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Stephen K. Smuin
1997-2010 |
Lee Shult
1997-2010 |
Stephen K. Smuin, Founder
Education statement from Stephen:
"Education is a profession, not an 8-4 job. A true educator should continue to grow by keeping abreast of the newest literature, research and pedagogy, and by reading experiencing and experimenting. An educator must be interested in the entire educational system not just their school, their grade, their classes. Educators must remain aware in order to know what of the old to discard and what of the new to adopt--what of the old is valid and what of the new is just repackaging. More importantly, an educator must be continually aware that they are part of a larger system called the community and their work must always reflect the development of the emotional intelligence of that community.
Education in today's society is the only avenue to competence and the necessary highway to exhilaration. I embrace the high demands I have of students and myself. I teach because of those precious moments when I see a student grow, risk, challenge, learn, become aware, find success, turn around a failure, be curious or just say “thank you.” It is the look on their faces when this happens that makes me teach. "
Stephen K. Smuin is the co-founder of Odyssey School, San Mateo, CA, founder of the middle school program at The Nueva School, Hillsborough, CA and an accomplished author, teacher, consultant and workshop presenter. His current experience, administering and teaching at a middle school for gifted and talented children, spans 20 years. Prior to his founder roles at Odyssey School and The Nueva School, Stephen K. Smuin was Associate Director at the Independent Learning School in Palo Alto and was Director of the Montana Indian Youth Practicum in Helena, Montana.
Smuin teaches gifted and talented students at Odyssey School and did so at The Nueva School. His teaching specialty is writing and humanities. He has also taught English and Social Studies at San Mateo High School, Writing, Government and American History at the Independent Learning Center, Palo Alto CA, Educational Games at Hayward State University, CA, Social Psychology, American Government, World & American History at Loyola-Sacred-Heart High School, Missoula, MT, Social Studies in the Upward Bound program at Carroll College in Helena MT, and Psychology, Sociology and Economics at Libby Senior High School, Libby MT.
In addition to his experience in education, Smuin is a prolific book author, columnist, editor and reviewer. He is the author of three books and thirty-five magazine articles. His books include More Than Metaphor: Strategies for Teaching Process Writing, Addison-Wesley, 1993, Can't Anybody Here Write?: 137 Strategies for Teaching Writing in the Social Science Classroom, Mushroom Enterprises, 1982, Turn Ons!: 187 Teaching Strategies for the Social Sciences, Paramount Publishing, 1978. Between 1977 and 1984 he wrote and published numerous magazine articles on topics ranging from basketball, ballet, Bay Area travel, public television, diet, Michael Smuin, simulation gaming and students' right to fail. Smuin's experience as an editor and columnist was with San Francisco Bay Area publications from 1976-1981 where he covered primarily entertainment.
As a specialist and expert in teaching gifted middle school students, Stephen K. Smuin has a long career of educational consulting. Here is a sampling of his consulting projects:
- Hiroshima University, "Fusion Curriculum", 2008.
- Beijing International School, "External Audit", 2008.
- Notre Dame da Namur University "Middle School Education", 2000-2007.
- Planning Committee, Mid-Peninsula Jewish Community Day School, Menlo Park, California, 1996.
- Member San Mateo/Foster City Elementary School District Planning Committee for Bayside A.C.T. Magnet School, California, 1994-1995.
- “Developing an Advisory Program” St. Mark's Elementary School, San Raphael, California, 1993.
In 1979 Mr. Smuin started presenting workshops nationally and internationally. He has presented to the World Gifted Conference (Hamburg, Germany, Toronto, Canada, Salt Lake City, Utah), California Association of Independent Schools, College of Notre Dame, University of Montana (Missoula, MT), Association of Curriculum Development, Lesley College (Boston, MA), California Association for the Gifted, 6 Seconds, California League of Middle Schools, San Mateo County Office of Education and the Young Presidents Club. The topics he has presented cover classroom management (“Class Discipline”), the arts (“The Role of Arts Education” & “Scheduling the Creative Arts”), writing (“Learning to Write, Writing to Learn”), “Gifted Education”, emotional intelligence (Affective Education in the Classroom” & “Advisory That Works”) and curriculum (“Integrated Curriculum” & “Fusion Curriculum”).
Mr. Smuin has a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the San Francisco State University and is an M.A. (candidate) in Political Science from the University of Montana. In addition to teaching middle school he has also taught at the high school and university levels. He has coached high school basketball, football and track and served on the Board of Directors for the Hillbarn Theater in Foster City, administered Artist-in Residence programs for both Odyssey and The Nueva Schools and was a research consultant for an Emmy Award winning ballet for the Dance in America series in 1984.
Stephen K. Smuin's certifications include the California Life Social Science Secondary credential for teaching and the California Life Administration credential for school administration.
Mr. Smuin's training, experience, educational philosophy and beliefs have shaped the exceptional program at Odyssey:
• Middle school children are at the most important juncture in their educational career when they enter middle school.
• Middle school children require a unique understanding, by their teachers, of the developmental stages they are going through in order to be successful at school.
• All children can benefit from teaching techniques designed for gifted students however gifted students may actually suffer if they are deprived of teaching that addresses their specific educational needs.
• Teaching emotional intelligence, Self Science, is a critical element in the academic, as well as social, education of gifted middle school students.
• To be effective, a school must also be a community – a community of learners.
• A key responsibility of a middle school is to teach children self-reliance and self-direction.
• Academic excellence in gifted students is supported by a curriculum that is rich in connections and integration.
Throughout his rich career Mr. Smuin has continually taught Writing and Humanities and believes ongoing experience in the classroom is an important factor in being a successful Head of School. His dual role as teacher and administrator gives him a unique perspective on the educational and emotional needs of gifted middle school students. The mission and vision of Odyssey School reflects this daily experience with the students and fosters respect and camaraderie with his talented staff.
Smuin's personal interests include skiing, travel, cooking, reading, painting with watercolors, home construction projects and spending time with his yellow lab, Yuki.
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