SAAS Faculty Shine at Prestigious Education Fellowship

By: Sarah-Mae McCullough, Editorial Content Manager

In a typical year, Columbia University’s prestigious Klingenstein Summer Institute (KSI) invites just one or two early-career educators from a given school to participate in the fully paid, professional development experience. But this summer, ambitious SAAS faculty bucked that trend. Four applicants earned spots in the 2025 cohort, making SAAS the most-represented school. 

Zoe Campbell (Upper School Options Teacher), Charlotte Horsey (Middle and Upper School World Languages Teacher), Noelle Koenig (Upper School Options Teacher), and Hannah LeBlanc (Middle School Science Teacher) all spent two weeks attending expert-led seminars on topics like cognitive science and teaching philosophies, and developing new curriculum and classroom tools. Then, they brought their insights and enthusiasm back to SAAS. 

At one of 18 Teaching and Learning Sessions held at SAAS in August—workshops allowing faculty to learn from their peers’ expertise—the four KSI graduates shared their takeaways from the summer fellowship. They covered designing lessons that spark joy for both teachers and students, activities that encourage students to understand their own collaboration style before embarking on group work, structuring group conversations to reduce cognitive load for students, and more. 

“My biggest takeaway from KSI is the importance of joy in the classroom; joy in our teaching practice, planning, connection with colleagues and students, and tapping into the joy of learning,” says Noelle. “I returned to SAAS this year reinvigorated with a toolkit of SEL strategies, attention practices, and recall activities to best serve the students in my classroom.” 

KSI is one example of the many ways SAAS faculty continuously grow as educators and develop new and improved ways to support students. SAAS encourages and prioritizes a wide range of professional development opportunities for our “diverse faculty with unique interests, needs, and passions,” says Alison Ray, SAAS’s Dean of Teaching and Learning. 

All teachers complete school-wide and department-specific summer reading and attend Teaching and Learning Sessions, which recently included workshops on classroom routines to build belonging, strengthening home-school partnerships, and using technology for effective engagement in the classroom. 

Many faculty also create or enhance curriculum, or attend workshops and conferences over the summer. This year, Ben Gillen (Upper School Science Teacher) attended the American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting, Chris Komisarek (Upper School World Languages Teacher) and Preston Albertine (Upper School World Languages Teacher) attended the Organic World Language Summer Bootcamp, and Jess Claesson (Study Skills Department Chair) and Kristel Arnott (Middle School Learning Specialist) attended the Summer Institute at Landmark College in Vermont, focused on supporting students with learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, or executive function challenges. 

Through summer learning and beyond, faculty continue growing, collaborating, and bringing new tools back to their classrooms. By participating in fellowships, workshops, and more, SAAS teachers are modeling the same mindset they encourage for students: curious, innovative, and always looking for something to learn.