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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT SEAN HAMERSean has been teaching seventh grade mathand science at Gordon for four years. He isa seventh grade advisor, a facilitator for theMiddle School student affinity group program,and the girl’s field hockey and basketballcoach.Sean is a graduate of UMass Boston and earnedhis Masters of Education in Middle SchoolMath and Science Education from the LesleyUniversity/Shady Hill School Teacher TrainingProgram. He has also received his Mastersin Private School Leadership from TeachersCollege-Columbia University. Sean’s twochildren Sekou (4th) and Nala (K) are Gordonstudents.What led you to Gordon?Although I was originally an engineering major,I ended up focusing much of my time onworking with at-risk youth in Boston. When myson, Sekou was born I realized that I wanted toteach. I earned my M.Ed. degree while teachingat Shady Hill School and focused my practiceon teaching Middle School math and scienceas it connected to my engineering background.I began my career at Charles River School inDover, MA and later made connections with EricPolite, Gordon’s former Diversity Director whicheventually led me to this opportunity at Gordon.How do you include a multicultural perspectivein your practice?In order to facilitate thoughtful discussionsaround multicultural issues a sense of trust mustbe established between the teacher and students.Many of the topics we discuss in my classchallenge preconceptions and care needs to betaken when sharing different perspectives.I work hard to set clear community expectationsin the beginning of the year so that studentshave the confidence to state their opinionsand feel supported when they make mistakes.My philosophy is to guide students towardunderstanding rather than directing them. I amsupportive and there to provide explanationand clarity but not tell them that their opinionis right or wrong.My approach to the curriculum is to teachthe skills necessary to understand the contentbut to also put my instruction into a relevantcontext. Math and science lend themselves tounderstanding and analyzing issues of equity,justice and inclusion. I challenge my studentswith examples of real world problems so thatthey can employ their math and science skillsand become aware of the world around them.What are some examples of your math andscience curriculum that have a multiculturalperspective?For the past two years we have connected themath curriculum to the current economic crisis.We look at credit use and why it is such achallenge for Americans. During one project,I assign each student a credit profile (thatincludes a credit score, number of children,income level, etc.), and have them figure outwhat rates and monthly payments they wouldreceive for a home and car loan. As a class wediscuss why people qualify for different loanrates and the equity behind that.By looking at credit scores, home loans andinvestments students learn the math behindfiguring out compound and simple interestloans and rates. Students learn to record theirdata by using excel and data manipulationskills. In the end, they learn new math conceptsalong with an understanding of how peopleare impacted by credit.With science, we look at our study of biologyand genetics through the lens of equity, race,power and privilege. We study blood typingand blood diseases and how various diseasesare connected to racial and cultural history.We also talk about access to resources inscience and medicine. We discuss how certaincountries are limited by socio-economicdifferences and therefore have less access toresources. Students are able to gain a globalperspective by gaining an understanding ofpopulations around the world.What do you hope for your students?I hope that my students will continue to thinkdeeply about their connection to the worldaround them. I want them to strive to becomeglobal citizens by developing an awareness andunderstanding of others and their perspectives.6
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT ERIC KRAVITZEric has been teaching eighth grade math andscience at Gordon for sixteen years. He is agraduate of Brown University and earned hisMaster of Arts in Teaching Mathematics atProvidence College.Eric is an eighth grade advisor, serves as aninstructor for the Teacher Residency Programteaching a course on standards-based Mathematicsinstruction, was the faculty Boardrepresentative and coaches the Middle Schooltennis team. He also teaches as an adjunctprofessor at CCRI. Eric’s wife, Samanthateaches fifth grade at Gordon and their childrenSophie (2nd) and Gabriel (K) are current students.What led you to Gordon?While at Brown I volunteered at Hope HighSchool and really enjoyed it. I decided to stayin Rhode Island after Brown and was attractedto Gordon’s small class sizes, its hands-onapproach to teaching and learning and theflexibility teachers have with designing theirclassroom curriculum. I have found teachingat Gordon to be incredibly rewarding and Icontinue to enjoy the relationships I have withmy students and their families.How do you include a multiculturalperspective in your practice?Multicultural teaching to me is just good teaching.It is important to understand the student asan individual, embrace their perspectives andincorporate them into the classroom curriculumand employ different teaching methods to meettheir learning styles. I also find that developingcurriculum with a real world context allowsstudents to make personal connections to thematerial they are learning which fosters theirunderstanding and engagement.What are some examples of your math andscience curriculum that have a multiculturalperspective?The eighth grade service learning projectallows opportunities for students to connecttheir Algebra classes to the information theyare learning about in their service learningplacements.Every year, the eighth graders have the opportunityto experience first hand the agencies,schools and individuals that help others createchange and growth in the Rhode Island. Whilein their placement they are asked to reflect onthe population the agency serves and identifythe issues at hand (hunger, poverty, languagebarriers, unemployment, etc.).They use their algebraic knowledge to gatherreal world data, find relationships and representtheir findings through algebraic equations andgraphs. The students present their findingswhich always results in a meaningful classdiscussion about race, class and gender.In science we do an in-depth, hands-on studyof water including looking at the distribution,uses and importance of water personally,locally and globally. We specifically focus onthe water around Gordon’s campus and theunit begins with students mapping out theschool’s water resources (the stream and thepond).Once the maps are completed the studentstake weekly samples and test them for salinity,conductivity, nitrate, alkalinity, pH, dissolvedoxygen, temperature and transparency.Students learn the importance of measurement,precision and accuracy, testing hypothesesand identifying and controlling variables.At the end of their study, the students compiletheir data using their algebraic skills and sendit to www.globe.gov, as do students from overone hundred other schools. This shared dataallows students and researchers to performstudies that reach far beyond their ownbackyards.We also discuss the way the environmentaffects the quality of water and how certaincountries and areas of the world have limitedsupplies of water and what that means in termsof access and quality.What do you hope for your students?I hope that my students are confident with whothey are when they leave Gordon and that theycontinue to be thoughtful and caring citizens.7
Page 1 and 2: GORDON ALUMNI CONNECTION Spring 201
Page 7: Class of 2011Class of 20092OO4Johnn
Page 11 and 12: Speaking about stereotypes on amazo
Page 13 and 14: GENESIS CENTER VISITSGordon’s Mod
Page 15 and 16: CATHERINE MCCONNELL ’02Catherine
Page 17 and 18: S P R I N G 2 0 1 1Adam Freedman
Page 19 and 20: Tori Sgarro ’07 a senior at Ports

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