peteya

could you please let me know what you consider to be most distinctive about the culture of exeter?

for those worried about Harkness and preparation for college there is a simple solution - go to Oxford or Cambridge.

PEAteacher

Interesting question. Yes, to some extent. E.g., some kids do as little work as they can possibly get away with (at Exeter??? Yep). However, that may be because they're involved in some other learning experience that's valuable to them, so I'm reluctant to say that they're squandering the opportunity. There's a lot of diversity among kids and there are A LOT of different learning opportunities, so kids tend to gravitate toward whatever attracts them the most (sometimes at the expense of other things).

PEAteacher

the culture... a bit vague for me. One of the aspects that I think is distinctive is the respect that students grant other students. I observe it here a lot more than I have at other schools. Kids are remarkably non-judgmental. One kid may appear "weird" by typical standards (e.g., unusual haircut, peculiar habits, strange behavior), but other kids don't ever seem to marginalize or make fun of anyone. Every person seems to be valued and respected for what s/he is. It's remarkable; I've seen VERY different and less tolerant behavior at other schools (this is high school after all!). It makes me proud of my students.

italianboarder

I have no idea if you have taught at a public school or another school for reference(I don't know if your other school experience is an "average" experience(Maybe you taught at college?))... Do you believe that an academically challenging school(like exeter) creates a boundary between teachers and students that is not as bad at a weaker boarding school (With a bigger community focus)?

Do you think that the "pressure" strains the relationship?(As pressure often does)
Do you think that the pressure on the relationship is a drawback that keeps both parties from reaching their potentials?(Potential of the student and potential of the teacher... Basically potential of the relationship to benefit each other)

PEAteacher

No, not at all. I'm not sure I even follow the line of reasoning. Why would a challenging environment create a barrier?

Again, I have a hard time even understanding this. Look, people who teach here generally like to challenge their students. Students who go here generally like to be challenged. That makes for a wonderful relationship. And since it's a boarding school, there's a lot of interaction between teachers and students. I can chat with kids when I coach. I certainly do in the dorm. We watch TV together. I bake for them. I take my advisees out to lunch. I sit in their room and we shoot the breeze. They come to my apartment and we shoot the breeze. Yes, true, everyone is busy, but don't think that everyone is in their room studying all the time. One evening in a dorm will disabuse you of that notion! Students are hanging out in each other's room, wrestling, playing video games with people in different rooms while yelling at each other, sharing snacks... and teachers, in turn, find time to hang out with the kids. I'd say there's a lot of "community focus." The workload may be challenging, but they let you in because you can handle it while living a remarkably normal life.

italianboarder

What I was trying to get at was a supposed "college teacher apathy" that I discussed with an Andover teacher. He said that even at schools like Andover and Exeter, the focus of some teachers can shift from "friend" to educator on some degree if they don't like the student particularly well.

He said that very few teachers actually behave that way, but I've talked to Exeter students and they even said that sometimes they think that their "hardest" teachers lose a lot of brownie points when they try and just push stuff onto the students. They described one teacher with the sentence: "He is burying me with so much work that I only did one out of every eight problems last night..."

I'm sure that 99% of the students love being pushed to achieve something greater than themselves. It just seemed like some kids thought that the academics really made it hard to be friends with some teachers. The girl I talked to was in a really high level of French and Mathematics. I guess she felt alienated and she didn't finish her third year at Exeter... I talked to a person with an extreme view so I was curious. I guess it isn't in the average Exeter student's career?

Thanks though.

benevolent4them

Hey, I am an 8th grader accepted to Exeter for 9th grade. I was wondering about 3 things.

1. At Exeter would I have a college schedule or more like a high school schedule. Do classes meet daily? How many classes will I have each day and how long will they be?

2. How often do you guys take tests? How do you take them at the Harkness table?

3. What about grading? I don't think that I could live with C's. How hard is it the pull B's and A's at standard level courses?

PEAteacher

First of all, never believe something that an Andover teacher tells you Sorry, couldn't resist but seriously, I can't say I've ever observed that.

I'm surprised to hear that. There are certainly teachers who are friendlier than others, or more accessible, but I think that's largely a function of personality rather than anything else.

Congrats!

Check out the insane Exeter schedule here: http://www.exeter.edu/documents/DS_Schedule.pdf

Could they make it more complicated? You'll take five classes plus health, which is a mini class of sort. Classes usually meet four or five times a week (math, science, and languages usually five times; history and other humanities four times). E.g., your schedule could be Junior Studies in A, Bio in BU (both the B and the U format), Math in EX, History in H, French in FY, and Health in G, plus sports in CDV (doesn't really meet all CDV formats). It's crazy, but you eventually get used to it, and at some point it actually starts making sense!

It really depends on the class. In some classes you never take tests (you just write papers or do projects/presentations/debates). In other classes you may take them weekly. We typically use slides to take tests (you pull slides out of the table and turn your chair 90 degrees, so that you're seeing the back of the student next to you).

If you do the work you're supposed to do, you should be able to get at least a B. I feel that most of the C's I give, I give to kids who didn't work very hard. Pulling an A can be challenging, but lots of students do it. What I tell kids all the time: don't focus on grades per se. Focus on doing your best work; grades will follow.

Notnim

As a parent my biggest concern is the support system & communication with parents. I want my child to be come independent, but I also want to be in the know often. How do teachers & advisors balance keeping the student on track & communicating with parents? Is there "informal" parent communication thru the advisor?

PEAteacher

Yes, parents and adviser are in constant contact. If I observe anything out of the ordinary or anything that may be a source of concern, I will get in touch with the parents. E.g., if my advisee misses a couple of classes for no good reason; if s/he does poorly on an assignment; if a teacher gets in touch with me to express concern about something; if the kid's behavior seems unusual; in all these situations, I'll get in touch with the parents. If everything is great, I will still get in touch with the parents periodically to give an update. In turn, as a parent, you should feel free to contact the adviser when you have questions or concerns. Needless to say, don't call the adviser every day; boarding school teachers have very full schedules. But do get in touch whenever you have concerns.

pinkheart23

Is it common for students to get "burnt out"?

PEAteacher

No, I wouldn't say "common." The percentage of students who struggle with academics is actually very small, even though certainly not zero. But you do need to learn to juggle everything, so that you can make time for things you enjoy doing (which helps prevent burnout). Most kids figure it out pretty quickly.

Sportincourty

What kind of books have been read in English (winter terms)? Any glimpses for what will be in the lesson plans for the prep's spring term?

PEAteacher

English instuctors have a lot of flexibility in choosing the books that they assign, so it really depends on the section you're in (there isn't a standard list of books that everybody reads).

RKF

I have just been accepted as a Upper at Exeter, generally how does this minority adapt to the school. Is it hard to come into a group that has been together for 2 years?