graders applied the success criteria they developed to propose improvements to the existing Saklan School campus or a redesigned and rebuilt Saklan campus. The students presented their suggested improvements to members of the Saklan Board of Trustees and the administrative team on Thursday and Friday of this week.

To learn more about their campus improvement suggestions, please join us for CLAS next week, on Friday, January 31st, when the 7th graders will share an overview of their project with the community.

#SaklanPBL

Collaborative Group Work

Collaborating to solve problems is a key element of PBL work at Saklan and a skill that many of us need to employ in our workplaces too. Intentionally building this skill is one of many ways that project work benefits Saklan students long after they leave our campus. Here are some ways we develop our skill of collaboration! 

To effectively collaborate, we must develop relationships that are grounded in trust, interdependence, and shared accountability. Rich learning experiences that develop the skill of effective collaboration do not happen by chance, but are instead, intentionally woven throughout our project design. Teachers use success skills rubrics alongside content-specific learning goals, directly teach and model collaboration, and create driving questions and topics that encourage students to share and showcase their stories, skills, and talents. 

A recent student example can be found in Kindergarten’s PBL unit on names. During this unit students explored the driving question, “How can sharing about our names help us become better friends?” Throughout the unit milestones, students worked on their capacity to tell their own name stories, ask questions about each other’s names, and really listen to their peers. Name stories open endless opportunities to share about culture, language, and family histories. Throughout each stage of this unit, learning experiences were designed to not only meet academic learning goals but also foster students’ trusting relationships and their sense of interdependence. Whether it was helping design a name story costume for self-portraits in art class, sharing their favorite part of their name stories with each other, or telling our families about each other’s names, the fruits of intentionally collaborative project design were on full display in this unit. Our Kindergarteners undoubtedly grew their capacity for collaboration.

At Saklan it isn’t just the students working to deepen their collaboration and sense of interdependence. The teachers at Saklan are also actively improving our practice.

One way we are doing this as faculty is through our Professional Learning Community. A Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a way for our staff to share and grow in our capacity for project based learning with a pervasive, ongoing impact on the structure, style, and culture of PBL at Saklan. Instead of a series of stand-alone meetings, a PLC is intended to be an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for Saklan students. 

At our most recent session on the January 6th PD day, there were two elements to our PLC work. Each teacher met as part of their year-long small group focused on one particular area of interest: using rubrics, managing team tasks, sustaining inquiry, and differentiation. Before these breakout sessions, the whole group worked on deepening our understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and discussed how we can increase our alignment of collaborative work expectations across grade levels and divisions. It was a lively discussion and we are excited to implement our learning from the research we’ve discussed AND from each other.

#SaklanCollaboration #SaklanLifeLongLearners

Classroom Jobs

Jobs at school can help students build a sense of excitement, community, and interdependence. Tasks such as putting up the flag, cleaning the tables after lunch, or being the class helper give students the opportunity to exercise and practice decision-making and reasoning. They also give students a chance to be responsible in a meaningful way: the children know that completing their jobs helps their school, classmates, and/or teachers.

Upon returning to school in January, the Hoot Owl teachers noticed how much the students had matured since the beginning of the year and decided they were ready to take on more responsibility in the classroom. As part of a new project unit on cleaning, the class brainstormed ways to help keep their classroom clean. From that list came new classroom jobs that the students will take turns doing each week for the remainder of the year.

To kick off their jobs work, the class worked on a big cleaning task together – cleaning all the chairs in their classroom. Using buckets of soapy water and sponges, the students scrubbed down their chairs. They noticed that the water in the buckets didn’t look so clean when they were done, so we know the Hoot Owls did a great job of cleaning the chairs! After the chairs were scrubbed, they were rinsed off using the hose, and then students dried them. Some of the Hoot Owls took such pride in their work that they wanted to make sure the chair legs were shining!