News Archive
Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship Update
The Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence was launched in 2021 with the intention of shedding light on aspects of academics that Shawnigan may not have previously explored, creating opportunities for students, teachers, and the rest of the Shawnigan community.
The current Bruce-Lockhart fellow, Mr. Mark Henry, is focusing his efforts on increasing awareness and incorporation of the Harkness learning method first in the social studies department and then in Shawnigan’s broader academic structure as a way to adapt to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Related to the Socratic method – which has stood the test of time for nearly 2,500 years – the Harkness method is discussion-based, and encourages critical thinking, empathy and collaboration. It has been adopted by many private schools, where its effectiveness is increased by smaller class sizes. In the age of AI, says Mr. Henry, it helps preserve a “truly human education, which aligns with the goals of the School and the social studies department.”
Mr. Henry is the third teacher to hold the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship. He grew up in Washington, DC, but lived in Scotland for the last 20 years, attending the University of St. Andrews, where he studied history.
“It’s amazing,” he says when asked what interests him about history. “It’s the most exciting movie ever seen, but it actually happened. You’re highlighting the most dramatic parts of what humans are capable of, for good and bad.”
He spent the following 15 years teaching at Fettes College, a private school in Scotland, where he also led the school’s International Baccalaureate program. He and his wife were keen to live somewhere else, and, having previously visited Vancouver Island, felt it would be a great place to raise their three young children. He started at the School in September, and now teaches two human geography classes and two philosophy classes in addition to his Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship responsibilities.
The Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship was created to bring in an outstanding local, national or international educator to Shawnigan for one year, with the mission of inspiring the community, providing fresh perspectives on education, encouraging innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, exposing students to high-level academic pursuits, and uniquely contributing to their experience of The Shawnigan Journey.
The Fellowship was launched in 2021-22 as part of Project Future, and named for Mr. Simon Bruce-Lockhart, who served Shawnigan as headmaster from 1990 to 2000, and his wife Joanne, who taught at the School from 1990 to 2007.
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