The Burgess Center
The Burgess Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, commonly called “The Burgess Center,” lies at the heart of the Main Building and as such is the physical and intellectual hub for the school. The Burgess Center provides space for students to study, socialize, get extra help, and attend school meetings and other events. The Burgess Center also houses the offices for the Dean of Academics, Center Director, Director of Student Enrichment, Director of Academic Support, Associate Dean of Students, and Director of Community & Equity.
The Burgess Center aims to:
- To improve educational outcomes for students, especially in their intellectual development, with emphasis on skills needed for successful lives of leadership and service in the 21st century
- To enhance faculty teaching through support or faculty development, including opportunities for research and the development of innovative pedagogy.
- To identify, select, and develop effective pedagogies, curricula, and technologies that fit the educational mission, values, and character of St. Mark’s School
- To help recruit, develop, and retain the very best faculty, students, and staff 5. To contribute to the national dialogue on evolving secondary school education
Faculty Development:
Led by the Center Director, the Faculty Development arm of the Center is devoted to supporting faculty professional learning and growth. Through individual goal-setting and coaching, collaborative partnerships, teacher-led projects, and in-house professional learning experiences, as well as by supporting academic programs, connecting faculty to professional development opportunities and resources, and disseminating research, the Center aims to make the school a vibrant learning community for faculty in order to create the best learning environment for our students.
The Center also has a public mission to contribute to the national dialogue on education. By hosting events, presenting at conferences, and engaging in research, St. Mark’s aims to make the Center a hub for conversations that connects our work and learning to schools and professionals across the US and in the broader world of education.
Additional information can be found here.
Academic Support:
The Academic Support branch of the Center strives to help every St. Marker develop the skills and strategies necessary for personal academic success across the curriculum. We take a strengths-based approach, acknowledging that all learners have areas of strength and areas of challenge.
Through outreach programming, the office raises community awareness of effective learning and teaching strategies that incorporate current, evidence-based understanding of how learning and remembering take place and how the brain works. The importance of metacognition, self-advocacy, and individual initiative are at the heart of the Academic Support philosophy.
Please click here for further information about the program.
