Indu Chugani, Milton’s dean of teaching and learning, has been busy on campus since July 1, and was happy to meet faculty and students when everyone returned to campus. Indu’s role is new to Milton. The heart of her job, Indu says, is “working with faculty on identifying teaching practices that will allow every Milton student to realize his or her full potential.” The position description says that the dean of teaching and learning “oversees the professional growth of the faculty.” Indu describes that as “constantly reviewing and defining the act of teaching, and how it is changing as we speak.”
Indu comes to Milton from the Winsor School in Boston, where she taught English, created innovative courses, and with English and history teachers, developed an interdisciplinary global studies program. She was named the Virginia Wing Outstanding Teacher in 2007. Indu chaired Winsor’s Teaching and Learning Committee, which led professional development on teaching practices and technology integration, and she managed new faculty orientation. As a co-chair for the Skills and Instruction arm of Winsor’s strategic plan, Indu generated, prioritized and implemented goals for the plan, “Learning in the 21st Century.” Prior to Winsor, Indu was an English teacher and dorm parent at Exeter; she began her teaching career in Roswell, Georgia, at Centennial High School.
Indu has long studied the art of teaching; her involvement in programs, projects, presentations and conferences about teaching parallels her time in the classroom. From her first encounter with education courses in college, particularly her student teaching, Indu knew that her career needed to couple work with students and work with teachers. Each of Indu’s professional roles strengthened that dual orientation. She has been immersed in the scholarship and dialogue among educators about student learning and teacher practices; at the same time, she has taught, mentored, and led the development of innovative curriculum.
Indu’s role at Milton is rooted in the Strategic Plan, which prioritizes student experience in and out of the classroom. The Strategic Plan names professional development—“providing both the tools and the support for teachers to excel at their profession”—as an essential component of our commitment to students and to the quality of our work with them.
Indu describes her summer as a “luxurious” research opportunity. Not only did she meet with David Ball, and deans Jackie Bonenfant and José Ruiz, she also spoke at length with administration at roughly 15 independent schools to explore their professional development models. Indu is particularly excited about managing Milton’s progress toward one of our key objectives, developing personal growth plans with and for each faculty member. Over the course of the year, she will also work with department chairs, as independent curriculum leaders and also as a committee of instructional leaders. Together, Indu says, they will articulate Milton’s core educational values, a baseline activity that will anchor consistent evaluations and ideas about what should change over time. She plans to organize a teaching and learning team, including faculty volunteers who are enthusiastic about sharing the reflective and active agenda at hand.
Indu is Milton’s “mentor in chief,” supporting the four teaching fellows at Milton who are candidates in the University of Pennsylvania’s Resident Masters in Teaching program. An experienced proponent of integrating technology, Indu will partner with Milton’s chief information officer, Bryan Price, to explore learning management systems that would provide dynamic, organic experiences online with students.
Milton’s Strategic Plan, Indu says, is “an ambitious, bold vision.” She feels “drawn to this challenge,” she says, and “fortunate to have had certain experiences that prepared me for this possibility.” Indu’s energy matches her enthusiasm, and she “can’t wait” to meet the students that shape the lively day-to-day life at Milton.