Education Commons^™

Teaching, Bruce Maxwell

Colby Magazine

My most important job as a professor at Colby is to convince students they are capable of doing things they never believed they could do. While providing a framework for learning and structuring the required knowledge are essential for this journey, the key component is my belief in my students and their ability to achieve incredible things. I’m successful when my students have reached a point where they can be creative and have the tools to start really exploring what they can do. That is when true learning begins.

Teaching, Samara Gunter

Colby Magazine

I love the moment when a new metaphor makes a hard concept suddenly clear. For me, teaching economics, the search for the perfect example is like the hunt for a perfect seashell on a beach with rough waves. Most shells are flawed, but I choose a handful of the best and carry those with me. Still, I'm watching, ready to cast aside a former favorite to make room for something closer to perfection.

Bro Reflects: Adams Reveals His Private Thoughts On His Presidency

Colby Magazine

Retiring President William D. Adams speaks with candor on topics ranging from stresses of the job to the future of the liberal arts.

Charting Success: James Verrilli '83 Fashions A School For Inner-City Newark, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

James Verrilli '83 has heard it many times before. The suggestion is that students at North Star Academy in Newark N.J., do so well on assessment tests because they've been "creamed," skimmed from the top of the pool of thousands of kids in the city's conventional- and troubled- public schools. When the suggestion was made yet again during a recent interview, Verrilli tried not to bristle.

An Education Ceo: Robert Furek '64 Brings Accountability To Hartford Public Schools, Rick Green

Colby Magazine

Armed state troopers standing by his side, an ashen-faced Robert Furek '64 waded carefully through the jeering crowd lining the hallway of the ornate Hartford city hall.

"Racists and fascists!" some yelled. Furek, chairman of the board of trustees running the Hartford, Conn., public schools, quickly left the building, the taunts and finger-pointing. Furek and his colleagues had just voted to remove the district's superintendent of schools, an African-American woman some in this downtrodden community saw as a source of hope and inspiration.

A Ray Of Hope: Brittany Ray '93 Inspires Where She Found Inspiration, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

High school English teacher Brittany Ray '93 grew up in the tiny Down East town of Milbridge, a fishing community perched at the mouth of the Narraguagus River. Ray's father, Gary Ray '72, helped run the family business, a sardine cannery, and he made sure his daughter worked there, too, packing sardines beginning when she was 11. "He wanted me to know I needed to get out of Milbridge," Ray said. "He really questioned, 'Is teaching what you really want to do? And coming back [to Washington County]?' But I convinced him that that really was what I wanted."

Small Triumphs: Alex Quigley '99 Finds Hope And Despair In The Mississippi Delta, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

It was an hour into the school day and Alex Quigley '99 was standing in front of a room full of kindergarten students. The students were sitting on a carpet, each child assigned to a colored square. Quigley, motioning with a pointer tipped by a yellow star, looked like he was waving a magic wand.

"Who knows a word like bat?" he said. "Bat. Bah-tuh."

"Cat," a boy named Tony said.

"Good," said Quigley.

"Fat," said a little girl named Quintina.

"What letter makes the 'fuh, fuh' sound?" Quigley asked.

Quintina looked stumped.

"Fuh, fuh," Quigley said, his pointer at …

How Should We Teach

Colby Magazine

Education reform is a top priority in America. Public opinion polls rank it as the country's most pressing issue, and debates rage over Bush administration initiatives on school vouchers and standardized testing. Public education and how to improve it are at center stage.

But the cacophonous debate about public education can drown voices that have been speaking on education reform for decades. The political hue and cry about problems can cause us to overlook the crucial work now being done in schools across the country. Many of those voices belong to Colbians and much of that work is being done …

Paging Parents, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

Just what does it take to be a dean?

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1964-2013

Colby Magazine

Civil rights, the Vietnam War, end of fraternities—Colby explores the past 50 years.

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1914-1963

Colby Magazine

Three wars. A devastating economic depression. Construction of an entirely new campus from scratch. And all in 50 years.

The period that began as World War I erupted and ended as the tumult of the 1960s loomed was marked by a series of unprecedented events that could have mortally wounded a modestly funded liberal arts college in central Maine. The Great War emptied the campus. World War II turned Colby into a military training center. The bold decision to move the College to Mayflower Hill was sandwiched by the Depression and the Korean War and marked by the return of …

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1864-1913

Colby Magazine

In Their Footsteps and In Their Words: Colby explores the second 50 years, 1864-1913.

Passport To Colby: When Students Start Colby With A Semester Abroad, They Arrive On Mayflower Hill With A Different Perspective, Ruth Jacobs

Colby Magazine

Mid year admits talk about the excitement, anxiety, and rewards that come with starting Colby in Spain or France.

Unconventional Wisdom: Colby Professors Teach Students To Examine The Complex Forces That Shape Cultures--And Conflicts, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

Colby faculty members across a variety of disciplines teach students to unearth and understand the complexities that underlie the world’s thorniest conflicts.

History With A Twist: Earl Smith Brings A New Perspective To The Life Of The College, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

The new book, Mayflower Hill: A History of Colby College, has been released. Author and College Historian Earl Smith combines an insider’s view of Colby with a broad cultural perspective for a lively, informative, and sometimes irreverent read.

Pioneers: Colby's First Posse Leaves Changed By Colby--And Mayflower Hill Remains Changed By Posse I, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

The first group of Posse scholars graduated this spring. With faculty and administrators, they recount challenges, trials, and triumphs they experienced as they paved the way for those who followed.

Advice From The Real World: Recent Graduates Send Back Nuggets Of Post-Colby Wisdom

Colby Magazine

Colby asked recent graduates if they had advice for students soon to leave Mayflower Hill. The young alumni had plenty, from the concrete (do internships) to the philosophical (follow your passions).

A Long Way From Home: First-Generation College Students Face Obstacles But Find Their Own Ways To Thrive, Ruth Jacobs

Colby Magazine

They come from varied backgrounds and arrive with varied expectations. But as the first in their families to go to college, these students bring a fresh perspective and encounter unique challenges at Colby.

Reaching The World: Capital Campaign Kicks Off With Emphasis On Ensuring Colby Experience Is Accessible To All Qualified Students, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

A new capital campaign is about to kick off with an emphasis on ensuring that a Colby education is available to qualified students regardless of need.

Assessing The Sat, Ruth Jacobs

Colby Magazine

Old or new, the SAT (or the ACT) is a mandatory part of any Colby application. Read why the College sees the standardized test as one of several important criteria for admission.

Green Acres: From A "Green" Summit To A Residence Hall Dedicated To Environmental Awareness To State-Of-The-Art Construction, The Colby Community Is Collaborating To Understand And Confront Environmental Issues, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

No abstract provided.

Looking Back From Afar: Colby's Far-Flung International Alumni Consider Their Time On Mayflower Hill, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

We know they have a profound influence on the Colby community. But where do international students go after Mayflower Hill?

What Does Bro Do Anyway?, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

Think you know how a college president spends his time? Read this account to walk a mile--or maybe two or three--in President William "Bro" Adams's Shoes.

Join The Crowd: Alumni Find That Graduate School Isn't Mayflower Hill, But A Supportive Colby Prepares Them Well, Frank Bures

Colby Magazine

A majority of Colby graduates go on to graduate school. They find that, one, they're well prepared, and two, the degrees are advanced but grad school sure isn't Mayflower Hill.

Now What? Here's What…, Abigail Wheeler

Colby Magazine

After months of planning, interviewing, waiting and worrying, our four Colby seniors have landed jobs, places in graduate school.

Global Reflections, Stephen Collins

Colby Magazine

The first Davis UWC scholars to graduate from Colby consider their experience on Mayflower Hill.

Now What? Colby Seniors Have Their Plans In Full Swing, Abigail Wheeler

Colby Magazine

Four members of Colby’s Class of ’04 continue to share their hopes and worries about the future in the second part of our series.

The Decision, Alicia Nemiccolo Macleay

Colby Magazine

With more than 4,000 applicants for 490 openings, Colby’s Admissions Office finds a way to decide who gets in.

Now What? Anxious Colby Seniors Ponder Their Next Move, Abigail Wheeler

Colby Magazine

College seniors have more than graduation approaching. Four members of the Class of '04 share their hopes and worries.

The Word On Colby's Posse: What The Posse Program Is And What It Isn't, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

Colby is enrolling top students from New York City, who arrive as Colby’s Posse.