Social studies department head: signy emler
Signy has been teaching social studies for over twenty years and has developed an interdisciplinary approach to instruction that incorporates art, music, literature, and drama. She fully embraces neo-humanism and works hard to infuse her lessons with its principles. She is passionate about social studies education and constantly looks for new ways to engage students and inspire them to develop a lifelong curiosity about history and the world. She believes that critical thinking is essential to citizenship, and that adolescents need to develop understandings of history in order to construct informed, meaningful opinions about the world they will inherit. Signy embraces the philosophy that all students have unique talents, and she has refined her teaching style to address learners as diverse individuals. She cares deeply about her students and her work. She is committed to excellence and expects it of herself and of her students. Signy initiated a pilot study on the impact of mindfulness and attention training on adolescents and teachers in a large public school district, which allowed her to connect deeply with the mission of the Progressive School. She has an MA in teaching social studies and an M.Ed. in organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University and an Ed.D. from Molloy University. In her spare time, Signy enjoys spending time with family, reading, writing, painting, travelling, and playing the guitar.