For most of us here at the ASP, these classroom environments are completely different from what most of us are used to at our regular schools. Most of us go to traditional public schools where the desks face the teachers and hand raising is mandatory, here at the ASP that is not the case. The desks face the center, so students can see their classmates and many of the classes are discussion based where raising hands is almost discouraged.
What struck most of the students as they ventured into the classroom on day one was the look of the room. Cyril Anderson of Con/20 who goes to Manchester Central remarked that at Central “desks are usually scattered while in my class, physiology, we’re all formed in a U shape so we can all see each other and the teacher as well.”
The organization of the desks in this way is referred to as the Harkness Method. The Harkness Method was a style of teaching developed at Phillips Exeter Academy by Edward Harkness whio believed that learning should be a “democratic affair” in 1930. The thinking behind the method is that there is nowhere to hide and students have to be more engaged. It creates an environment where students help each other and by extension have to work together more.
Chance Dawson of Middle House by way of Moultonborough Academy said that he believes that the discussion methods used at the ASP have helped him succeed in the classroom. “I’ve found and it’s not just a consequence of the content but that doing a lot more discussion has been more valuable and allowed me to shine as a student.” Dawson is saying the goal of the Harkness Method, the style of teaching used here. Here he is able to collaborate in ways that he couldn’t at Moultonborough and he believes that it has helped him succeed here.
Some people however are a little bit skeptical that the style of teaching is the difference maker rather that it is the size of the classroom that is more important. Data Driven teacher Bowman Dickson who teaches at St. Albans school in Washington DC, believes that a smaller class size is more important to the effectiveness of a class. “I know all my students really well and what lets them learn well” and that can only be achieved in classes where the size is small.
The combined ideas of both the students’ love of the discussion classes and Dickson’s idea of the small class size has come together to help make the ASP what it is today. Zoë Chinn of Brewster House from Lebanon High School probably said it best with “the expansive learning environment at the ASP is truly a lifestyle—allowing students to collaborate and connect not only in the classroom, but also during rec activities, meals, and study hours. It creates a close feeling of community that a normal high school cannot replicate—and I love it!”
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