Bringing Wonder Back to the Classroom
September 24, 2026
By Amanda Hultin
Religion & Philosophy Faculty
A summer course on Himalayan art brought an unexpected moment of discovery at the British Museum. In the latest Marks & Matters reflection, St. Mark’s Religion and Philosophy Department faculty Amanda Hultin shares how that experience renewed a love of learning and how collaboration with colleagues helps turn curiosity into meaningful experiences for students.
The teenager carefully rotates the bronze statue in his gloved hands to get a better look. His face pushes closer toward the feet, usually secured to a lotus-shaped base. With the statue completely upside down, his eyes widen in surprise. He has discovered tiny scrolls and artifacts sealed inside the figure of Avalokitesvara. In a classroom session the day prior, our group of twelve students learned about the Himalayan Buddhist practice of consecrating hollow, cast statues by placing important texts and sacred items inside. Once sealed, the statues are ready to be used in rituals. Most likely, the treasures have been hidden inside this particular statue, untouched and unseen, since it was made by a Tibetan artisan several hundred years ago.
Students in our class, a 5-day course offered through the Courtauld Institute of Art, gather around to delight in our classmate’s discovery. We are in a private study room at the British Museum’s archives. Unplanned moments of shared wonder like this one are exactly why I have traveled across an ocean during my summer vacation to take a class on the art and architecture of the Himalayas. Learning about Buddhism and the Himalayas is not new to me, yet I find it endlessly fascinating. The experience at the British Museum is novel and memorable. It reminds me why I love to learn, why I continue to pursue opportunities to deepen my study of Buddhism and world religions. I know it is one of the first things I will tell my department members when we are all back together at St. Mark’s, sharing stories about the summer.
In Room 140, on an afternoon in late August, Lachen, Kate, Katie and I take turns sharing a photo and a favorite moment from summer vacation. This has become part of our department’s start of school routine. We make time to learn about each other as people. This practice strengthens our connection as teachers, collaborators, and friends.
If you didn’t already know, the members of the Religion and Philosophy department are delightful. Based in two classrooms near the door that leads to chapel, you can often find our team asking how a lesson went, stealing teacher moves, and generally taking inspiration from each other. I love working with Kate, Katie, and Lachen. Each of us has an impressive teacher toolkit and a spectacular range of life experiences. We are different in many ways, yet also completely aligned in our belief that the study of religion and philosophy are essential in the journey of a well-informed student.
Over the 25-26 school year, our team set out to improve the JCI class. We sought to include opportunities for students to learn the skill of extemporaneous communication through group discussions, individual presentations, and one-on-one oral exams. Throughout the process, we met weekly as a team. We discussed how to scaffold and tweak the new curriculum we were building, with one person taking the lead on course planning and another on rubrics and assessments. One quality that made our yearlong, and now ongoing, collaboration unique to me is our JCI team’s willingness to take risks. We never hold a lesson, or favorite part of the class, too closely. We try the thing, we make the change, we learn something new for the betterment of our students.
Of all the incredible opportunities I am afforded as a faculty member at St. Mark’s, my absolute favorite is the support to pursue opportunities for lifelong learning. Through learning and enrichment centered around my academic passions, I am motivated to translate experiences into growth. I am excited to bring stories, images, articles, and questions to the ongoing collaboration of my JCI teaching team. I am inspired to design powerful moments of discovery for my students. I am already dreaming about the learning that I will pursue this school year, next summer, and beyond.
