In the Studios

Why is Oxbow so Cool?

09/16/11

mo_elgazzar.jpg

As I enter my second full year as the History Instructor at The Oxbow School, I've been thinking quite a bit about why Oxbow is such a special place. As a veteran, or, ahem, a survivor, of the public charter school system as well as other residential programs, it's easy to reduce the glory of Oxbow to the experience of a teacher. In other words, it's a great place because, as a worker, I feel taken care of and supported in my craft as well as in the development of my skills as a facilitator of learning. In addition, I am afforded plenty of freedom to create learning experiences that I believe will optimize the learning of the participants in the program. As much as I am grateful for the opportunity to teach at Oxbow, we all know that my personal experience is simply insufficient to explain the je ne sais quoi of this wonderful place.

Upon further reflection, I realize that it is the students themselves that make this program so successful. With so many high-skilled, highly motivated and inspired learners in our midst, it is actually difficult not to have a successful class. The insatiable hunger for knowledge and art that the students express regularly pushes the educators to provide ever-expanding and ever-challenging questions that will drive student exploration.

These young people make teaching easy. Their willingness to explore deep ideas and the applications in the real world as well as in art propel the ownership of the learning from the teacher to the student. They own their own learning... almost to the point where these young minds make the act of teaching obsolete.

So what makes Oxbow so cool? My reply: “Hands down, it's the students.” After all, what better way is there to teach than to allow students to explore their interests and affinities, building upon their previously constructed knowledge to gain deeper and deeper understandings of the world they will soon inherit?

Mo Elgazzar
History Instructor

I have learned so many skills and habits that have made me a better person throughout my time here. To name a few: I have learned how to be a good roommate, how to communicate, and how to trust myself. I have learned the importance of staying hydrated, getting good sleep, and having a clean work space. I have learned how to share space both in the studios and dorms. Lastly, I have learned that it’s okay to advocate for what you need and that there is no harm in asking for help or support.

— Grace Reynolds, Fall 2023

Artistically, I learned a lot of new techniques and mediums while here. I had access to much more than before and I made the most of it. I tried everything I could and always talked to my teachers and peers about new ways I could make art. Every so often, I completely stepped out of my comfort zone. Experimenting with technique and testing my artistic boundaries has helped me realize how many paths I have to choose from in the art world and that makes me excited for the future.

— Macy Manning, Fall 2023

At Oxbow, the eye and the hand are inseparable from the mind and because their peers are also artists, students adopt fresh attitudes toward their work.

— Charles Altieri, Rachel Anderson Stageberg Chair, Professor of English, University of California, Berkeley

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