At Sawyer we have the privilege of working with hundreds of inspiring educators around the country. Whether they teach virtual classes or in-person activities, the curricula always foster enriching atmospheres for children of all ages to discover their love of learning.

We got the opportunity to chat with David Egolf, Head of School at Corlears School, a nonprofit progressive independent school for toddlers through fifth grade, to learn to learn more about the benefits of out-of-school activities and inspiring moments in the classroom.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! I’d love to hear a bit more about you and why you started these programs.

I've been the Head of School at Corlears School since 2014, but I started my career as an art teacher. I've always seen the potential of young children to be compassionate leaders, and at Corlears, where we teach children from 12 months through fifth grade, they have that opportunity.

An essential part of our mission as a nonprofit and independent school is to provide access and we soft-launched Community Classes in 2024 to offer more ways for families not enrolled at Corlears to experience our facilities and expertise. This new programming is part of a larger initiative designed to connect with our wider Chelsea/West Village community, including Learn. Play. Grow., which offers free activities on select Saturdays throughout the school year, and TEAM, which offers sliding-scale tuition for families enrolled at Corlears.

Can you describe an inspiring moment you’ve had as an educator/administrator?  

Each spring, we graduate children we've watched grow over 6–9 years; seeing them gain confidence over time and discover who they are is really special. Each fifth grader delivers a speech in front of their classmates, families, and teachers and administrators who have been shepherding them through these crucial formative years. So for those children who are naturally quiet or who might not be the types to assert themselves, we're often at the edge of our seats feeling nervous and hopeful for that child, and invariability they come out and crush it; it feels like the floodgates opening to see them be their full self and charm the audience and share something really meaningful as they take the next step in their educational journey. It's huge.

What’s the most rewarding thing about teaching children?  

They make you smile! If you're having a hard day, you can just go down the hall and see what students are up to. Especially in the early childhood years, the simplicity and joy they find in every moment is just very fulfilling, and it reminds you about what's important in life. I find that very rewarding.

What’s one time a child surprised you and made your day?

They surprise me every time I go into a classroom! Sometimes they'll make a drawing for me or bring it to my office. One year, the kindergarteners surprised me with a letter they'd written after they were inspired by the stories of Ruby Bridges and Martin Luther King Jr.; they wanted to do a March for Kindness around the school block, and now it's a yearly tradition led by the kindergarten class while the whole community takes part and marches with them.

On a similar note, what’s the funniest thing a child has done in your class?

Recently I was sitting with third grade and we were talking about Halloween costumes; one of the students joked that I should go as a principal for Halloween, and when I told him that he should dress up as a principal, he asked, "But where would I get the great hair and shirt and fancy car?" Kids really do say the darndest things — I ride my bike to work every day! But I will take the compliment about my hair.

Why is after school/extracurricular enrichment and camp so important for children?  

Auxiliary programming is a great way for children to explore their interests. Between Community Classes, Learn. Play. Grow., Camp Corlears, and Corlears Plus (our after school activities for children enrolled at Corlears), we offer lots of ways for young children to discover what they're drawn to and may want to specialize in as they get older. Those opportunities also exist within the classroom, but extracurriculars give children a chance to look forward to and participate in something that's really specific to their emerging interests in ways that are differentiated from the regular school day.

How do you think children can discover their passions when they’re not in school or your programs?

Children are innately curious, and they're always exploring — it's just a matter of noticing the things that really give them a spark and get them excited. When a student discovers something they're interested in, they'll repeat that activity or behavior over and over again and start to build skill. For example, they might be very passionate about dance, and they might be quite skilled, but that's because at some early age they made a connection and it brought them this spark of joy they wanted to repeat over and over and over — so much that they became good at it. In adults, we think they were born with that skill, but from my point of view there was an early connection for them, an emotional burst, a feeling of joy and excitement that caused them to keep doing it over and over again and before you know it it's their thing.