High Expectations for Teaching and Instructional Leading

The Intellectual Contribution Award recognizes graduating Ed.M. students (two from each master’s degree program) whose dedication to scholarship enhanced HGSE’s academic community and positively affected fellow students. All recipients were nominated by their classmates based on who inspired them, helped them gain a different perspective on education's challenges, and contributed to shared learning and intellectual growth, both inside and outside of the classroom. Each program's faculty directors, in consultation with other faculty and staff, selected the final honorees for their program based on the nominations and on demonstrated academic success.

Peyton Aiken and Ben Esenstad will be honored with the Intellectual Contribution Award for the Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL) Program during HGSE Convocation exercises on May 28. We asked the winners about their time at HGSE, their future goals, and what drives them in education.

Peyton Aiken

Hometown: Fairhope, Alabama

Peyton asks questions of herself and others with compassion and curiosity. She urges her peers to think deeper with her — and speaks from the place of the unsaid and unseen to bring greater awareness to a class discussion at just the right moment. She moves in classroom spaces with both bravery and care for her peers as fellow teachers, intellectuals, learners, artists, and human beings. This year, Peyton has truly brought a vitality and reality to our discussions about teaching, never forgetting that our work will impact real, live children. She consistently grounds her thinking in the lived experiences of middle school students, reminding us that teaching is a profession filled with both difficult tensions and joyous witnessing. Truly, it is impossible to imagine our community without Peyton Aiken, and perhaps, this is the greatest testament to the contribution she makes to it. – Lecturer Rosette Cirillo

What were your goals when you came to the Ed School?  
For me, teaching was a childhood dream. I grew up fantasizing about my future classroom, but I couldn't quite imagine where it'd be or how I'd get there. HGSE has been a fantastic bridge. I am grateful to have had wraparound support in my first year of teaching, and I'm excited to continue applying what I've learned.

Is there a professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? 
When I tell people about HGSE, I tell them about Rosette Cirillo and Noah Heller.

Cirillo mentors TTL’s ELA cohort, and she set the tone for my year. I've so enjoyed learning from someone who lives out what she teaches — holding high expectations with warmth, taking silliness seriously, and listening for the unsaid. Thanks to her, I know how to continuously reflect on my practice, as well as where to find the best cookie in Cambridge (Burdick’s, raspberry chocolate chip).

Heller led the residents’ Program Core Experience. When he visited my seventh grade ELA classroom, he completed the writing prompts alongside my students. His dog, Banjo, frequents his office hours. In other words, he is every bit as thoughtful and grounded as you’d hope a teacher-educator would be.

What is something that you learned this year that you will take with you throughout your career in education?   
Teaching is a team sport. Once I started thinking about my class as part of the school’s ecosystem, I was able to explore what I, specifically, could bring to the table. Each person on a hallway occupies a different role. Together, you create a network of relationships to better support the students.

Throughout the year, I also learned to lean on my team at HGSE. I enjoyed untangling problems of practice with other early-career teachers, especially when we were talking across subjects and grade levels. Looking ahead, I will continue to seek out thought partners in and out of school. This is community work! We don’t have to teach alone. 

Ben Esenstad

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Ben models a kind of intellectual engagement grounded in humility, integrity, and community. He listens deeply and speaks deliberately, contributing only when he feels it will genuinely enrich the conversation — which it invariably does. Whether posing a thoughtful question or offering an alternative perspective, Ben invites others to reflect more deeply, often challenging assumptions in a way that feels both respectful and compelling. In one memorable class discussion, Ben’s evidence-based perspective shifted the entire class’ view of a teaching video — demonstrating his capacity not just to think critically, but to lead thoughtfully. Ben’s often quiet contributions have elevated classroom conversation, fostered trust, and challenged us all to aim higher — not just academically, but in how we show up for one another. – TTL Faculty

What were your goals when you came to the Ed School and how have those goals changed?
When I arrived at HGSE, my goals were primarily micro-focused: I hoped to develop the knowledge and skills needed to become an effective instructional coach within a single school, supporting a specific group of teachers. Over the course of this year, however, my thinking has expanded. I’ve developed a deeper interest in systems-level change and now see myself contributing not just at the school level, but also in broader efforts to improve teaching and learning across school districts.

Is there a professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? 
Sarah Fiarman, who served as my academic adviser and taught me in both the fall and spring significantly shaped my experience at HGSE. Through her courses, she equipped me with the knowledge and skills I will need to become an effective instructional leader. Her teaching not only builds leadership capacity, but also models the thoughtful, inclusive practices she hopes her students will carry into schools. Sarah’s care for her students extends well beyond academics, and her consistent attention to students’ identities, needs, and well-being created an environment grounded in respect and belonging. Sarah has been an exceptional mentor and role model for my growth as an educator and leader.

What is something that you learned this year that you will take with you throughout your career in education?
This year I learned about the ladder of inference, a concept that has had a lasting impact on both my personal and professional thinking. It’s helped me slow down, examine the evidence in front of me, and be more intentional about the assumptions and conclusions I draw. Grounding my decision-making in observable data, rather than jumping to conclusions, is a habit I will carry with me throughout my career in education.

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for…
Self-care. Graduate school can be demanding and intense — between classes, part-time jobs, and other commitments — so I made it a priority to carve out time for activities that bring me joy. Whether it was playing music, staying active, or catching up with friends back home, these moments of personal joy helped ground me and return to my schoolwork with greater focus and clarity.