Academics

Explore

Teaching & Learning at Blair

Blair teachers care about more than your grades; they want to make sure you are happy and successful here. Their support gives students confidence and teaches us how to be independent. My family has noticed how this has positively influenced my personality and behavior, and I know other families feel the same.

Ignacio Ybanez ’18, spain

The Blair experience is an extraordinary opportunity that empowers students to become persons of great accomplishment and character and prepares them for success in college and in life. Our educational philosophy informs our work in and out of the classroom and includes these guiding principles.

Relationship-based learning is the foundation of great teaching.

At Blair, our teachers are experts in their subject areas and they know our students especially well. Strong relationships between faculty and students develop amid a vibrant community life and lead to exceptional learning, in our classrooms and beyond.

Our teachers care deeply for students and, because they know them well, challenge them and tailor classroom learning based on individual needs. Through class discussion, debate, project work and lectures, students develop new skills and passions and learn to connect with people and step outside their comfort zones to take bold but intelligent risks.

Superior academic preparation inspires a lifetime of learning.

Blair’s robust curriculum features rigorous traditional coursework and innovative electives designed to help students pursue—or discover—their passions. As teachers challenge students with new ideas and skills, they encourage creative expression while ensuring that students learn how to learn, preparing them to confidently address the demands of college and the 21st-century world.

Working closely with faculty mentors, students help craft their individual Blair experience; having opportunities to take ownership of their education in this way teaches students to be autonomous and advocate for themselves, skills that will serve them well as college undergraduates and young professionals.

Global engagement and scholarly public service lead to empathy, understanding and meaningful connections.

When students apply academic studies to real-world issues, impactful connections to people, places and ideas develop. We bring the world to Blair through our diverse student body, on-campus speakers and community service endeavors and broaden students’ horizons by offering school-break travel opportunities. Experiential learning, hands-on projects and collaborative problem-solving in a variety of venues result in amplified awareness of self and others.

Our core curriculum and innovative offerings teach students how to engage, relate to and empathize with others, and how to solve problems in real-world settings. Our graduates are intellectually curious, service-minded global citizens who know their values, can articulate their beliefs, and have the resources to connect and grow in college and beyond.

Great leaders are great communicators.

The ability to concisely and compellingly convey one’s message is an essential leadership skill; at Blair, teaching the art of effective communication is among our highest priorities.

Our cross-curricular communication initiative and myriad public-speaking opportunities prepare students to craft and deliver compelling narratives, speak effectively to audiences of all sizes, and engage with others in ways that build vital relationships.

Students at every grade level engage in communications-focused work across academic departments; programs such as Blair LEADS and The Blair Leadership Stories Project further underscore the importance of these competencies.