TCI Curriculum Coordinator and Carroll alumnus, Ben Shepard '02, shares how the Targeted Cognitive Intervention (TCI) work he does at Carroll impacts the school.
Ben Shepard graduated in 2002 having attended Carroll School for 7th and 8th grades. He went on to graduate from Proctor Academy in 2006, earned his bachelor's of science degree in psychology and education from Wheaton in 2010, and obtained a master's degree in Special Education - Moderate Disabilities from the Angela Wilkins Program of Graduate Studies in Education in 2012.
Like many alumni, Ben worked at Summer@Carroll in high school, through college, and beyond in various roles - junior counselor, counselor, summer Bounders teaching assistant, gym teaching assistant, activity director, TCI administrator and teacher.
"I was drawn back to Carroll because of its dedication to understanding its students better and Carroll's approach to figuring out the best ways to support students by remediating obstacles in their learning profile."
Having never really left, Ben "returned to" Carroll as a full-time faculty in 2010 as a teacher in the Foundational Cognitive program at the Lower School. When Carroll formed the Cognitive Interventions and Research (CIR) team to design and develop its new curriculum program and software platform - Targeted Cognitive Intervention (TCI) - Ben took on the role of research assistant. He was promoted to TCI Curriculum Coordinator in 2016, a role he continues today.
Like the impact the school had on him as a student, Ben's work on the CIR team allows him to work with students to help them understand themselves as learners and provide the education and tools to strengthen their cognitive weaknesses, building confidence along the way.
"The biggest impact Carroll had on me as a student was giving me the tools, confidence, and overall understanding of myself as a person and a learner."
In a recent interview, Ben shares how the Targeted Cognitive Intervention (TCI) work he does at Carroll impacts the school (video 1) and how TCI builds self awareness in students (video 2).