Meet Grade 4/5 Science Teacher Whitney Morris '96
“This is where I’m meant to be.”
That’s what new fourth and fifth grade science teacher and Shore alumna Whitney Morris thought to herself when she visited Shore to interview for her job last spring.
After earning her graduate degree at U.C. Berkeley in developmental education, the Rowley native had returned to Massachusetts and was living in Gloucester, commuting to Newton for a high school teaching job. But Morris knew she wanted to teach younger students closer to her North Shore community, and visited Shore’s website out of curiosity. She was surprised and delighted to find the notice of the open science position, and thrilled by the idea that she’d be teaching fourth and fifth graders—”my favorite age group,” according to Morris.
“I immediately wrote to Larry Griffin,” she says, “and told him, ‘I don’t know if you remember me, but I would love to talk to you about this position!’ I had read all about the fourth and fifth grade curriculum, with its focus on environmental science and sustainability, and my fingers were crossed really hard.”
Needless to say, Morris got the job, and she’s excited to build on the fourth and fifth grade curriculum developed by her predecessor, Colleen Parenteau. “I’m definitely hoping to continue and expand on the environmental literacy focus she implemented, as well as build on what she did with the garden and sustainability at Shore.”
In fourth grade, Morris’s students will focus on the local ecosystem, “getting their hands dirty” in Shore’s garden, local wetlands, and forests. In fifth grade, they’ll dive into marine science, climate change, and how it ties into the health of the marine ecosystem. She says, “We’re going to have a freshwater fish tank that will mimic a local pond, and we’ll compare it with a second tank that will mimic a saltwater ecosystem.”
With a background rich in ecology and environmental science, Morris is also looking forward to getting students out in the field. “I want to see if we can do our own field research. I used to run programs where I was responsible for taking kids out into the field, but there was always a disconnect between that and the classroom. I want to work on fusing the two experiences as both a classroom teacher and environmental education instructor.”
“I am also excited about connecting fourth and fifth grade science with the younger grades in the Lower School, and Grades 6 through 9 in the Upper School. I want to work on creating a really meaningful bridge between grades, where we’re consciously focusing on specific skills and then developing and enhancing those skills as students progress.”
The focus on skills, part of Shore’s concept-based approach to curriculum, represents a significant change from Morris’s time as a student here. “When I was a student, content was the driving force in the classroom, but today, I love that we’re really emphasizing critical thinking skills, and teaching students how to be effective in a global community.”
Still, she sees one thing that’s remained a constant at Shore since her time as a seventh and eighth grader here. “Teachers at Shore have always made this huge investment in their students, but when I was a student, I don’t think I understood what my teachers were giving up to do what they did for me. For example, Mr. Vienot was my math teacher. Math has never been my strong suit, and I remember going to him almost every single day after school to say, ‘I still don’t get it.’ And every single day he would sit down with me and go over it with me. That level of dedication is very Shore, and I hear that and see that everywhere today.”
Seeing that dedication must have stuck with Morris. Describing her visit to Shore last spring, when she presented a demo lesson for fourth grade students, she says, “I had finished my lesson and was just talking with the students, and I told Colleen Parenteau, ‘I could do this all afternoon. Can I just take the rest of your classes?’ It was great.”
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Morris will build on Shore's sustainability efforts.
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Working with students
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In the 4/5 science classroom
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
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