Humans have an innate need for storytelling. It is through stories that we find comfort and meaning amid life’s chaos and develop a shared emotional connection with those around us. As we write, share, and pass down stories, storytelling reflects our desire to be part of a shared history. English teachers at The Shipley School subscribe to the notion that writing is an ongoing process requiring engagement, commitment, and connectedness.
 
During their middle school years, students develop analytical writing skills through a multi-pronged approach not limited to exercises such as annotating, tracking literary devices and motifs throughout novels, creating structured outlines, and interpreting targeted feedback from teachers as they revise their work. These skills build steadily over the course of three years, from writing a persuasive paragraph in the sixth grade to constructing three-to-four-page papers before they make their final exit through the doors of the Middle School. Scaffolding is key to ensuring student achievement. As English teacher Kirsten Small notes, “Students make cognitive leaps at different times. Grades are the snapshots on that personal timeline.” Guiding students along their path to success is a core part of The Shipley School’s multi-faceted approach to ensuring individual well-being.
 
While instilling the value of critical thinking is essential, another core element is providing a platform in which students can engage with topics relevant to their lives. Students tackle literature that deals with universal themes such as coming of age, which sparks their curiosity about the connectedness of the human experience and enhances their global understanding and cultural fluency. This curiosity feeds into a willingness to express these ideas in writing, resulting in “an excitement to place this into context and connect to the bigger world,” according to Mrs. Small. Giving students the time and space to grapple with topics that interest them is key to encouraging the flow of creativity, which often results in lively debates and conversations.  
 
Contrary to widespread practice, where students and teachers spend weeks on end preparing for standardized tests, students at Shipley are afforded the opportunity to immerse themselves in what they are reading through a variety of creative outlets. English teacher Lila Corgan points out that, “Normally, this might generate fear that the content would lose its rigor, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.” By encouraging intellectual freedom for its students, Shipley upholds its mission of offering competitive academics. As Mrs. Corgan aptly highlights, this model “gives both teachers and kids time and space to play with books, allowing them time to see the touchpoints in books where they see themselves.” As a teacher, it is her goal that when students leave her class, they find that books are both accessible and relevant. And while they might not fall in love with every book, they will pick up a book knowing it is “not a tool for a test, but a tool for life.”