Developing the Mind

Gann Academy's expert teachers serve as instructors, collaborators, facilitators, and guides. Students play an active role in their own learning. Lectures are rare, while student-directed research and hands-on group work are the norms. Instruction focuses on the mastery of skills, not the simple acquisition of content.

Ninth graders develop competence in the core subjects outlined in our curriculum guide, then deepen their skillset and understanding through our advanced and standard electives. As students progress, they learn to analyze complex situations, develop opinions, and express themselves both orally and in writing.
 
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Gann Faculty

Gann invests deeply in professional development, and we nurture our teachers as deliberately and thoughtfully as we do our students. We encourage our teachers to innovate, take risks, and constantly evolve their teaching as needs, technologies and pedagogical approaches change—and they model these qualities for their students.

Glimpse of Gann

List of 4 news stories.

  • Jacob Pinnolis

    Faculty Friday: Interview with Mr. Pinnolis

    By: Joseph Hirsh '22 (Originally published in the Shevuon Hatichon, January 31st, 2020)

    Q: When did you become interested in teaching? Why?
    Well, I have been teaching for a very long time. I think my first year was at the University of California-Berkeley 37 years ago, so at a college level first. I taught at Berkeley, then Virginia Commonwealth [University], and then the University of Florida, and then at a high school in New York and other types of informal places: At a JCC in N.Y., at Camp Ramah... I love teaching. I have always loved teaching. There is something very satisfying about the process of watching and helping students expand their understanding of the world around them, expand their understanding of themselves, and that’s amazing work and holy work, and I’m happy to be a part of it.
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  • Biotech Students Tackle Research Projects with Electrophoresis

    "Our findings were very conclusive," began Jordan '20 and Elijah '20. "We found that [the genes of] patients with Multiple Sclerosis reacted very differently to the restriction enzymes than [the genes of] patients without MS." 
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  • College Process Kicks Off for Juniors


    Although football season has come to a close, Gann Academy’s two college counselors recently completed a kickoff of their own. College Kickoff, that is.

    "Even as the college process is winding down for our seniors, we start introducing juniors and their families to the process," said Co-Director of College Counseling Sherri Geller. Geller has been with Gann for 10 years and co-chairs the department with Lauren Avalos, who just joined the Gann community after working in higher education for twenty years. The duo formally begins the process each year with “College Kickoff Night,” an opportunity for juniors and their parents to meet with both counselors.
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  • Deborah Lee James, Former Secretary of the United States Air Force, Visits Gann Academy

    By: Leah Koritz '22 

    On Wednesday, January 22, former United States Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Gann Academy to discuss her experience as the second woman to ever serve in that role, as well as her journey to get there. James, who served as Secretary of the Air Force from 2013-2017, also shared with Gann faculty and students her advice on pursuing goals, personal stories, and information about the Air Force. The assembly concluded with time for students to ask questions and with a smaller group of interested students meeting with her afterward to learn more. 

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