Professional Development Spotlight: TABS Residential Life Leadership Lab

What an incredible adventure and opportunity! One of the most exciting aspects of this year has been the chance to visit and learn about how different boarding schools operate. The TABS Residential Life Leadership Lab provided a space for new ideas, collaboration, and professional growth.

This lab, held at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Fla., was designed to bring together like-minded administrators and educators to develop, refine, or complete a school project of their choice, in a refreshing environment, where we could have time, we may not have in our daily schedules, to focus on these projects. My colleague, Tara Inman, and I focused on exploring the Student Life Leadership Program at Darlington.

Over the course of the three-day conference, we worked through key steps in planning a successful program: vision, alignment, and execution.

• Day One: We started with introductions before diving into the first step—vision. We were encouraged to use backward design, working from the end goal to shape our project. Establishing a clear vision is critical, as it serves as the foundation for every decision moving forward.
• Alignment: This session included watching a well-known video, "Lone Nut and First Follower – A Movement," which highlights the importance of being willing to take initiative and, even more importantly, inspiring others to follow. We also read an article that posed a key question: Why would people follow you? This led to an in-depth discussion about leadership, stakeholder engagement (both internal and external), and the motivations behind our project. This section was particularly valuable as it allowed us to reflect on our leadership styles, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both ourselves and our proposed program.
• Execution: This final phase provided dedicated work time and collaborative discussions with administrators from other boarding schools. The ability to ask questions and gain different perspectives was incredibly insightful. My favorite part of the conference was the opportunity to collaborate with others, exchange ideas, and learn about innovative programs at other institutions.

Beyond the conference, we now have access to a shared collaborative folder filled with resources and contacts of fellow educators in similar roles. This network will allow us to continue learning from one another, leveraging our collective knowledge and expertise.

This experience was both enriching and inspiring, equipping me with new ideas and strategies to enhance student life at Darlington. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and continue growing as an educator and leader.

Professional growth and development are high priorities for Darlington. Each year, faculty and staff members participate in a professional growth cycle that includes professional learning communities, professional development days, and the ability to apply for professional development grants which fund conferences, travel, workshops, instructional supplies, outside speakers, and more. For the next few weeks, our blog series will highlight some of the opportunities that faculty and staff have participated in since they were awarded 2024-2025 Thatcher Grants last spring.