Birchwood Blog
2025
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October
Educating and Learning in the Age of A.I.
By Dr. RYAN WOOLEYRead More
Birchwood Head of SchoolIn 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage, hyped by some to have more seismic impact than the Internet. One only needs to perform a quick search online to find dozens of articles, some in high-profile publications, proselytizing how the world will change and how entire industries will be supplanted.While the benefits of AI are well-documented in all this press, there is a persistent underlying question: “What will people do?” And, if you are a parent or teacher, that question begs another: “What will still be available for my child/student when they reach a working age?” If you run a school, you might ask, “What should schools focus upon in the age of AI?” -
September
Leadership Program: Shaping Strong Character in Seventh & Eighth Grades
By HELENE DEBELAKRead More
Director of Curriculum
Founder-in-ResidenceCharacter development is a vital aspect of our mission and the Leadership Program for seventh and eighth graders is the capstone opportunity for students to showcase the habits they have built over their years at Birchwood School of Hawken.Each week students practice leadership in a chosen sphere of help within the school. Birchwood Director of Development Tim LaBar oversees the program and provides guidance to the students. -
August
She Made History!
By HELENE & CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
FounderS-in-ResidenceConnie Miller, one of our valued veteran teachers, is retiring this year. Having taught at Birchwood School of Hawken for 32 years, it is nearly impossible to describe Mrs. Miller’s contributions to our school – both as an exemplary teacher and in her vital role in sustaining our mission.Mrs. Miller taught 5th-8th grade Social Studies. She delved deeply into how to infuse her students in the way that historians and geographers think, the tools that they use, and their passion for their disciplines.
Her lessons were rich in experiential learning for her students: They created biography quilts, went to museums, conducted research downtown at the Cleveland Public LIbrary, created presentations using various media, practiced project-based learning that included elements of choice and agency, engaged in discussions created to develop reasoning skills, had debates – and the list goes on and on.Likewise, Connie understood that skills undergird authentic experiences, e.g. map skills, geography lessons, research skills, and study skills. In all areas, her goal was to develop agency within each student. -
July
The Class of 2025 Explores the Idea of Becoming
By CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
Founder-in-ResidenceBirchwood’s academic program is one of the best in Northeast Ohio. Yet academics take a back seat to our primary boast – character development. In this program, we teach and train students to forge a flourishing life, reaching goals for personal development and building a life which cares for and serves others.Among our many efforts toward these ends, the Ben Franklin Initiative is the capstone. In this effort during students’ eighth grade year, we deepen our understanding of the Aristotelian virtues and study the lives of great men and women through award-winning films.Together we engage with the reasoning and moral integrity of exemplary people, both famous and common. We have found that the lives of “great” people provide models to inspire and challenge.At the end of the year, I ask each student to write a brief essay which summarizes the lessons they have learned through this program. I also ask them to offer advice to the younger students at Birchwood about how to become a “great” person. We name these Legacy Essays.Please CLICK HERE to read the complete 24 Legacy Essays written by each member of Birchwood’s Class of 2025.
Charles Debelak is Founder-in-Residence, along with his wife, Helene. Together, the Debelaks founded Birchwood in 1984. Mr. Debelak’s writing provides parents with information about sound educational principles and child development issues gleaned from history, contemporary research, and his 50-plus years of educating, coaching, and counseling children, young adults, and parents. This article appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of the school's monthly newsletter, "The Clipboard." -
June
Eighth Grade Service Week: Helping Others, Writing for Reflection
Read MoreBy JENN SEWARD
5th, 7th & 8th Language Arts
7th Homeroom
Every morning for a week in April, Birchwood eighth graders ventured out to perform community service. Eighth Grade Community Service Week, an annual Birchwood tradition, was made possible by Mrs. Tzeng, who worked with nonprofit organizations around the area to arrange an array of experiences.
Allowing the students to see the needs and sometimes the deprivation in local neighborhoods through first-hand encounters is intended to help broaden students’ perspectives and enlarge their hearts. Perhaps they can be inspired to start a personal habit of “giving back” to the community. For many, it heightens appreciation for what they have. -
May
Practicing Character: Justice
Read MoreBy CHARLES DEBELAK
Founder-in-Residence
This is the eighth installment of Mr. Debelak's Character Education series. This academic year, through essays and videos, Mr. Debelak has been discussing Birchwood School of Hawken’s character education program, explaining what we mean by good character, why we place importance on character education, and how we carry out an effective program that gets results. A companion video to this essay is linked below.
In this column, Mr. Debelak further explores the “How” of Character Education as he discusses putting into practice the Aristotelian virtue of Justice.Practicing Character: Justice
As I have noted before, good character is the aggregate of habituated behaviors. For this reason, when I define virtues for children, I define them as activities that can be practiced. Through repeated practice, virtues become habituated and become a part of a child’s character.In this article, I explain how the virtue of “justice” can be practiced. -
April
Practicing Character: Self-Control
By CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
Founder-in-Residence
This is the seventh installment of Mr. Debelak's Character Education series. This academic year, through essays and videos, Mr. Debelak will discuss Birchwood School of Hawken’s character education program, explaining what we mean by good character, why we place importance on character education, and how we carry out an effective program that gets results. A companion video to this essay is linked below.Self-Control: The Key to SuccessSocial and cognitive scientists agree that self-control is a cornerstone for success. It plays a vital role in individual achievements and in creating supportive and productive relationships. It is one of the most important virtues we can instill in our children.The good news is that self-control can be learned.
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March
Practicing Character: Courage
By CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
Founder-in-Residence
This is the sixth installment of Mr. Debelak's Character Education series. This academic year, through essays and videos, Mr. Debelak will discuss Birchwood School of Hawken’s character education program, explaining what we mean by good character, why we place importance on character education, and how we carry out an effective program that gets results. A companion video to this essay is linked below.In the next series of articles, I would like to explain our definition of seven Aristotelian virtues and how they can be practiced. As you will recall, in order to cultivate good character in children, teachers must provide instruction about virtues that inspire children. In addition, they need to create opportunities to practice virtue over an extended period of time until virtuous behaviors become habit. -
Mission in Practice: All Together Holding on to the Dream!
Read MoreBy HELENE DEBELAK
Director of Curriculum
Founder-in-Residence
Each morning at Birchwood, students begin the day freshly inspired as teachers read stories of people – extraordinary and ordinary – whose lives shine in the light of virtue.Among the powerful storylines is that of African Americans in United States history. These examples of hope, faith, wisdom, and strength uplift us to understand ourselves as human beings. The great capacity of the human spirit can be seen in the lives of those who experience human suffering.Intentionally, each year around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, teachers tap the stories of those who took a stand for civil rights in the 20th century by holding firmly to the self-evident truth of equality, thus providing a beacon of hope for all people.
The following are examples: -
February
How to Develop Good Character: The Role of Culture
By CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
Founder-in-Residence
This is the fifth installment of Mr. Debelak's Character Education series. This academic year, through essays and videos, Mr. Debelak will discuss Birchwood School of Hawken’s character education program, explaining what we mean by good character, why we place importance on character education, and how we carry out an effective program that gets results. A companion video to this essay is linked below.In deriving principles for an effective character education program, we answer three questions:
1) What do we mean by good character?2) Why is it important that schools construct a meaningful character education program?
3) How do we build a realistic and effective framework; what pieces are needed?
The “how” question includes three aspects – teaching, training and culture. Previously, I discussed teaching and training. Here I will discuss the role of culture. -
January
How to Forge Good Character: Training
By CHARLES DEBELAKRead More
Founder-in-Residence
This is the fourth installment of Mr. Debelak's Character Education series. This academic year, through essays and videos, Mr. Debelak will discuss Birchwood School of Hawken’s character education program, explaining what we mean by good character, why we place importance on character education, and how we carry out an effective program that gets results. A companion video to this essay is linked below.In deriving the principles of an effective character education, we answer three questions: What do we mean by good character? Why is it imperative that the school constructs a meaningful character education program? And finally, based upon the “what” and the “why,” we deduce the “how” and construct a realistic and effective plan toward realizing our hopes.The “how” includes three aspects – teaching, training, and culture. In last month’s essay, I discussed teaching. Here, I discuss training.
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2025
