IB Impressed!

School apathy vs. an “Ivy League college or bust!” attitude exemplifies one of the great issues plaguing our high schools today. How do we balance the needs of high achieving students who are driven to go to an Ivy League school, with the needs of students who struggle with the rules and routines of a traditional high school? At Millbrook High School, our answer is to implement the International Baccalaureate Program, a program that is for ALL students.  As a former IB educator, I have always strongly believed in the IB philosophy, however, now through my exploration of the program in a new school setting, I am “IB impressed.” In fact, regardless of the subject area or level, all of the teachers investigating the program at Millbrook, have expressed their excitement and enthusiasm for IB implementation at our school. Why are we so impressed at Millbrook with the IB program?

It’s a program that was developed to create a more peaceful and better world. No one could argue with the fact that we live in a complex world filled with intolerance and conflict. The IB program strives to shape global citizens who have the critical thinking skills and knowledge necessary to grapple with these challenging  21st century issues. Most importantly, the IB program fosters a culture of tolerance to create caring and compassionate students who can contribute positively to their schools, their communities and the larger global society.

Unlike, the Advanced Placement Program, the IB program is for ALL children. It is designed so that every student, regardless of GPA or class ranking, can participate. In fact, the IB Organization emphasizes creating an “IB for ALL” program where all students are given the opportunity to attempt the IB diploma. The focus for IB is not on the final test scores, but on the learning process and habits of mind that students acquire through taking an IB course. The IB program develops the whole child and gives every student the chance to have an IB experience through a well-designed curriculum, a CAS project or Theory of Knowledge course. Furthermore, students are assessed in multiple ways through essays, projects and performances, giving them more than one opportunity to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.

The CORE of the IB program is what gives the program its heart and focus.The Extended Essay, the CAS activities and the Theory of Knowledge course are the core three components that connect all subject areas in the program and gives the curriculum even greater meaning. The Extended Essay, a 4000 word research essay, gives students an opportunity to delve into a topic of interest for a rich research experience that more than prepares students for a college research paper. The Theory of Knowledge course gets at the heart of teaching students how to think about what they are learning.  It examines “ways of knowing” and helps students to balance their beliefs and think critically about how to approach knowledge in each subject area. The CAS component helps to teach students goal setting while also encouraging intellectual risk-taking and sharing new information with others in the community. The core of the IB program creates students who are self-assured, well-balanced and ready to explore the world around them.

Beyond all of the benefits of the IB program for students, it also strives to create educators who are life-long learners with strong pedagogical skills. Trainings, roundtables and conferences give IB teachers a support system to stay current, share information and strengthen their skills while the IB Curriculum Center provides a wealth of resources to give teachers the answers to their pressing curriculum questions. The spirit of collaboration among IB schools is unmatched and a testament to the IB mission and philosophy that all IB schools share.

The reasons to be IB impressed could go on and on, but to conclude the  IB Organization is a model organization that continues to reflect on how to best meet the needs of its IB schools. With a new hub in Bethesda, Maryland and a redesigned web page, the IB program is consistently working to improve its efficiency and communication so that a global organization feels more like a small community that is always there for support.

At Millbrook, we are excited about the new possibilities that IB will bring for our school and look forward to becoming a part of this prestigious and high quality organization.

Why are you IB impressed?

Through New School Doors

Even in the age of the “connected educator” there are still far too many schools and teachers that remain in a state of isolation. Everyday there are tweet chats with questions about how to get other educators “on board” to embrace change. From my experience, the best answer to that question is for teachers to make an old fashioned visit to another school. Getting out of the daily routine to visit another school can do more to empower a teacher than any login to a Facebook or Twitter account. Although these social media tools have made wonderful strides to transform educators, there is nothing better than person-person collaboration to reform schools. As one of my faculty members stated, “Teachers listen to other teachers to see what works.” It’s no surprise that when teachers visit other teachers, they return to their own classrooms with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration.

Just like a student entering a classroom, the learning on a school visit begins right at the new school doors. Taking the time to observe the architecture and design of the building can offer many insights into what the school community values and how it was influenced by the social forces at the time it was built. For instance, some schools have very open spaces that were popular in the 1950’s through 1970’s while others have a more Gothic feel that was popular with schools that were built in the 1930’s. Every school holds fascinating secrets within their design that show how education was impacted by the political and social events over the past one hundred years. As an example, Croton-Harmon High School, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York is home to beautiful murals in its auditorium that were painted by New Deal artists during The Great Depression. Some schools have murals on their walls or doors painted by students that give a valuable school history. Whether the school is modern, minimalist or filled with old plaques, the school design and the relics within it, give a visitor a lens into how other communities interpreted the best way to educate their students.

Beyond the exterior, each school has its own programs that can provide new ideas for visiting educators. For instance, some rural schools in northern New York, like Gilbertsville, have a very unique recycling program where the compost helps to feed the animals of local small farmers. Some schools have very distinctive schedules or renowned programs, like the International Baccalaureate Program, that are worth exploring. Whatever the focus may be, there is always a great deal to be gained by observing students, rituals and creative programs in another school that can be tweaked and applied to ones own school setting.

Most importantly, the best reason to go on a school visit is to meet new people and build new connections. There is nothing more invigorating than meeting with another teacher who teaches the same subject matter face-to-face. Social media has helped to bridge this gap for educators, but building relationships with school teachers outside of the building helps to provide the support necessary for a teacher to stay fresh and excited about teaching and learning. It’s another resource and another critical friend to share ideas with.

I can recall in 1993, when as a new teacher, we were asked to visit a school in Massachusetts that had Copernican scheduling; we returned from the visit enthusiastic and ready to move forward with our own scheduling initiative. My faculty, at Millbrook High School, has visited several other schools to bring back ideas for our Senior Internship Program, insights on scheduling, as well as the chance to explore the International Baccalaureate Program. Each time teachers have returned excited and ready for new possibilities. School visits provide motivation and inspiration while also shedding light on the positives in ones own school.

On the flip side, it takes time and energy to host another school and I am very grateful to the following schools and people who have opened their school doors to us: Croton-Harmon High School, Red Hook High School and Dobbs Ferry High School. MHS has gained invaluable insights into programs and school life that otherwise we would not have had. Special thanks to @RoyPaisley @Meghalberg @Careim2 @johnfalino1 for their hospitality.

Every administrator should have the goal to get some of their faculty out to a different school in 2015 for new learning. Use Twitter for more than a tweet chat and take advantage of those relationships to get out of the building and walk through new school doors!  Just one visit can be the fuel to begin school improvement.

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