Erin McCarthy ’13: Three years ago, Head of Upper School Geoffrey Wagg created a program for teachers. His goals for Mastership, based on a renowned program at the University of Pennsylvania, were to increase teachers’ self-awareness in the classroom, facilitate career development, and help faculty members grow as individuals.
According to Wagg, he wanted the program to be a “self-reflective” experience for teachers, in which they could learn to develop better interpersonal skills and crisis management both in and out of the classroom.
The program is not mandatory for faculty members; however, Wagg explained that it would likely be beneficial to teachers who may want to move on to administrative roles in the future.
The teachers who do choose to take part in the Mastership program any given year, must attend workshops on Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 P.M., as well as approximately one Saturday meeting a month.
Upper School English teacher Jennifer Maier, who currently takes part in the program, noted her initial apprehension about the time commitment. “Initially, it did throw me for a loop,” she admitted. “[It’s] 6 to 9 on Wednesday, [which is] when you do planning and grading.”
Dr. Christoper Row, Upper School religion teacher who took part in Mastership last year, echoed Maier’s sentiment, noting “There’s a big time commitment. It legitimately is daunting.”
However, both agreed that the benefits far outweigh any inconveniences.
Row called the program a “very positive, rigorous, and intense program of study designed to make us better teachers and also better future administrators.”
As someone who has received a Ph.D., Row noted the Mastership program was different than his doctoral experience in that there are not as many classroom hours in Masterhip. Howewer, Episcopal’s program is “very focused to our jobs as independent school teachers and administrators.”
Thus far, Maier has enjoyed “learn[ing] from my colleagues about ways to improve my teaching.”
She noted that, at the beginning of the program, she and her colleagues took tests to learn about their leadership style. While this was helpful, she admitted that the results of these tests were things she already knew.
However, according to Maier, “[over the] last couple weeks we’ve had scenarios with teachers acting in parent roles and students in student roles,” which have been very helpful.
“[Teachers are] facing situations in a way which you can get feedback automatically,” explained Maier.
These role-playing scenarios are videotaped and then critiqued by colleagues, administrators, and a psychologist. Wagg described a recent scenario in which Cheryl McLauchlan, Form Dean and math teacher, played a disgruntled parent.
Wagg believes that it is these scenarios that help teachers develop interpersonal skills which can’t be taught even in doctoral programs and make Mastership so special.
Row lauded this “group process” as incredibly valuable and noted that “the whole mastership group coming together in guidance of a psychologist” to discuss how we learn and to share personal experiences was one of the most rewarding parts of the program.
Maier also enjoyed the experience of working with a “cohort of other teachers” and building friendships with teachers from different units with whom she wouldn’t normally interact.
After completing the program, Row noted that the “study of brain chemistry and how we learn directly refined my teaching style.”
Wagg noted that he has gotten positive feedback from most who have taken part in the program and he plans to have Tracie Lee, a current Mastership coordinator, take over the program after he leaves at the end of this academic year.
Maier believes that the Mastership Program serves as a testament to the fact that Episcopal is “always changing and trying to improve.”
Row “wish[ed] everyone had the opportunity to take it.”
“In music, they’d call it a practicum,” he explained. “If you want to grow, this is the course for you.”
He considers the Mastership program “EA’s professional development secret weapon.”
“AIS and Haverford don’t have this,” he elaborated. “It is the reason parents should send their kids here.”

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