Welcome to the SYP Blog!
Hello and welcome to the first blog post for The School for Young Performers!
I’m Chris Goodwin and I’m the Assistant to the Head of School. Since I began here in July, I’ve also started working on the website and digital marketing efforts for the school. I, along with my boss, Iris, are excited to launch this blog and begin providing you with insight of the inner workings of SYP, why we believe the school is the ultimate boutique educational experience, and how its existence has changed the lives of students, teachers, and families throughout our nearly 25-year history. In this introductory post, I’ll walk you through my background, what a typical day looks like at my desk, my experiences in arts and education, and most importantly, what I love about SYP and the opportunities it affords to its students. Let’s begin!
About me: in case you haven’t read my bio, I grew up in Seattle, Washington, where I attended public schools for my entire education. I did fine in core subjects, but nothing held my interest more than my creative classes. I grew up watching the Food Network and HGTV over cartoons and spent most of my free time in community theatre rehearsals, so it was no surprise that I wanted to go to school to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. I had the best collegiate experience at Shenandoah Conservatory, where my interests eventually morphed from performing to arts management. After graduating last May, I moved to New York City to pursue this, where I soon met Iris and joined the SYP community. It’s been nothing short of amazing, and I am beyond excited to help her as we continue to expand and share the SYP experience.
A Day at SYP: I take the subway down to our office in the Financial District of Manhattan. There is something surreal about working blocks away from dozens of globally recognized landmarks; our building has views of the Freedom Tower and is positioned between Wall Street and City Hall. After grabbing a coffee at a local shop to appease the Seattleite in me, it’s go time. My role at the office fluctuates day-to-day and by season, but typically I do the following:
Work with teachers to track academic hours and report what’s going on in the classroom to Iris and families
Order supplies for students and teachers across the country
Process new student inquiries and help search for new educators nationwide
Research the best supplemental academic resources that we can offer our students for use in and out of the classroom
Work with our college counselor to gather information as our high schoolers begin thinking of post-graduate plans
And now, run this blog!
I enjoy each and every day here, because in addition to these responsibilities, there’s always something new. Whether it’s solving a new problem or finding a better way to serve our students, I leave work in the afternoon feeling proud to take part in this school and further its mission.
My Experiences: I know all too well how hard it can be to juggle multiple obligations when you’re heavily involved in an extracurricular. Toward the end of high school, I would rehearse for six hours each night after school, and my time in college was spent leading two major student groups on top of work and my own studies. Needless to say, I could have used the extra time, flexibility, and personal attention afforded to SYP students. I was lucky to have small class sizes in college, but I often fell through the cracks in high school classes of 60+. Though I trained in performance and am not attempting to pursue a career as an actor, the most vital lessons I learned in college revolved around the importance of being inquisitive and pushing the envelope – in and out of the classroom. These lessons correlate strongly with the reasons why I am so proud to be a part of this school.
Why I Love SYP: It is imperative for us as humans to never settle and continue finding smarter ways to do everything – whether it’s creating stronger infrastructure, curing diseases, or even rethinking how we educate future generations. Studies have shown clear advantages to one-to-one education, and I believe SYP is doing incredible work in tailoring the classroom to the student instead of expecting students of all abilities and interests to succeed in the same learning environment. I’m intrigued (and sometimes jealous) of the materials being used and projects transpiring amongst our students – such as using Hamilton to teach U.S. History or explaining math and science principles in relation to students’ favorite sports. This kind of personalization is exciting to see, and it thrills me to play even a small part in making this experience a reality for our students.
If you’re interested in joining our community of learners, please contact us and we’ll be in touch. Be sure to check back every few weeks for updates to the all-new School for Young Performers blog!
Until Next Time,
Chris