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Opening Days: SAAS Faculty Foster Collaboration and Growth

Photo of Seattle Academy Faculty collaborating during the 2024 Opening Meetings

Written By: Gena Wynkoop, Editorial Content Manager

Each year before the school year begins, Seattle Academy faculty and staff come together for “Opening Days,” a time for organizing administrative tasks, but more importantly, a chance to share and learn from each other. This event, which includes several days dedicated to “Teaching and Learning,” is guided by an annual theme—this year’s being “Belonging and Agency.”

“The theme of Belonging and Agency emphasizes the important intersectional work of the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and that of Teaching and Learning,” said Alison Ray, the Dean of Teaching and Learning and Upper School English Teacher.

Faculty members design and lead sessions under the chosen theme, offering an impressive selection of topics. 

“The Teaching and Learning rotations we’ve facilitated during Opening Days for the past several years offer faculty an opportunity to build community, learn from peers, and develop tools immediately applicable to our work with students,” Alison continued. “These sessions support student-facing work and are built with classrooms in mind, but the tools introduced can often be applied more broadly.”

This year, two primary rotations emerged: one focused on “Student Learning and Agency in a World with AI” and another titled “Promoting Belonging and Agency.” These sessions, which featured faculty-led workshops, resembled a professional conference in their depth and range.

One of the highlights was the exploration of AI’s role in education. “We want students to be agents in their learning, and agency requires having the tools to make wise decisions,” said Alison. “Teachers want to ensure students develop essential skills, and while AI has the potential to disrupt that process, it also offers exciting opportunities for students to build critical skills in new ways. We want to integrate AI tools and teach students to be wise, ethical users.”

Belonging and Agency sessions, in particular, were the result of long-term planning by Alison and Andrés Arteaga, SAAS’ Director of Equity and Inclusion. 

“At the end of last year, Alison and I discussed our professional development theme for this year. The idea of collective efficacy, or the concept that trust, support, and respect within a community lead to success, guided us to focus on 'Belonging and Agency.' It’s essential for people to feel they can be their authentic selves and achieve their potential, especially in a school setting,” Andrés explained. “During the sessions, I saw our faculty excited to share their expertise—it was collective efficacy in action!”

Among the many sessions was “Let’s Talk Politics: A Toolkit,” co-led by faculty members Lisa Feiertag and Andrés. This workshop aimed to equip teachers with strategies to discuss politics objectively and engage students in critical thinking, especially as the 2024 election season approaches. “We explored best practices for understanding diverse perspectives and practicing emotional regulation during political discussions,” shared Andrés.

Reflecting on the success of Opening Days, Alison remarked, “It has always been the case that SAAS teachers learn from each other and generously share their expertise. Many years ago, we formalized this sharing by creating a conference model during Opening Days centered on priority topics. SAAS teachers often express that they wish they could attend a colleague's class because they are excited by what they see and hear about their peer's courses and professional practices.”

Seattle Academy’s Opening Days is more than just an administrative event—it’s an annual gathering celebrating collaboration, growth, and the shared mission of fostering an inclusive and empowered learning environment.