By Jennifer Lee and Howard Wolff

To feel the meaning of what one is doing, and to rejoice in that meaning; to unite in one concurrent fact the unfolding of the inner life and the ordered development of material conditions--that is art.

– John Dewey, 1977,  p.292

This September, the Hanahau‘oli community was introduced to the school’s 2023-2024 Artist-in-Residence, Howard Wolff. The Artist-in-Residence initiative benefits the school community from the daily interactions between the artist, students, teachers, and staff, as well as from the body of work produced by the artist at the residency’s conclusion. 

Howard Wolff is a longtime friend of the school and parent of Ari (’03). He brings his background in architecture and his talents as a photographer to Hanahau‘oli to accomplish two of his goals: Capture joyous work in action and help all members of the school community learn how to see … with or without a camera.

Howard, whose photos have been featured in galleries and have won numerous awards, is generously donating his time and expertise to Hanahau‘oli School. We can see why one juror described his work this way: “With the eye of an architect, the curiosity of a researcher, and the heart of a humanitarian, Howard is drawn to the details that tell stories of people, places, and moments in time.” He is certainly helping to tell the story of Hanahau‘oli. 

On any given day, Howard might be photographing students in the classroom, on a learning excursion, or outside on the playground. Sometimes, at the request of a faculty member, Howard will put down his camera to teach, as he did for Kukunaokala students in their unit on shelters. For sixth graders, as part of their unit on misinformation and disinformation, Howard demonstrated how, by editing a photograph, you can change a person’s perception of what is going on.

In this blog, we feature a handful of the thousands of photographs taken by Howard thus far during the fall 2023 semester. They offer a window into what progressive education looks like, as children and adults learn with joy and purpose inside a caring community. The photographs are paired with a beautiful reflection submitted to the Professional Development Center after a recent Hanahau'oli School Visit. These are the words of Jennifer Lee, a first-grade teacher at Haleiwa Elementary on the North Shore of O‘ahu. Through Howard’s photographs and Jennifer’s words, take a look through this window into a day in the life of a progressive education professional development school…

I See… 

Children playing, working, and engaged 

Children playing like itʻs their backyard 

Children who are calm 

A classroom that feels like a home 

A natural environment 

Friendly children 

Dirty hands and children being scientists 

Children choosing books to read 

Children barefoot and playing 

An art studio with parents helping students with their projects

The collaboration studio with sewing machines, 3D printer, projects going on 

A woodshop with tools, wood and projects 

Teachers observing their students and taking notes 

Classrooms that are inviting 

Children who are happy

Children exploring with sticks, dirt, mud, and water 

Children playing together in the sandbox, water, and building with blocks 

Teachers guiding conversations and learning 

Teachers working in teams 

Students working together on their projects 

P.E. class and students learning how to stroke the ball to play pickleball, kids getting lots of exercise and having fun, working hard, engaged 

A library that is inviting and lots of books 

I Think… 

Hanahau‘oli is an amazing place for kids and teachers to work

Thereʻs so much freedom 

Learning needs to be like this everywhere 

If I were a child I would want to learn like this 

This is a safe place to learn and grow

I Wonder… 

How do I create a progressive classroom in my classroom?

What is my philosophy for teaching and learning? 

What do I need to do to change how I teach my students?

Why has our education system gotten to be the way it is and why arenʻt there more progressive classrooms and schools?

How can I keep on learning about this so that I can change how I teach? 

How do I learn?

Works Cited:

John Dewey (1977). “The Middle Works, 1899-1924”, p.292, SIU Press

ABOUT THE Contributors:

Jennifer Lee is a first-grade teacher at Haleiwa Elementary on the North Shore of O‘ahu and actively engages in professional development at the Hanahau‘oli PDC.

Howard Wolff Educated and trained as an architect, Howard has had a long-standing passion for photography. An avid travel photographer, he also contributes his talents to worthy nonprofits including The Merwin Conservancy, Habitat for Humanity, Re-use Hawaii, Honolulu Kupuna Shed, and the Honolulu Zoo. More of his work can be found at www.HowardWolffPhotography.com.