Inclusion & Community

‘We are all ISZL’ are the words that best capture our recent work in the area of inclusion. For the past year, ISZL staff and representative groups of students and parents have been engaging in professional development sessions, workshops, and discussions focused on inclusion and what we value as a community.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) plays a vital role in supporting this effort. The IB’s mission is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”. As an IB School, ISZL has been embracing inclusion and acceptance of different perspectives and people for years. It is a priority to ensure that every member of our community feels safe and has a sense of belonging. Our commitment towards realising this goal is achieved, in part, through the adoption of the IB’s learning principles and learner profile, in addition to engaging and fostering a welcoming international community. The IB’s mission statement serves as an important additional reference as we further articulate ISZL’s values and beliefs, foundational documents, and associated policies.

In order to further advance awareness associated with inclusion, a group of teachers, leadership team members, and counsellors partnered with Educate and Celebrate, an organisation from the United Kingdom that supports schools as they work to ensure environments that prioritise inclusion. From this partnership, ECCO (Educate and Celebrate Coordinators) was formed to identify and implement 31 action items over the next two years. One of the most critical action items was to update the ISZL Inclusion policy:

ISZL agrees to support, respect and seek inclusion with regards to the safety and care of all community members. This includes but is not limited to: age; disabilities; ethnicity; gender; gender expression; gender identity; health needs; languages spoken; marital status; mental health; national origin; political affiliation; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation, and any additional characteristic protected under Swiss law.

ISZL endeavours to understand and protect the civil and human rights of all individuals within the community, striving to maintain a high level of multicultural awareness and knowledge about all applicable laws and statutes related to non-discrimination and inclusion. This policy relates to all decisions and advocacy regarding staffing, recruitment, student care, suitability of external organisation partnerships, and curriculum. ISZL will review this policy, as well as practices and procedures, periodically.

The policy was then transformed into a poster that shares the essence of the updated inclusion policy and the sentiment that ‘We Are All ISZL’. You can see this poster below.

If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in supporting the work of this group, please contact our Counsellor Stephany Herzog. I look forward to sharing more developments in this important area throughout the coming year.

“We Are ISZL Photo” by ISZL’s fabulous publications and communications team.

Feature Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

A Framework for Education

In a recent conversation with an International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) parent, he commented on how much he values ISZL’s approach to education and the school’s learning process. When pressed for specifics, he highlighted an appreciation of the achievements associated with academic success, such as impressive IB test scores, but, even more importantly, he values the focus on holistic development. He further elaborated by sharing how much he holds in high regard ISZL’s emphasis on social development, emotional intelligence, confidence levels, independent thinking, and communication skills, among others. I share these sentiments, both from my personal and professional perspectives but also based on the feedback I have received from staff, parents, and students during last semester’s transition interviews. One of ISZL’s greatest strengths is our teachers’ abilities to personalise learning in a manner that enables our students to realise their potentials in individual and unique ways.

This approach to teaching and learning also corresponds with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recent report on The Future of Education and Skills 2030. The document is guided by a shared vision stating, “We are committed to helping every learner develop as a whole person, fulfil his or her potential and help shape a shared future built on the well-being of individuals, communities and the planet.” With a broad focus on global challenges that are economic, social, and environmental in nature (excuse the pun), the 2030 vision maps out an educational view that is framed by five distinct but related approaches.

The first frame is a belief in the need for broader education goals that encompass individual and collective well-being. The concept of well-being goes beyond material resources to include quality of life as defined by, for example, health, civic engagement, social connections, education, security, and life satisfaction.

The second frame is related to learner agency and the ability of our students to navigate through a complex and uncertain world. This focus involves both the building of a solid academic foundation and an approach to personalised learning.

The third frame is the ability to apply a broad set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. This focus is about students’ abilities to mobilise their learning to meet complex demands.

The fourth frame is about taking responsibility for our society and future, in addition to the corresponding and necessary student competencies. These competencies will require that students be innovative, committed, and aware with respect to creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility.

The fifth frame is about the design principles needed to move toward an eco-system in which a students’ different competencies are inter-related in nature and application.

While the challenges for schools to adapt to this philosophical shift are not insignificant, it is encouraging to see a movement among schools to embrace these design principles. ISZL has made important progress in these areas, though the fifth frame is, perhaps, the most challenging as the inherent structures of schools, including our physical spaces, do not necessarily lend themselves well to the concept of inter-related, cross-curricular learning and the application of competencies in a holistic manner. As with any change, this is a process that takes time and commitment, which will also continue to build on past developments while furthering current initiatives and implementing future strategies.

Fortunately, the OECD provides a framework to guide learning programme development through concept, content, and topic design that includes a focus on student agency, rigour, coherence, alignment, transferability, and choice. This framework also relies on process design and the related importance of teacher agency in which teachers are empowered to use their professional knowledge, skills, and expertise to develop an authentic, inter-related, flexible, and engaging learning programme. It is these design principles that ISZL embraces as we continue our work to ensure our students are benefiting from the most relevant and meaningful learning programme possible.

Reference: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). (2018). The Future of Education and Skills 2030. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/2030/oecd-education-2030-position-paper.pdf

Photo Credit: OECD

In Conversation

I was honoured to be recently interviewed by Tim Gilbert from International School Parent Magazine. The full interview can be accessed through the following link: IS Parent Interview.

In conversation with Barry Dequanne School Director, International School of Zug & Luzern (ISZL)

By Tim Gilbert – Guest Interviewer for International School Parent Magazine & International School Parent @IZSL

With more than 20 years of experience in the international education sector under his belt, Canadian-born Barry Dequanne was a natural choice for leading the ambitious future plans at The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL). The school’s pedigree is born from a history of commitment, adaptation and growth, responding to changes in the needs of international families since its founding in the 1950s to provide high-quality education for American expats. Since then, the school has seen continuous expansion, with current plans for developing an educational model that equips the next generation for a rapidly-changing world already underway. International School Parent Magazine speaks to Barry Dequanne to hear about his vision for the school’s next chapter, and what the future looks like for international students.

What inspired you to pursue a career in education?

Like many educators, I didn’t necessarily decide at a young age that I was going to go into education. I had no intention of working in leadership either; both evolved naturally over time as I followed my passions and interests.

I have always loved sciences and mathematics, which I studied at the University of Waterloo in Canada. The Mathematics and Computer Science programme there was unique, in that it allowed students to alternate studying with working every four months, which meant that I graduated with two years’ work experience as an actuary for Prudential Assurance already under my belt.

I found that, while I enjoyed the theory of the course, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the working environment, so I began to look for other opportunities. It was while I was working as a programmer for Xerox that something inside me told me to pursue a dream I had always had of volunteering overseas. The Canadian government had a programme similar to the US Peace Corp at the time, which I signed up for and was sent to Swaziland to teach local school children. It was a profound experience on so many levels: I discovered my passion for education and I found a career that fed my soul.

I returned to Canada to study to become a teacher, but I missed being abroad. As soon as I finished my teaching degree and practicum, I went to a job fair and found my first qualified teaching role at a school in South America.

Tell us about your experience teaching around the world – what lessons have you learned from working in so many different cultures?

For me, it’s always been about the people. The country and culture might be vastly different, but there are always parallels between organisations – and one of these is that any school is only as good as it’s people.

When I decided to look at overseas placements, I had a set of priorities for the professional and personal atmosphere I was looking for. Top of the list for me has always been a school that values community and personal relationships. I also value an environment where people are pushing themselves and each other to excellence. The transition from my previous school, the American School of Brasilia in Brazil, to ISZL has been relatively smooth, as both have these qualities.

I have found that as a director, the key is to identify what makes the school special, and then to develop this. It’s about having a sense of humility and really listening to understand the school, its needs, and the next steps in its evolution. It’s then about working with the community towards implementation. I have found that this is something that can be applied successfully to most schools across the world.

What do you think makes ISZL so special?

What makes the school special is that it has come from small beginnings, growing rapidly over its 50-year history while retaining that sense of intimacy and high quality of teaching. It has kept this feel through a unique combination of the people here and the influence of the local environment. Usually, larger schools are in larger city centres, but at ISZL we can take advantage of the comfort and closeness of a smaller community, and the opportunities it provides for a more balanced, outdoor education.

The other aspect is the tremendous academic results that our students achieve at ISZL, which are outstanding on every measurable account. At the same time, an implicit culture of academic rigour does not stifle our students’ creativity or personalities. We get to know the children and their families, to identify what their personal learning styles are as well as their passions, adjusting our teaching to meet those needs. The natural outcome is that our students are completely committed to their learning, and we see that reflected in the results year on year.

What is the vision that you came to ISZL with and that you are hoping to implement?

My vision is one of empowerment; of supporting and challenging a strong team to continue to move the school forward, without losing the strengths that make ISZL so special.

We already have a tapestry of nationalities here, which is a great strength that we can draw on to create an inspiring and diverse environment for learning. We need to make sure that the school has a structure that welcomes all of those voices, but is also clear in expressing our own identity. It’s important for me to make sure we are all going in the same direction, providing the support and resources that everyone needs to succeed.

My overarching belief is that every day we need to focus on getting a little better. It doesn’t matter how good we are today, we need to improve a bit more tomorrow and continue to drive that process. Incremental growth in the long term will make a compounded and significant difference to how we serve our students.

You recently invested in a new building for the school; what is your plan for this?

Enrolment has surged in recent years, so we are trying to increase our capacity and provide the best environment for learning for our students. The spaces that we have on both campuses are fantastic, and we are developing the school’s facility to fulfil our vision for the future.

The next step is to have our visioning architect work with parents, students, teachers and the local community to understand what our needs are and how we can stay true to our vision and philosophy. We want to create more collaborative structures and integrate technology to provide areas where students can engage and learn, and to build a sense of community not just for the students but for teachers, parents and the external community. This will be a project that will ultimately stand the test of time, able to adapt to the changing educational needs of the future.

What would you like ISZL students to have achieved by the time they leave school?

There are several things that we are trying to achieve here. On the one hand, we have a responsibility to ensure that our academic programmes provide them with the skills, resources and knowledge to function in a future that’s changing quickly. It’s important that we do this by helping our students realise their potential and how they can adapt their skills.

The other aspect is the importance of focusing on the child as a whole, providing a more holistic education and giving students the opportunity to explore new areas of learning. It could be sports, it could be the arts, it could be community service, leadership or public speaking – whatever inspires passion. When students enter the school with a broad set of skills, we need to help them develop these and broaden their options going forward. This is something that I think we do very well at ISZL.

Beyond this, I believe that all schools have a responsibility to work with families to ensure that the next generation go out into the world as good people and contribute in a positive way.

What do you feel is most important in helping international students and their families settle in when they first arrive?

We understand how overwhelming and difficult it can be for a family to relocate to a new country and set up a new life, so we do all we can to support them before they move and to integrate easily into school life once they arrive. There is a reason why a family chooses ISZL, and our responsibility is to be open and honest about who we are and what we can offer them. People choose schools not necessarily because one school is better than the other, but because there is a strong match between values and their needs.

I posted a piece on my blog recently about the nature of transitions. There is a difference between change and transition; where change deals with a more immediate event and how we react to that event, while transitions are longer-term, internal processes that involve emotional and psychological effects. When we think about our parents and students, we have to understand that it’s a deep, meaningful transition which will change them as a family, and to support them accordingly.

When a family arrives, we check in with them with regular meetings throughout the year. For the student, our priority is to connect them into the school environment as quickly and smoothly as possible, while also creating a safe setting where they feel able to share any concerns. One of the ways we do this is to operate a buddy system, so that they know that there is someone in the school that is dedicated to building their confidence within the school.

What challenges do you face in your method of working closely with international families?

Unpacking the specifics of where parents feel their children should be academically is a significant challenge. With families coming from so many nationalities and backgrounds, it’s understandably difficult for parents not to draw comparisons with schooling in their home countries.

Ultimately, I believe that the discussion around educational direction is one that parents should be an integral part of. It would be a mistake to exclude parents in decision-making processes as we need to hear what their fears and concerns are as we learn so much from them. At the same time, we also need to ensure that we’re communicating with them about the decisions we are making and why they are important.

How do you feel that a good international school should interact with the local community?

I think for any school in a host country we have a responsibility to engage with the local community; in its history, culture and at events. It’s an easy mistake to stay in this little bubble of our international school communities, when there is so much to experience around us.

This is even more important here in Zug, as we are a big school in a smaller town, so we need to set an example for our students to interact with the community in a positive way. We’re closely connected with international corporations and families, and one of my priorities is to further integrate our school into the local area to provide more opportunities both to our students and local families.

And more generally, what do you think are the main challenges facing education in the future?

I believe that this ties into challenges facing society more generally, looking at the connection between the future needs of the workforce and how we educate our children from primary through to university level.

Looking at the World Economic Forum’s literature on changing global skills requirements, there has been a significant shift to focus on a need for overarching, interrelated qualities, such as creativity, innovation, leadership, relationship building, empathy, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. So, for the education sector, a critical challenge is in relation to how we prepare our students for the future and this more diverse skillset requirement.

The key challenge will be to transition from our current, rigid model of education, which has been ingrained for over a hundred years, to something that is more reactive to changes in access to technology, information, and approaches to learning and working. The model needs to change, and we need to assess how we can ensure relevancy and meaning in learning, and drive this change collaboratively. This is an idea which is gaining momentum within the field of education, and we have begun to think about how this future model might look in our vision for ISZL’s own future.

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) is an independent co-educational, non-profit day school, from Pre-School to Grade 12 serving the international community of Central Switzerland.

www.iszl.ch

Appreciating Teachers

“[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” ― Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider

To all of the teachers at the American School of Brasilia and around the world: Happy Teachers’ Week! Your work, dedication, and commitment to the development of others are important and deeply appreciated. To that end, the following is a link to a previous post entitled, Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher, which shares a moving story about the difference a teacher can make in a family’s life.

We are commemorating this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week with a variety of activities that include a morning breakfast, a relaxation room with professional massage therapists, the distribution of school t-shirts, an afterschool social event, and a parent and embassy sponsored evening celebration.

Given the unique honour and responsibility teachers are given to guide and support learning, these words from T.H. White are for you:

“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” ― T.H. White, The Once and Future King

Thank you, teachers, for supporting learning and making a real and positive difference in the lives of our students and greater communities.

EM PORTUGUÊS:

Agradecendo aos Professores

“[Crianças] não se lembram do que você tenta ensiná-las. Elas se lembram do que você é.” – Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider

Desejamos a todos os professores da EAB e ao redor do mundo: Feliz Semana dos Professores! Seu trabalho, dedicação e comprometimento com o desenvolvimento das pessoas são muito importantes e profundamente apreciados. Para isso, o link a seguir é sobre uma postagem chamada Por que eu detestei a professora da Meredith do primeiro ano, que fala sobre uma história emocionante sobre a diferença que um professor pode fazer na vida de uma família.

Este ano estamos comemorando a Semana de Agradecimento aos Professores com uma série de atividades que incluem um café da manhã, uma sala de relaxamento com massoterapeutas profissionais, um evento social após a escola e uma noite de comemoração patrocinada pelos pais (Obrigado à Organização de Pais e Mestres da EAB!).

Dada a grande honra e a responsabilidade que os professores têm ao guiar e apoiar o aprendizado, essas palavras de T.H. White são para você:

“A melhor coisa em estar triste,” respondeu Merlin, é aprender alguma coisa. Essa é a única coisa que nunca falha. Você pode envelhecer e abalar a sua anatomia, também pode ficar acordado à noite ouvindo o distúrbio das suas veias, você pode sentir falta do seu único amor, pode ver o mundo ao seu redor devastado por lunáticos cruéis ou ter sua honra pisoteada nos esgotos de mentes baixas. Então só há uma coisa para isso – aprender. Aprender porque o mundo gira e o que o faz girar. Essa é a única coisa que a mente nunca pode perder, nunca alienar, nunca se torturar, nunca ter medo e não acreditar e nunca pensar em se arrepender. Aprender é a única coisa para você. “Olhe quantas coisas existem para aprender.” – T.H.White, The Once and Future King

Agradecemos aos professores por apoiar o aprendizado e fazer uma diferença real e positiva na vida dos nossos alunos e comunidade.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY 2.0) Flickr photo by Tony Hammond: When It Comes to Aboriginal Art, It Can Branch Out Into the Imagination! https://www.flickr.com/photos/8525214@N06/32420843740/

Transitions

“Light precedes every transition. Whether at the end of a tunnel, through a crack in the door or the flash of an idea, it is always there, heralding a new beginning.” — Teresa Tsalaky

I have been thinking a lot about transitions lately. We recently hosted the incoming Head of School for a one-week transition visit. I am also preparing to transition to Switzerland and the exciting changes associated with working at a new school and living in a new country. Like other international schools, we are preparing to say goodbye to beloved teachers, students, and families as they transition to other parts of the world, while also looking ahead and confirming the details for new teacher and family orientations. It can sometimes feel that life in an international school setting is one of constant transition where change in the norm and not the exception. While this seemingly perpetual state of transition is inherently filled with challenges, the opportunities for growth and new experiences are significant when we are able to effectively manage our transitions.

When a thoughtful colleague, David Chojnacki, heard that I would be transitioning to another school, he recommended I read William Bridges’ book, Transitions. I am grateful for this reference as Bridges’ book is a must read because, in some form or another, we are all going through a transition! The book’s main message is that all of life’s transitions embody a similar pattern and, by recognizing and accepting these patterns, the tough times associated with a transition will not only make sense but will be more bearable. To that end, it is important to differentiate between “change”, which is what happens to us, and “transition”, which is how we manage our feelings while we work through these changes throughout our life journey.

Transition is an internal, emotional, and psychological process. In contrast, change is external, situational, and does not require those affected to transition. Transitions are longer processes that require those affected to gradually accept the new situations that result from the changes. Bridges’ frames all transitions in terms of a three-phase process involving an Ending, a Neutral Zone, and a New Beginning.

An Ending recognizes that a transition begins with letting go of the pre-change reality. In international schools, a significant number of teachers, students, and parents begin the process of letting go each semester as they prepare to move on to new endeavors. Depending on each individual, Endings are usually characterized by emotions such as denial, shock, anger, frustration, and stress. Emphatic listening and open communication for all involved are important strategies for getting through and supporting those who are experiencing an Ending. Recognizing that an Ending is about letting go is an important step towards what the author calls the Neutral Zone.

The Neutral Zone represents the bridge between the old and new in which we can still be attached to the past but also looking ahead to the future. The Neutral Zone is a place of uncertainty where people wonder about how they will adapt to the change they are currently experiencing. It is during this time that we can experience feelings of self-doubt, fear, anxiety, and skepticism. In contrast, the Neutral Zone can be a time of real growth and represent an incredibly rich time in our lives, as is beautifully illustrated through Danaan Parry’s trapeze metaphor.

The New Beginning phase is one where new understandings, values, attitudes, and identities are established. It is during this time that we emotionally and psychologically commit to the new reality that has been created through the change process. This commitment is usually accompanied by feelings of acceptance, importance, hope, and enthusiasm. This is also a good time to recognize and celebrate the third phase of the transition process.

William Bridges’ writings remind us to recognize that life’s transitions follow a similar pattern and to embrace our endings, neutral zones, and new beginnings. As we look ahead and begin to prepare for the end of another semester, I would like to wish everyone and all of our schools the very best as we embrace the positive changes and transitions that are such an integral part of international communities.

Reference:

Bridges, W. (2004). Transitions: Making sense of life’s changes. Da Capo Press.

Portuguese / Português

Transição

“A luz precede toda transição. Seja a luz no fim do túnel, pelas frestas nas portas ou no brilho de uma ideia, ela está sempre lá, anunciando um novo começo.” – Teresa Tsalaky

Ultimamente, eu tenho pensado muito sobre transições. Recentemente, recebemos o próximo diretor geral da EAB, Allan Bredy para uma visita de transição. Eu também estou me preparando para mudar para a Suiça e para as mudanças animadoras associadas ao trabalho em uma nova escola e a mudança para um novo país. Como em outras escolas internacionais, estamos nos preparando para dizer adeus aos nossos amados professores, alunos e famílias que também irão se mudar para outras partes do mundo, mas também nos preparando para a orientação de novos professores e famílias. É comum sentirmos que a vida em uma escola internacional é uma constante transição onde a mudança é algo normal e não exceção. Embora este estado, aparentemente perpétuo, de transição seja cheio de desafios, as oportunidades de crescimento e novas experiências são significativas quando somos capazes de gerenciar de forma efetiva nossas transições.

Um colega atencioso, David Chojnacki, soube que eu estaria me mudando para outra escola e me recomendou a leitura do livro de William Bridges, Transitions.Sou grato por esta referência, já que o livro de Bridges é um dos tipos obrigatórios de leitura, porque de alguma forma estamos todos passando por algum tipo de transição! A principal mensagem do livro é que todas as transições da vida incorporam um padrão semelhante e, reconhecendo e aceitando esses padrões, os tempos difíceis associados a uma transição não só farão sentido, mas serão mais suportáveis. Para isso, é importante sabermos a diferença entre “mudança”, que é o que acontece conosco, e “transição”, que é a forma como gerenciamos nossos sentimentos enquanto percorremos essas mudanças ao longo da nossa jornada de vida.

A transição é um processo interno, emocional e psicológico. Já a mudança é externa, situacional e não necessariamente ligada à transição. As transições são processos mais longos que exigem que os afetados aceitem gradualmente as novas situações resultantes das mudanças. Bridges enquadra todas as transições em um processo de três fases: Final, Zona Neutra e um Novo Começo.

O Final reconhece que uma transição começa com o abandono da realidade de uma pré-mudança. Nas escolas internacionais, um número significativo de professores, alunos e pais começam o processo de abandono do semestre ao se prepararem para ingressar em novos empreendimentos. Dependendo de cada indivíduo, o término de algo geralmente é caracterizado por emoções como negação, choque, raiva, frustração e estresse. Ouvir ativamente e uma comunicação aberta com todos os envolvidos são estratégias importantes para obter e apoiar aqueles que estão experimentando um Final. Reconhecer um Final é abrir mão, um passo importante em direção ao que o autor chama de Zona Neutra.

A Zona Neutra representa a ponte entre o antigo e o novo, no qual ainda podemos estar ligados ao passado, mas também olhar para o futuro. A Zona Neutra é um lugar de incerteza onde as pessoas se perguntam sobre como se adaptarão à mudança que estão experimentando atualmente. É durante este tempo que podemos experimentar sentimentos de auto-dúvida, medo, ansiedade e ceticismo. Em contraste, a Zona Neutra pode ser um tempo de crescimento real e representar um tempo incrivelmente rico em nossas vidas, como é lindamente ilustrado através da metáfora do trapézio de Danaan Parry.

A fase do Novo Começo é aquela onde novos entendimentos, valores, atitudes e identidades são estabelecidos. É durante esse período que nos comprometemos emocionalmente e psicologicamente com a nova realidade que foi criada através do processo de mudança. Este compromisso é geralmente acompanhado por sentimentos de aceitação, importância, esperança e entusiasmo. Este também é um bom momento para reconhecer e celebrar a terceira fase do processo de transição.

Os escritos de William Bridges nos lembram de reconhecer que as transições da vida seguem um padrão semelhante e abraçam nossos fins, zonas neutras e novos começos. À medida que olhamos para frente e começamos a nos preparar para o final de outro semestre, eu gostaria de desejar a todos e a todas as nossas escolas o melhor, ao abraçarmos as mudanças e transições positivas que são parte integrante das comunidades internacionais.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY 2.0) flickr photo Hernán Piñera: Niebla / Fog https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6554394361/in/photostream/

Our Human Tapestry

The most moving and important testimonials about learning and school culture also come from parents, whose voices are critical to our collective partnership in support of student development. To complement last week’s post, Our Obligation, which focused on inclusion from a student’s perspective, this post shares a poignant parent reflection on the same theme.

Alex Ellis is currently serving as the British Ambassador to Brazil. Following his son Thomás’ recent graduation from the American School of Brasilia, Ambassador Ellis published the following reflections, which focus on the culture of learning and inclusion in schools.

Tomás Finished School Last Saturday

There are parents all over the northern hemisphere who in these weeks have watched or will watch their child go through this ritual, in many different forms, in the case of our son through a flick of a tassel. Each family has its own memories and stories, both similar to those of others and peculiar to themselves.

Our story includes a moment, at an earlier time, spent in a still, grey room, with sensible Flemish doctors telling us in sensible, Flemish English that our son is on the autistic spectrum. There’s no number to confirm this, no blood test. It’s the product of observation and judgment, and that knot of anxiety which has sat inside our stomachs from when Tomas’ first kindergarten teacher wondered if he might be a bit different, the apparent difficulty in hearing (tested, unproven), his slightly awkward walk, his focus on a few toys but not his classmates.

Before he was diagnosed Tomás passed through a series of small schools, mainly with the help of kind teachers, next to whom he was often standing. The diagnosis came after, at very short notice, we had moved from warm, fun Madrid back to Brussels. He plunged into a large school which quickly declared him “ineducable”. It doesn’t sound much nicer when you hear it in French. Which I did, twice, for bureaucratic reasons which were legally impeccable, financially advantageous and inhuman.

I wondered, when Tomas was diagnosed, what would happen next. “Tomorrow” is the best answer. He hadn’t changed and we hadn’t changed. We fell, and then got up. Tomas carried on, much happier at a school that took him, rather than rejected him, for who he is. The labels — Asperger’s, on the autistic spectrum, he’s quite bright but different etc — helped in the first interaction with schools. They were ready to adjust before he walked in.

Tomas got from there to here, 11 years later, because of some things he was born with; confidence, a sense of humour and a good heart. Lots of other children have those characteristics, autistic or not. Tomas had a lot of help as well. Help in the form of classroom support, and crucially from teachers who “got” him. Who saw him as different, not special, as a person, albeit in teenage form, rather than a syndrome.

This, we learnt, starts at the top. Schools are no different from any other organisation in the importance of the leader in determining and living its values. We had luck, and a bit of choice, in the two schools where Tomas spent the best part of a decade. Both heads thought that a school would gain more than lose from a boy like Tomas in it, that this was part of the world of difference in which pupils should learn. Almost without exception the pupils shared this attitude. On a rare occasion when a classmate tried to bully him, his confidence and humour dealt pretty comfortably with it.

The head teacher at the ambitious, academic school where Tomas stayed longest told me, after chatting with him, that he would take him into the school, but there would be some who wouldn’t be so keen to have him there. So it proved. Some teachers welcomed him, some wanted him out of their class. This wasn’t determined by Tomas’ abilities, but by the teacher’s confidence. Over time some teachers excluded him from classes in which he was relatively strong, whilst others kept with him in subjects (maths) in which threats, tears and bribes could not move him — I know, having tried, and failed, with all three. As exams loomed bigger, some teachers, and in rare cases some other parents, wanted Tomas out of the class for fear that he might undermine the grades of other pupils. In such situations the real values of a school become apparent.

Tomas is not easy to teach. Like a lot of kids on the autistic spectrum, he’s pretty autodidactic (and I should thank The Simpsons, Futurama and Cartoon Network for their significant contribution to his education). And he tells it as he sees it, which can be uncomfortable. The new music teacher in one school, fresh from university, might have hoped for a different opening to his career than Tomas asking to see his qualifications.

But the good teachers, and there were a lot of them, got past this or better still embraced this as part of what Tomas brought to the classroom, to the school — and also knew that the second is a lot ore than just the first. Last week, after Tomás stepped up to get an arts prize, to his father’s bursting pride and his own mild indifference, a teacher referred to the support for him from “the school community”. She was quite right. It did, for our son, take just that community to help get him through his education.

So this one goes out, yes, to the son I love. But it also goes out to every member of those school communities, teachers, administrators, security guards, classroom helpers, who saw in Tomas not a potential spoiler of grade averages or a “special” pupil to be kept in a “special” place but rather saw him for what he was — another flavour in the very wide variety that is the human race.

Link to Original Post: Tomás Finished School Last Saturday

Versão português:

Nossa Tapeçaria Humana

Os depoimentos mais emocionantes e importantes sobre a aprendizagem e cultura escolar também vêm dos pais, cujas vozes são fundamentais para a nossa parceria em prol do desenvolvimento do aluno. Complementando a postagem da semana passada, A Nossa Obrigação, cujo foco foi a inclusão de acordo com a perspectiva de cada aluno, a publicação abaixo compartilha a reflexão comovente de um pai sobre o mesmo tema. Alex Ellis está servindo atualmente como Embaixador Britânico no Brasil. Logo após a formatura do seu filho Thomas, na Escola Americana de Brasília, o Embaixador Ellis publicou a seguinte reflexão, que incide sobre a cultura de aprendizagem e inclusão nas escolas.

Tomás terminou a escola no último Sábado

Nessas últimas semanas, pais em todo o hemisfério norte foram ou vão assistir seus filhos passarem por esse ritual, de formatura, nas mais diversas formas; como no caso do nosso filho Tomás que passou a corda do capelo do lado direito para o lado esquerdo. Cada família tem suas próprias memórias e histórias, algumas semelhantes entre si — e outras completamente particulares.

Nossa história inclui um momento vivido alguns anos atrás, em uma sala ainda cinzenta, com sensíveis médicos da região belga dos Flandres nos dizendo, também de forma sensível, que nosso filho possuía um diagnóstico de espectro autista. Não há nenhum número para confirmar isso; nenhum exame de sangue. Essa conclusão é o produto único de observação e julgamento. É resultado daquele nó de ansiedade que tomou conta de nós, eu e minha esposa, quando a primeira professora de Tomás, no jardim de infância, nos chamou na escola e nos perguntou se ele era um pouco diferente; desde sua aparente dificuldade de audição (testada e não comprovada); ao caminhar um pouco desajeitado e o foco em alguns brinquedos, mas não seus colegas.

Antes de ser diagnosticado, Tomás passou por uma série de pequenas escolas, sempre com a ajuda de professores amáveis, dos quais ele quase sempre permanecia por perto. A comprovação veio logo depois que nos mudamos da quente e divertida Madrid de volta à Bruxelas, na Bélgica. Ali, Tomás foi matriculado em uma escola maior, que rapidamente o declarou como “ineducável”. Uma frase que não soa muito mais agradável quando você a escuta em francês.

Eu me perguntava, assim que ele foi diagnosticado, o que aconteceria em seguida. E o “amanhã” é a melhor resposta. Meu filho, assim como nós, não tinha mudado. Nós caímos, mas então nos levantamos. Tomás seguiu em frente, muito mais feliz em uma escola que o acolheu ao invés de rejeitá-lo por ser quem ele é. Os rótulos — Asperger, com espectro autista, “muito brilhante, mas diferente”… — ajudaram em sua primeira interação com as novas escolas. Elas estavam prontas a se adaptarem antes da nossa chegada.

Nesses últimos 11 anos, como fruto de várias características de sua natureza, Tomás adquiriu confiança, um excelente senso de humor e um bom coração.

Várias outras crianças também são assim — autistas ou não. Tomas também recebeu muita ajuda. Ajuda em forma de suporte com as atividades em sala de aula e, crucialmente, de professores que o conquistaram. Professores que o enxergaram como diferente, e não especial; como uma pessoa, ainda que adolescente, ao invés de uma síndrome.

Nós aprendemos algo desde o começo: escolas não são diferentes de qualquer outra organização no que se refere à importância de um líder que determine e estimule determinados valores. Tivemos sorte, e um pouco de escolha, com as duas escolas onde Tomás passou a maior da última década.Ambas as partes acreditaram que a escola iria ganhar mais do que perder recebendo um garoto como ele, parte de um mundo de diferenças que todos os demais alunos deveriam aprender. Quase sem exceção, todos os demais alunos compartilharam essa atitude. E na rara ocasião em que um colega tentou intimidá-lo, a confiança e o bom humor de Tomás lidaram confortavelmente com a situação.

O diretor da escola em que Tomás ficou a maior parte de sua trajetória me disse, depois de conversar com ele, que iria matriculá-lo, mas confessou que haveria algumas pessoas ali pouco ansiosas com a sua chegada. E assim foi. Alguns professores o acolheram, alguns o queriam fora de sala. Isso não foi determinado pela capacidade de Tomás, mas pela confiança de cada um dos professores. Ao longo do tempo, alguns professores o excluíram de aulas nas quais ele era relativamente habilidoso, enquanto outros continuaram com ele em disciplinas (matemática, por exemplo) em que as ameaças, as lágrimas e os subornos não conseguiam movê-lo. A medida que os exames foram aumentando, alguns professores e, em raros casos, alguns pais, queriam Tomás fora da classe — era o medo de que ele minasse os resultados dos demais estudantes. Nesses momentos, os reais valores de uma escola se fizeram presentes.

Tomas não é fácil de ensinar. Como um monte de crianças com espectro autista, ele é muito autodidata (e eu deveria agradecer Os Simpsons, Futurama e Cartoon Network por sua contribuição significativa para a sua educação). E ele diz as coisas exatamente com as vê, o que às vezes pode ser desconfortável. O novo professor de música, recém saído da universidade, talvez esperasse um início diferente para sua carreira: com certeza ele não esperava que Tomás pedisse para ver suas qualificações. Mas os bons professores, e havia um monte deles, apenas superaram essas dificuldades ou, melhor ainda, as abraçaram como parte do que Tomás trouxe para a sala de aula e a escola. Eles entenderam que os ganhos eram maiores que todos os desafios.

Na última semana, depois de Tomás ganhar um prêmio de artes, para o orgulho do pai e para sua própria indiferença, uma professora mencionou o suporte oferecido a Tomás por toda a “comunidade escolar”. Ela estava certa. Eles fizeram muito pelo nosso filho e se engajaram no desafio de ajudá-lo no caminho pela educação.

Então, sim, este texto vai para o filho que eu amo. Mas também vai para cada membro daquelas comunidades escolares, professores, administradores, seguranças e auxiliares que viram no Tomás não somente um potencial de notas medianas ou um aluno “especial” para ser mantido em um lugar “especial”, mas sim pelo que ele era — um outro sabor na variedade muito ampla que é a raça humana.

Link para publicação original: Tomás Finished School Last Saturday

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY 2.0) flickr photo by James Cridland: Crowd  https://www.flickr.com/photos/leecullivan/240389468/

Future of Education

We recently hosted an evening event with parents and teachers entitled, “The Future of Education.” The workshop was more of a discussion about the factors that are currently disrupting and redefining education rather than an articulation of what education will look like in the future.

To begin the discussion, each participant was asked to describe the most effective learning experience in his or her life. While there was a wide range of responses, there was one common theme: All but one of the learning experiences occurred outside of a K-12 school setting. The one parent whose experience took place in school shared that his Grade 2 teacher allowed him to extend his learning in an area of personal interest that developed well beyond the level required in the syllabus.

The participants were then asked to explain why they believed the learning experiences they described were so effective and meaningful. What emerged from the ensuing discussion was the concept of relevance – when the learning represented a high level of relevance to the learner, the result was usually an effective and deeply meaningful learning experience.

Relevance

So, is the concept of relevance as a basis for our educational programs the panacea we have been seeking to significantly improve K-12 educational programs and, in turn, student learning and development? While we know there is no simple “one solution fits all” solution to improving schools, we are seeing an increased focus on relevance and personalized learning. If forced to use one word to describe the future of education, many would agree that the word would be relevance.

The research of Lee Jenkins (2013) highlights why this discussion is important. Jenkins worked with 3,000 teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to determine how enthusiastic students are about school. The result of the study was that 95% of kindergarten students are enthusiastic about school. However, this percentage drops significant each year until Grade 9 when the percentage of students enthusiastic about school drops to a low of 37%. The small increase between Grades 10 to 12 is attributed to the focus of some students on graduation and beyond (see graph below). It seems that we should all be concerned with the results of this study.

Source: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

It is believed that a greater focus on relevance in education will contribute to ensuring a higher level of student enthusiasm for school. To that end, relevance can be defined in many ways, including the framework of preparing students for life beyond school.

Future of Jobs

In Future of Jobs, published by the World Economic Forum, the report lists the top ten skills needed to thrive in a 2015 work environment. Looking ahead five years, it is believed that over 35% of the skills considered important for work today will have changed, resulting in a different list of top ten skills in 2020.

Top 10 Skills in 2015:

Complex Problem Solving
Coordinating with Others
People Management
Critical Thinking
Negotiation
Quality Control
Service Orientation
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Listening
Creativity

Top 10 Skills in 2020:

Complete Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Creativity
People Management
Coordinating with Others
Emotional Intelligence
Judgment and Decision Making
Service Orientation
Negotiation
Cognitive Flexibility

In comparing the two tables, it is interesting to note that five of the skills in 2020 are relationship based: People Management, Coordinating with Others, Emotional Intelligence, Service Orientation, and Negotiation. It is also interesting to note that Creativity moved up the list from tenth place in 2015 to third place in 2020.

Creativity

George Land was responsible for developing a creativity test for NASA to determine how innovative potential scientists and astronauts were as part of the candidate assessment process. In 1968, Land used the same test to evaluate children over a ten-year period. The results were astonishing, as displayed in the chart below.

Source: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

The test was given to 1,600 students with a resulting score of 98% for five-year-olds. The same students were tested five and ten years later, scoring 30% and 12% respectively. The same test was given to 280,000 adults, who scored an average of 2%. The conclusion of the study was that non-creative behavior is learned.

The significant drop in levels of creativity has been attributed, in large part, to, an educational system that was developed on a premise established 200 years ago during the Industrial Revolution to train students to follow instructions and be good workers. Education has of course evolved since that time, though it can be argued that the framework associated with the original premise continues to limit reform in education.

Returning to the title of this post and the Future of Education, some of the questions that will guide future educational reforms will need to include issues relating to creativity, future work skills, enthusiasm for school, and, perhaps most importantly, the concept of relevance and the learning process.

O Futuro da Educação

Recentemente nós promovemos um evento para pais e professores chamado “ O Futuro da Educação”. O workshop foi mais uma discussão sobre os fatores que atualmente estão perturbando e redefinindo a educação do que uma articulação sobre o que a educação virá a ser no futuro.

Ao começarmos a discussão, pedimos que cada participante descrevesse a experiência de aprendizado mais eficaz em sua vida. Em meio uma variedade de respostas, notamos um tema em comum: Todas as experiências, exceto uma, aconteceram fora do ambiente escolar. O pai que contou sobre a sua experiência na escola disse que a sua professora do segundo ano permitiu que ele estendesse sua aprendizagem em uma área de interesse pessoal que se desenvolveu muito além do nível exigido pelo programa.

Em seguida, pedimos aos participantes que explicassem por que eles acreditavam que suas experiências de aprendizado compartilhadas ali foram tão eficazes e significativas. O que emergiu do debate que se seguiu foi o conceito de relevância – em que o aprendizado representou um alto nível de importância para o aluno e o resultado foi uma experiência de aprendizado efetiva, profunda e significativa.

Relevância

Sendo assim, será que o conceito de relevância como base para nossos programas educacionais é a panaceia que temos buscado para melhorar significativamente os programas educacionais K-12 e, por sua vez, o aprendizado do aluno e seu desenvolvimento?

Apesar de sabermos que não há uma simples “solução para todos” para a melhoria das escolas, estamos vendo que existe um foco maior na relevância e aprendizagem personalizada. Se nos esforçarmos para achar uma palavra que descreva o futuro da educação, muitos irão concordar que a palavra seria relevância.

A pesquisa de Lee Jenkins (2013) destaca por que esta discussão é importante. Jenkins trabalhou com 3.000 professores do jardim de infância ao 12º ano para determinar como alunos entusiasmados se sentem sobre a escola. O estudo mostrou que 95% dos alunos do jardim de infância estão entusiasmados com a escola. No entanto, esse percentual cai de forma significativa a cada ano, até a 9ª série, quando a percentagem de alunos entusiasmados com a escola cai para 37%. O pequeno aumento entre os 10º e 12º anos é atribuído ao foco de alguns alunos na graduação, entre outros (ver gráfico abaixo). Parece que todos nós devemos nos preocupar com os resultados deste estudo.

Fonte: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

Acredita-se que um foco maior na relevância em educação contribuirá para assegurar um maior nível de alunos entusiasmados com a escola. Para isso, a relevância pode ser definida de várias maneiras, incluindo a abordagem de preparar alunos para a vida além da escola.

O Futuro dos Empregos

O artigo “O Futuro dos Empregos”, publicado pelo Fórum Econômico Mundial, lista as dez principais habilidades necessárias para prosperar em um ambiente de trabalho de 2015. Olhando cinco anos para frente, acredita-se que mais de 35% das habilidades consideradas hoje importantes para o trabalho, irão mudar resultando em uma lista diferente das dez melhores habilidades em 2020.

As 10 melhores habilidades em 2015:

Resolução de problemas complexos
Interação com os outros
Gestão de Pessoas
Pensamento Crítico
Negociação
Controle de Qualidade
Orientação de Serviços
Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
Escuta Ativa
Criatividade

As 20 melhores habilidades em 2020:

Resolução de Problemas Completa
Pensamento Crítico
Criatividade
Gestão de Pessoas
Interação com os outros
Inteligência Emocional
Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
Orientação a Serviços
Negociação
Flexibilidade Cognitiva

Na comparação das duas tabelas, é interessante notar que cinco das habilidades para 2020 estão ligadas a relacionamento: Gestão de Pessoas, Interação com os outros, Inteligência Emocional, Orientação a Serviços e Negociação. Também é interessante notar que a criatividade subiu na lista de décimo lugar em 2015, para o terceiro lugar em 2020.

Criatividade

George Terra foi o responsável pelo desenvolvimento de um teste de criatividade para a NASA para determinar o potencial e quão inovadores cientistas e astronautas eram, como parte de um processo seletivo. Em 1968, Terra usou o mesmo teste para avaliar crianças em um período acima de dez anos.

Os resultados foram surpreendentes, conforme mostrado no gráfico abaixo.

Fonte: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

O teste foi aplicado a 1.600 alunos com uma pontuação de 98% para crianças de cinco anos. Os mesmos alunos foram testados cinco e dez anos mais tarde, marcando 30% e 12%, respectivamente. O mesmo teste foi dado a 280.000 adultos, que marcaram uma média de 2%. A conclusão do estudo foi que o comportamento não criativo é aprendido.

A queda significativa nos níveis de criatividade tem sido atribuída, em grande parte, a um sistema educacional que foi desenvolvido em uma premissa estabelecida há 200 anos, durante a Revolução Industrial, para ensinar alunos a seguirem as instruções e serem bons trabalhadores. A educação vem, naturalmente, evoluindo desde aquela época, embora se possa argumentar que o quadro associado com a premissa original continua a limitar a reforma na educação.

Voltando ao título deste artigo e ao Futuro da Educação, algumas das questões que irão orientar as futuras reformas educacionais terão de incluir questões relacionadas a criatividade, habilidades de trabalhos futuros, o entusiasmo para a escola, e, talvez a mais importante, o conceito de relevância e o processo de aprendizagem.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Nelson de Witt:Child's Play; https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcescobar1/4826861354

One Resolution at a Time

The start of a new year also brings with it a deluge of advice and commitments to guide our resolutions. Mick Walsh, author and coach, believes that most new year resolutions are not fulfilled because they are too short-term in nature (i.e. knee-jerk remedies) and more focused on meeting the expectations of others rather than our own dreams.

To realize higher degrees of fulfillment, self actualization, and happiness, it can be argued that resolutions should be based only on long-term, life pattern behaviors. Walsh refers to a publication by Regina Brett, a journalist who celebrated her first fifty years of life by publishing an article listing the fifty lessons life taught her. The following sample statements from Brett’s article speak to the ideals associated with resolutions that could serve to frame our long-term, life pattern behaviors.

Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
Forgive everyone everything.
Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Your children get only one childhood.
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

So how does this connect to the start of a new school semester? One of the many facets that I appreciate about our profession is the opportunity to begin each semester afresh as part of a continuous cycle of renewal. The new relationships, new challenges, and new learning and growth opportunities offered during the school year bring us another step forward towards the self-actualization aspirations we set for ourselves, both as individuals and as an institution. The ongoing processes of setting goals and establishing resolutions, particularly those that are long-term life pattern behaviors that further our own and collective self-actualization and happiness, are directly linked to the ideals expressed through EAB’s mission: Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

Jack Layton’s words further articulate these thoughts and our work as educators:

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

So, let us work to change the world through education, one resolution at a time.

Uma Resolução de Cada Vez

O início de um novo ano traz também uma enxurrada de conselhos e compromissos para orientar nossas resoluções. Mick Walsh, autor e instrutor, acredita que a maioria das resoluções de ano novo não são realizadas porque são de natureza transitória (ou seja, soluções apressadas) e com foco em atender as expectativas dos outros, em vez de cuidar dos nossos próprios sonhos.

Para alcançarmos um grau de satisfação maior, felicidade e termos consciência do nosso potencial, podemos afirmar que as resoluções devem ser baseadas apenas em longo prazo, nos comportamentos padrões de vida. Walsh fala de uma publicação de Regina Brett, uma jornalista que comemorou seus primeiros cinquenta anos de vida publicando um artigo com 50 lições que a vida lhe ensinou. Os exemplos seguintes do artigo de Brett falam dos ideais associados às resoluções que podem servir para estruturar o nosso padrão de comportamento a longo prazo.

A vida não é justa, mas ainda é boa.
Quando estiver em dúvida, dê somente o próximo passo, pequeno.
A vida é muito curta para desperdiçá-la odiando alguém.
Você não tem que ganhar todas as vezes. Concorde em discordar.
Chore com alguém. Cura melhor do que chorar sozinho
Quanto a chocolate, é inútil resistir.
Faça as pazes com seu passado, assim ele não atrapalha o presente.
Não há problemas em deixar suas crianças verem que você chora.
Não compare sua vida com a dos outros. Você não tem ideia do que é a jornada deles.
Respire fundo. Isso acalma a mente.
Livre-se de qualquer coisa que não seja útil, bonito ou alegre.
Nunca é muito tarde para ter uma infância feliz. Mas a segunda vez é por sua conta e ninguém mais.
Quando se trata do que você ama na vida, não aceite um não como resposta.
Acenda as velas, use os lençóis bonitos, use a sua roupa íntima chique. Não guarde isto para uma ocasião especial. Hoje é o dia especial.
Ninguém é o responsável pela sua felicidade a não ser você.
Enquadre todos os assim chamados “desastres” com estas palavras ‘Em cinco anos, isto importará?’
Perdoe tudo de todos.
O tempo cura quase tudo. Dê tempo ao tempo.
Não importa quão boa ou ruim é uma situação, ela mudará.
Não se leve muito a sério. Ninguém faz isso.
Suas crianças têm apenas uma infância. Torne-a memorável.
Saia de casa todos os dias. Os milagres estão esperando em todos os lugares.
Se todos nós colocássemos nossos problemas juntos em uma pilha e olhássemos os dos outros, nós pegaríamos os nossos de volta.
Não importa como você se sente, levante-se, vista-se e apareça.
A vida não está amarrada com um laço, mas ainda é um presente.

Então, como isso se conecta ao início de um novo semestre letivo? Uma das muitas facetas que eu aprecio sobre a nossa profissão é a oportunidade de começar de novo a cada semestre, como parte de um ciclo contínuo de renovação. As novas relações, novos desafios e novas oportunidades de aprendizado e crescimento oferecidas durante o ano letivo nos colocam um passo a frente nas aspirações de crescimento que estabelecemos para nós mesmos, como indivíduos e como instituição. Os processos de estabelecer metas e resoluções, particularmente as que são modelos de comportamento em longo prazo, que estimulam a nossa felicidade e consciência do nosso potencial e do todo, estão diretamente ligados aos ideais expressados através da missão da EAB: Aprendizes inspirando aprendizes a serem inquisitivos na vida, firmes em seu caráter e com uma visão audaciosa.

As palavras de Jack Layton estimulam a articulação desses pensamentos e o nosso trabalho como educadores:

“Meus amigos, o amor é melhor do que a raiva. A esperança é melhor do que o medo. O otimismo é melhor do que desespero. Por isso, vamos ser amorosos, esperançosos e otimistas e, assim, vamos mudar o mundo”.

Então, vamos trabalhar para mudar o mundo por meio da educação, uma resolução de cada vez.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Toni Verdú Carbó:The Passage of Time; https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonivc/2283676770/

Teachers’ Day

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” ~ Carl Jung.

Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Brazil on October 15 each year. As a small token of appreciation and recognition, this post is dedicated to all teachers at the American School of Brasilia, in Brazil, and worldwide: Happy Teachers’ Day! Your work, dedication, and commitment to the development of others is deeply appreciated.

In the spirit of celebrating Teachers’ Day, the following is a reposting of a letter entitled, “Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher”, written by Kylene Beers:

Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher: An Open Letter to America’s Teachers

When my first born headed off to first grade, 21 years ago, she held my hand as we walked down the hallway of Will Rogers Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District. We walked into Ms. Miner’s room and Meredith’s steps grew more hesitant. This wasn’t the University of Houston Child Care Center, the place she had gone for years while I was a doctoral student at UH. This place looked different – bigger, more official. There were big-kid desks pushed together in clusters. And though there were centers, they were not the dress-up center or the cooking center or nap center or water play center of the Child Care Center.

The room was filled with children she did not yet know, with books she had not yet read, with a math center that had lost-teeth and birthday charts, and with a big poster by the door labeled, “Our Classroom Rules” that was still blank. “I don’t want to stay,” she said. I didn’t want her to, either. I wanted her still with me, only me. I didn’t want to give up those first six years of childhood just yet, those years when her world mostly revolved around her parents and new baby brother and a silly dog with big ears and afternoons spent in our local library reading book after book after book or playing in our neighborhood park, sometimes just sitting on the grass, watching the ants march by. With every ounce of courage, I said, “Oh, you will love first grade. It was my favorite year in school. I loved my first grade teacher, Mrs. Allen, and I bet you are going to love Ms. Miner, too.” Meredith looked doubtful and so very small. And then Ms. Miner, long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, saw us, came over, and bent down to Meredith’s level. A first year teacher – the one I had told the principal that if he was willing to listen to requests I wanted – Ms. Miner was full of energy and excitement. She loved books, wanted to be a great teacher, and had obviously spent weeks making her room look inviting to these 22 six-year-olds.

“Oh, you’re Meredith! I recognized you from your picture! Come here and let me introduce you to some others. And let me show you all around the room. And, hey, you brought Corduroy as your favorite book and that’s one of my favorite books, too!”

And then, somehow, without me even realizing, Meredith’s small hand moved from mine to Ms. Miner’s and she was gone. She was swallowed up by the sheer joy this other woman brought into her classroom, into learning, and into my child’s life. “I guess I’ll be going now,” I said to Meredith who was busy putting school supplies away in her desk. “So, I’ll be just around the corner at our house,” I said blinking hard to keep away the tears.” I think she nodded. Perhaps she even paused to wave. My feet couldn’t move and Ms. Miner gently helped me and a few other moms out of the classroom. “She’s really shy,” I said to Ms. Miner just as Meredith sped by holding a new friend’s hand showing her “all these hooks where we can hang our backpacks.”

Meredith was breathless with excitement at the end of that day – every day – and by the end of the first week, our family had a new member: Ms. Miner. Each afternoon and for long into the evening, I had to listen to “Ms. Miner said . . .” and “Ms. Miner thinks . . .” and “Ms. Miner showed us . . .” and “Ms. Miner suggested . . .” and when I slipped and said, “Oh damn” at dinner burned in the oven, I was reminded that “Mom, Ms. Miner would never say . . . .” Right, I smiled through gritted teeth. “Ms. Miner says that manners are important,” Meredith said as she explained why we must always put our napkins in our laps, something that I swear I had mentioned a million times.

For the entire year I watched my child fall in love with school, with learning, with figuring out, and most importantly, with her first grade teacher, Ms. Miner. Meredith, who had once hated ponytails, now only wanted to wear ponytails. And blue skirts, “just like Ms. Miner’s.” “And Mom, my name starts with an M and Ms. Miner starts with an M. Isn’t that great!! We match!” Yes, Meredith, just great. Really great. Oh damn.

Though I had been a teacher for years before having Meredith, before sending her off to first grade, I had never truly understood the power of a teacher in a child’s life. We give our most precious and priceless to you – dear teachers – each year, knowing you will teach them, but also hoping you will care for them, help them discover how very much they matter, watching over them, and being there when they have been hurt by the ones who won’t let them sit at the “popular” table – and then you do just that and they fall in love with you. It shows up in different ways, as they grow older. But it’s still there, this deep affection and respect. And, certainly, it’s harder to forge those bonds when there are 150 students instead of 22, when the day is fragmented into 45 minute segments, when education seems to be more about the test than the child. But I promise, underneath that bravado of the seventh grader or swagger of the tenth grader you will find that small first grader who wonders, “Will my teacher like me?” And when that child – that teen – knows that you believe he or she matters, then that student will do most anything for you.

To this day, Meredith remembers you, Ms. Miner, and to this day, I so hated how much she loved you that year. And, simultaneously, I am so grateful that she did.

And so, teachers, across this country during the next two weeks, most of you will be opening your classroom doors in a first-day welcoming for your students. As a teacher I am proud to stand beside you in all that you do. But as a parent, well, as a parent I stand in awe of all that you do. And to Ms. Miner, thank you.

Wishing teachers all the very best on Brazil’s Teachers’ Day. Thank you for all you do!

“Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it and by the same token to save it from that ruin, which, except for renewal, except for the coming of the new and the young, would be inevitable. An education, too, is where we decide whether we love our children enough not to expel them from our world and leave them to their own devices, nor to strike from their hands their choice of undertaking something new, something unforeseen by us, but to prepare them in advance for the task of renewing a common world.” ~ Hannah Arendt.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC 2.0) flickr photo by Julie Falk:Sam Reading in Badlands; https://www.flickr.com/photos/piper/10571971

Principled In Character

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

After a yearlong review process, involving regular feedback and contributions from parents, students, and teachers through surveys, retreats, and focus group meetings, the school’s new mission statement was officially introduced at the start of this school year.

Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

As part of an ongoing analysis of EAB’s new mission statement, this week’s post looks at the third element of the mission: “Principled in Character”.

The American School of Brasilia builds its educational program around the ideal of a whole child education that includes a focus on five pillars: academics, activities, arts, leadership, and service. Within this context, character education plays a critical role towards whole child development.

By way of example, EAB’s Character Counts! program has become a deeply integrated part of the Lower School, which also includes a monthly assembly led by students and regularly attended by over one hundred parents. The program is framed by six ethical values – Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; and Citizenship – which are used to further develop a positive school culture where students feel safe in their learning environment. The program also works to develop a culture of kindness in addition to addressing issues associated with bullying.

The Upper School recently engaged in a collective process, led by students, to establish a student honor code, which was approved and is now a essential part of the school’s culture. EAB’s student honor code reads as follows:

We, as students of the American School of Brasilia, give our pledge to live by the guiding principles of responsibility and respect in all that we say and do, understand that these values carry far beyond the classroom environment, affecting not only our peers and the activities we participate in, but who we are and who we will become, we commit to treat all people with compassion, be engaged and collaborative in all aspects of our education, and in all cases act with honor and integrity. We will uphold these values as the core of our identity, hence becoming principled individuals and contributing citizens to society.

EAB’s efforts in the area of “Principled in Character” are guided by our school’s Student Learner Profile (see below), which highlights how learners are Engaged, Collaborative, Contributing, and Principled. The Learner Profile further emphasizes the “principled” focus with the following statement: “As an EAB Learner, I am responsible for my learning, my actions, and their consequences.” This statement is then articulated with additional and more specific assertions:

I am responsible and do my best when assigned a task.
I persevere even when something is difficult.
I meet deadlines.
I come ready to learn with the materials and mindset needed for school each day.
I approach problems respectfully and ethically and work hard to solve them.
I know the difference between right and wrong and accept consequences for my actions.
I look for opportunities to learn and grow beyond what is expected of me by my teacher.

Perhaps the best way to summarize EAB’s work with respect to the “principled in character” aspect of the school’s mission statement is to refer to a comment made during a professional development session. Dr. Michael Thompson, a renowned child psychologist, was asked to define a “moral school”. He responded by quoting another author (whose name I cannot recall), who stated, “A moral school is a school that is always talking about what it means to be a moral school.” This is a profound statement in how it highlights the importance of process and focus, rather than one definition that would inevitability lead to an oversimplification of a deeply complex issue.

It would be an act of hubris for EAB to claim, as a school, that it always has all of the right answers for all situations in relation to character and education. It certainly does not and nor does any school. However, what is important is to be always engaging in a collective conversation about character, in the context of programs such as Character Counts!, and working with guiding principles, as found in the Student Honor Code and Learner Profile.

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Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Beccatevi questo! (Stròlic Furlàn – Davide Gabino) https://www.flickr.com/photos/56743832@N04/8662153499/