Lower School Teacher Mrs. Jayne Parker Named the 15th Clark Faculty Chair


During the Academy's annual opening assembly, Mrs. Jayne Parker, Lower School, Grade 3 teacher, was named the 15th Clark Faculty Chair by the Board of Trustees and Head of School Kolia O’Connor.

Since 2003, the award is given to a teacher who displays a love of learning, leadership, and a commitment to the community. The award was established in honor of Ham Clark’s 15-year tenure as headmaster of Sewickley Academy and his wife Ceci’s many contributions to the life of the school.

The Clark Faculty Chair honoree is an individual who best exemplifies the teaching qualities that Mr. Clark most admired: a mastery of his/her subject matter, a love of teaching and interacting with young people, and an engaging and effective teaching style. In addition, the recipient is respected by his/her colleagues and the school community, regularly seeks personal and professional growth opportunities, and is fully engaged in the life of the Academy.

This year’s honoree exemplifies the qualities of the Clark Faculty Chair. A master teacher, who continually seeks to improve; an individual who loves to teach, mentor, and guide students to help them become their best selves; and a person who genuinely enjoys spending time with young people.

Mrs. Parker has spent years refining her practice in the classroom to ensure that students are increasingly active in solving problems, in discovering solutions, and in collaborating with one another in learning. Focused not only on teaching her subject, she is also finely attuned to the importance of developing the skills of learning, including time management, organization, cooperation, collaboration, resilience, focus, and increasing independence. She is also committed to the social-emotional development of her students and delights in their growth.

It is not possible to come into Mrs. Parker’s classroom and not immediately be aware that her students are constructively engaged, either with her or with one another – but always around a learning goal. The atmosphere of the classroom is one that supports risk-taking and where so-called failure is clearly seen as an opportunity to get another explanation or figure out a different way to solve a problem. It is not surprising, therefore, that students who may have struggled at times tend to find their academic groove in her class and go on to further academic success.
As a professional colleague, this individual is generous and thoughtful, supporting her fellow teachers both directly through her work in her division and school-wide, and indirectly by modeling for others her courage to examine her own practice carefully and with an eye to improvement. Mrs. Parker is active in the New Employee Mentoring Program (NEMP) and is a beloved mentor to her new colleagues.

This year’s Clark Faculty Chair honoree is committed to professional growth and over the last several years has been a leader in implementing Responsive Classroom as well as Reader’s Workshop into her classroom practice. A strong contributor to her Critical Friends Group, this teacher proactively builds cross-divisional connections and supports her colleagues at all levels. Mrs. Parker often welcomes students from other divisions into her classroom to engage in cross-divisional learning opportunities.

A sixteen-year veteran of Sewickley Academy, Mrs. Parker earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has taught at multiple grade levels, most recently in Grade 3 where she has partnered with a previous Clark Faculty Chair recipient to deliver the best possible experience she can for her students.

Congratulations, Mrs. Jayne Parker!

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