English

On any given day, our English classrooms are hives of energy. Through a range of activities, students learn to write with precision and craft, and to read short stories, novels, poetry, and essays with confidence and curiosity. Because our teachers’ approach is student-centered and seminar-style, students arrive each day ready to share new ideas, listen to one another, and celebrate their discoveries. 

At Stevenson, writing is taught as an empowering tool of discovery. Towards that end, students write almost every day, and receive constructive feedback that helps them master the tools and techniques required to develop and express their thoughts. As college freshmen, our graduates regularly speak of their appreciation for how Stevenson taught them to organize their thoughts and write well relative to collegiate standards. While written efforts are focused on literary analysis, students also explore their narrative, persuasive, and creative voice.

Our teachers are trained to frame challenging issues with care, such that students learn to navigate—in developmentally appropriate ways—the complexities of our past and present as they encounter them in a variety of written materials. Our students grow in their power to find comfort in their discomfort, and they do so in a supportive, inclusive community. 

Seniors enroll in AP Literature and/or semester-long English electives. The electives focus on a particular author or genre or theme—e.g., Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Coming of Age, and The New Yorker magazine—but are aligned with one another in terms of their learning outcomes insofar as students’ skills are concerned. By allowing for a deeper dive into content, the electives’ topical focus prepares our students for college coursework. 

Our teachers regularly use strategic creative writing assignments to strengthen students’ capacity for close reading. Students who have a special affinity for creative writing often join the staff of Vailima, the student literary magazine that is published each spring. 

Our writing center, housed in our centrally-located Learning Commons, is teacher-directed and student-staffed. Students can make appointments or drop in at any stage of their writing process to generate ideas or review a draft with a carefully selected and well-trained peer. 

Students take the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)—the practice test for the SAT—in the fall of both their sophomore and junior years. Our English teachers introduce the test’s format to ensure students know what to expect. More importantly, our courses’ emphasis on building vocabulary, mastering grammar, improving reading comprehension, and honing analytical writing prepares students well for all standardized tests.