Our Wildwood, Volume 53

“Starting this year, we’ve asked students to tie the evidence in their Gateway back to specific parts of the Portrait. It helps students see that the skills they’re building are part of something bigger–not just assignments, but habits that will serve them for life.” — MEGAN DiNOIA, 6TH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

MASTERING THE JOURNEY Elizabeth Bergman, who teaches 12th grade world literature, has already found meaningful ways to weave the Portrait into her curriculum. For example, her classroom’s study of Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky explored concepts around the construction of self, drawing on literary theory that emphasizes the relational nature of identity. “At the end of the unit, students had to look back with this theory in mind and consider the things they can do, as well as their thoughts, feelings, and actions— creating an in-the-moment portrait of them now.” For their final paper, students compared Notes from Underground with another text, such as The Odyssey , analyzing how the sense of self operates differently across the works. This literary exploration offered a way to think about the complexity of identity in a more dynamic way, Elizabeth says. Going forward, Elizabeth is excited to deepen this integration. She plans to use The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis with next year’s seniors to explore the topic of “things to avoid in life” as a way to contrast and illuminate the traits in the Portrait. Meanwhile, upper school humanities teacher and advisor Deb Christenson has focused

on embedding the Portrait into Advisory discussions, and in particular, in preparation for Exhibitions, a senior rite-of-passage prior to graduation. She sees the Portrait as providing a vital vocabulary for students to express their personal and academic growth. “The Portrait gives students the language to talk about who they are becoming beyond academic skills. It helps them see themselves as thoughtful, resilient, and engaged members of the community.” When students talk about their projects or portfolios, Deb encourages them to name specific Portrait traits they developed—like creativity, adaptability, or global citizenship. The result? Powerful, in-depth presentations that richly show how Wildwood has shaped their lifelong learning as they prepare for life in college and beyond. LOOKING AHEAD While our journey with the Portrait of a Lifelong Learner has just begun, it already stands as both a compass and a mirror—guiding students to grow in meaningful ways and reflecting the school’s commitment to nurturing thoughtful, compassionate, and empowered individuals. It is, in every sense, a Portrait of a Lifelong Learner—and a Portrait of Potential. W

OWW SUMMER 2025

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