Roxbury Latin Hosts IBSC Conference for Teachers New to Boys’ Schools

Over three days last week, Roxbury Latin welcomed 40 educators from across the United States and Canada for the annual International Boys’ School Coalition’s “Teachers New to Boys’ Schools” conference. Beginning Thursday, October 25, new teachers attended seminars and engaged in discussion on topics such as the mission of boys’ schools; the social-emotional development of boys; giving boys a voice; the “ecosystem” of boys’ schools; and teaching boys in contentious times.

Veteran RL masters taught seminars and led discussions, drawing on their long experience. Participants also heard from the students themselves on panels and in presentations. Friday morning, teachers broke into smaller groups and visited classes at RL and at our neighboring schools, Catholic Memorial and Fessenden. On Saturday morning, the heads of these institutions—Peter Folan of Catholic Memorial and Steve Armstrong of Fessenden—joined Headmaster Kerry Brennan for a panel discussion.

The conference included a hands-on session in RL’s IDEA lab at the end of classes on Friday afternoon. Under the direction of Class I students Milan Rosen and Gil Rosenthal, and with the guidance of Director of Technology Nate Piper, teachers tested their design and construction skills. They were charged with using the tools and materials at hand to create a vessel that would travel the length of a zip line upright, without toppling the small, orange bear intended to ride on it. Trying out their creations, many were pleasantly surprised with their makerspace success.

Organized by Andy Chappell, Director of Studies and Strategic Initiatives, in conjunction with the IBSC, the conference brought together individuals invested in understanding, teaching, and caring for the boys in their charge. Roxbury Latin, a longtime member of the IBSC, has hosted this particular conference for four consecutive years now. Founded in 1995, the IBSC connects dedicated educators worldwide to discover the best learning practices for boys. The Coalition includes more than 250 schools representing 250,000 boys in 20 countries.View more photos from the conference here.