News & Views
Eighth Grade Teacher Will McDonough Named Top 100 Educational Visionary
New Canaan Country School eighth grade history and English teacher Will McDonough has been named a recipient of this year’s Top 100 Visionaries in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning (GFEL).
After nominations, interviews, and extensive research, the GFEL awards committee rated each finalist on the following parameters to reach the final list of awardees: overall reach; industry impact; spirit of innovation; future readiness; and market demand.
After nominations, interviews, and extensive research, the GFEL awards committee rated each finalist on the following parameters to reach the final list of awardees: overall reach; industry impact; spirit of innovation; future readiness; and market demand.
Mr. McDonough, a resident of New Canaan with 13 years teaching experience at New Canaan Country School, has a robust educational following on social media, is a respected contributing writer for educational blogs and has presented at numerous conferences, including NAIS, AMLE, and TEDxUNplaza. His reach and impact are strong, but GFEL acknowledged it was the Spirit of Innovation and Future Readiness that earned the highest marks.
In the area of innovation, Mr. McDonough was recognized for his courageous optimism, having co-founded and directed Standing Rock Camp in Redding, CT in 2015. The overnight program which operated until 2017 centered around providing small groups of young men in need of mentorship with authentic models of manhood. McDonough is also the author of a number of creative books that push the boundaries of connecting people to one another, including The Things We Shared in the Time We Had: A Letter to My Students and Pause Together: A Handbook for Humans, the latter of which was recently released on September 5, 2020.
Future readiness and market demand in education represent two areas where “vision” is an absolute necessity. In his current role as teacher, social studies department coordinator, 8th grade dean, and Director of Service Learning, Will’s vision, innovative spirit, and work in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion are on display daily. The future of education needs innovative thinkers and change agents who commit themselves to discourse, innovation, and a recognition of our common humanity. Will checks those boxes in both his classroom and in the broader community.
Education is one of the fundamental pillars of humanity which holds the potential of empowering individuals and transforming their lives. Due to the great importance it holds, imparting education is considered to be one of the most noble acts. Will is a teacher and learner to the core and the impact he has within his classroom each day is profound.
“I love to teach because I love to learn, and that curiosity lives at the root of anything I do that could be considered remotely ‘visionary. Without my students, the creativity I possess would be impossible. My goal each day is to understand [my students] better and to collaborate alongside them in imagining greater things,” said Mr. McDonough. “I am honored by this recognition.”
Mr. McDonough’s Top 100 Visionaries in Education award is to be conferred at GFEL USA 2020 Conference on December 8-10, 2020 at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA.
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
