Faculty Feature Fall ’25

In an age marked by polarization, partisanship, and tribalism, helping students cultivate the skills to engage in meaningful, open dialogue has never been more essential. Students today must navigate a world where differing viewpoints are often met with hostility rather than openness; social media silos, culture wars, and the pressures of conformity often discourage the kind of honest, curious conversations that foster understanding and connection.

As a history teacher and community engagement leader, I see firsthand how urgently young people need the tools to listen with empathy and speak with courage. Inspired by thought leaders and our own students—who often model the power of respectful exchange—Winsor faculty strive to create spaces where civil discourse can thrive. In the past few years, we have been fortunate to host writers and scholars who focus on civil discourse and the ways we connect meaningfully with others.

Mónica Guzmán, last year’s faculty and parent forum speaker and author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, observed: “When you’re surrounded by people who reflect the same basic set of perspectives, you’ll find it harder to grasp any others. Not because you’re incapable of grasping them, but simply because you’re less likely to be given the chance.”

In 2024, Dr. Carol Gilligan, a feminist, ethicist, and psychologist well known for her work on ethical community and ethical relationships, came to Winsor as our commencement speaker. Her powerful charge is at the heart of my work promoting civil discourse: “Notice what happens when you replace judgment with curiosity.”

During last year’s Community Curriculum Day, Anya Weerapana ’25 shared this compelling reflection with our community: “Listen to different viewpoints because, after all, you’re not obligated to embrace them. From them, you might find that others’ political views are more nuanced and varied than you once thought. From them, you might discover you’re not as alone in your beliefs as you imagined.”

Our challenge as educators, parents, and community members to “bridge divides” and build empathy and connections is more urgent and complex than at any time in recent memory. I see it as my calling to help students break down these silos and empower them to engage openly with diverse perspectives. One way I have been able to put these ideas into practice is in my senior elective, Politics of Identity. In the print version of this piece is a reprint of an article I co-authored with Mr. Brad Faulhaber from Sidney High School in Montana, which appeared in The Boston Globe last year.

 

The Winsor Community Has Thoughts

Across disciplines, my colleagues cultivate spaces where students learn to engage thoughtfully with differing perspectives. Whether through literature, science, world languages, or visual and performing arts, these teachers model what it means to foster dialogue rooted in respect, curiosity, and intellectual honesty. The quotes below highlight some of the ways they encourage meaningful exchange—even, and especially, when ideas clash.

“In art history, students create their own personal canon of art history, write a persuasive paragraph, and have a class discussion about the works that they include in their canon—often from historically marginalized artists—and why they chose them. In Intellectual Property and the Law, students learn to take a side on an issue (even if they don’t believe it), debate and make a persuasive argument about it. They take on other debates in art history: What is art? Is this art? Was Marcel Duchamp an artist or con artist? Are posthumously cast Rodins authentic works of art? And in art classes, we teach students how to interact with each other in group critiques, how to have dialogue and meaningful exchange even if everyone doesn’t ‘like’ the same thing.”

Sara Macaulay
Visual Arts Department Head and Eleanor Thomas Nelson ’49 Chair in Fine Arts

 

"The Upper School Ethics Club discusses contemporary ethical issues during their lunch meeting each cycle and then participates in the Regional Ethics Bowl Competition at Tufts every February. The National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB) promotes respectful, supportive, and rigorous discussion of ethics among thousands of high school students nationwide."

Courtney Jackson
English Department Head

 

"In Class I History, we had a discussion about British colonists declaring independence from Great Britain, with students presenting arguments of patriots and loyalists in a class debate. They were assigned their roles randomly after they studied and discussed arguments of both sides."

Ivana Brown
History Faculty

 

"In AP Macro at the start of the year, we engage in a debate about whether we should raise the minimum wage in Massachusetts. In U.S. History we have a variety of debates—from federalist vs. antifederalist to whether we should pass the Equal Rights Amendment."

Ann-Marie Holland
History Faculty

 

"In Class III English, especially when we are reading the novel The Outsiders, students participate in a four-corners agree/disagree practice about once a week. This entails a statement such as “Nobody is all bad or all good.” Then students go to one of the four corners of the classroom labeled Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Once there, students discuss why they are standing where they are, and we hear thoughts from all corners. It is a space for students to voice their opinions, see how others might think differently, and have a civil discourse. In the end, in some sense, everyone agrees with what others say—it’s really a matter of interpretation of the words in the statement. It’s a fun and important activity for this age group."

Laura Beebe
English Faculty

 

"In AP Spanish, students engage in a debate over the best and most fair outcome for Puerto Rico’s future. After exploring in depth the history of the extraordinary status of Puerto Rico as an “associated free state” of the U.S., the students are divided in three groups that resemble three different and current political positions among most Puerto Rican residents. Students engage in a two-day-long debate in small groups. By presenting their research, arguing for their specific point of view, listening to the point of view of the other two sides, and imagining the best and most fair long-term solution for Puerto Rican residents, the students not only practice advanced grammatical concepts, extensive multidisciplinary vocabulary, and complex communicative functions, but also engage in a deep dive into Puerto Rican–American relations and history."

Laura Bravo
World Languages Faculty

 

"In Class III Science, we have our students engage in an activity called the “Climate Change Mixer.” It is a part of a book called A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, which was developed by teachers to address complex issues related to climate change. Students are assigned a particular role and a climate change story to tell. The characters are people who live in different regions of the world and have all been affected by climate change in some way. The activity is set up as a “meet and greet” where students share their stories and they learn about the impacts of climate change in different communities. In our discussion afterwards, we unpack the following quote: “We are all affected by climate change, but we’re not all affected equally, and we’re not equally responsible for its causes.” It is a powerful lesson on the impacts of climate change and the power of storytelling. Students are always surprised by how some people benefit—or will benefit—from climate change. You can learn a lot from listening to others about how our world has changed and is changing."

Theresa Evenson
Science Department Head