A Q&A with Pine Point Faculty Member Steve Brown, Director of Social and Environmental Responsibility
In our pursuit of “What makes a Pine Point education unique?” for the latest edition of ViewPoints, we turned to our faculty to understand the intentionality behind the student experience. In this extended interview by Debra Smith, Director of Enrollment Management, we heard from a long-time educator and our Director of Social and Environmental Responsibility, Steve Brown. He reflects on his own journey—from a young teacher learning the “art of listening” to a seasoned mentor who champions the autonomy of his colleagues and the accountability of his students. His insights into the importance of “owning one’s mistakes” reveal how Pine Point creates a safe, high-expectation environment where both teachers and students are empowered to bring their most authentic selves to the classroom every day.
Q: What makes a Pine Point education unique from a teacher’s perspective?
A: When I first came here, I didn’t know what I didn’t know as an educator. I worked with some really great teachers who taught me everything from how to organize myself to how to get down to the bottom of things with kids—how to talk to people, how to communicate effectively, and how to be a really good, attentive listener.
I think in my second year, we all read the book The Art of Listening, and that was a breakthrough for me. Being surrounded by people who were really passionate and had growth mindsets—you just fall into that, because that’s the kind of place this is. It’s a bastion of energy and people who really want the best out of life and want to share that with others. That rolls off onto the kids. Everybody here is trying to help themselves, but also helping others.
When kids graduate, they know the best part about themselves because somebody helped them find that. Whether it was through art, dance, math, or science, they found something they can say, “I’m really good at this.” When they leave, they have confidence based around those things.
Q: You also serve as the Director of Social Responsibility. How do you approach growth and discipline at Pine Point?
The nature of being a child is to experiment and make mistakes. Adolescents and younger kids are always pushing boundaries. The expectation is that they’re going to make mistakes, so for me and the School, it’s about: how do we help them make positive choices? How do we help them make amends when they make poor choices and it impacts others? How do we help them realize that the choice they made has a ripple effect?
We talk about restorative practices. The first thing we really want is for that student to own it. That’s really hard for kids of all ages. If you admit it, and you apologize, and you want to be a better person, this is the avenue you should take. My goal is to sit down and listen—to the teacher’s perspective and then one-at-a-time with the kids to get the whole background.
The administration has given me the gift of time. Time is really what you need for this job. When the kids realize they made the apology and they came up with something to help the community—like giving back time to a teacher—they feel a sense of, “Okay, I made a mistake, but I did something to help the community instead of taking away from it.” [Head of School] Diana Owen is always talking about John Dewey and his idea that we’re going to do something, then we’re going to reflect on it so we can understand what we’ve learned or how we’ve grown.
Q: What has your personal journey been like as an educator at this school?
I was 23 when I started. This was really the first time in my life where an institution has said, “This is who you are, and we’re going to honor that.” I feel like all the teachers, colleagues, and administrators can all be themselves here. When you can come to work and be accepted, you’re going to bring your A-game every day.
The School allows you to be who you are. You have a curriculum to follow, but you have an open book as to how you do that. That can be really scary for people who are used to a cookie-cutter background, but for those of us who embrace that autonomy, you can use your strengths to teach, to better yourself, to better the community, and grow.
Experience the Pine Point Difference
This interview is part of a series featured in the 2025-2026 edition of ViewPoints magazine, exploring the unique pillars of a Pine Point education.
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