Are Your Students Ready for Real World Academics?

by ISR Guest Author

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At my school in Guatemala, our high school counselor amazingly managed to place 100% of graduating students in both prestigious and some lesser known United States universities.

Before the close of their first semester studying at a university level, the majority of these kids returned home to Guatemala. They had the best grades their parent’s money could buy but were sadly unprepared for real world academics.

Back in Guatemala, returning students went to work in their parent’s businesses and/or enrolled in local colleges. Only this time their parent’s money would buy them a college degree, just as it had purchased top academic records at their international school.

Universities, after repeat experiences with students performing well below what their transcripts would suggest, began summarily rejecting students coming from specific schools. These overindulged, under talented kids with a grandiose inflated sense of entitlement were ruining it for everyone.

ISR reviews, written by authors identifying as high school counselors, explain how their sole role as school counselor was to place graduating kids in U.S. universities. Some such reviews go on to say it was a monumental, almost impossible task since many universities had already blacklisted the school.

Based on school reviews populating the pages of ISR, it should be safe to say specific areas of the world appear to have a reputation for participating in academically aggrandizing student achievement. Other locals, in general, seem more in line with preparing kids for university academics. Let’s hope universities will not discount truly academically prepared students from acceptance based solely on poor performance by kids that otherwise would not have graduated from a U.S. high school.

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You Never Know Who’s Who — Until You Do!

by ISR Guest Author

Being new to my international school, I naturally wanted to form friendships. I soon gravitated to a few colleagues and began hanging out with them on an individual basis.

Honestly, I should have realized early on that one of my new friends was a sycophant of the worst kind — the eyes and ears of our director. I found out the hard way.

I never made disparaging comments about the school or administration. To the contrary, I was quite content. But, out drinking one night with this friend, I made the mistake of sharing that I had paid my way through college, 10 years ago, as an exotic dancer. What possessed me to share this glimpse into my past, I don’t know. My colleague simply shrugged her shoulders and commented, It was probably good money.

To cut to the chase … I had been having issues with a high school student, the son of a member of the ultra-privileged class. The boy, an ill-mannered, overindulged, academically lazy kid failed tests, quizzes and was the source of endless classroom disruptions. He reeked of the stench of self-entitlement.

Nearing the end of the first semester I found myself in a meeting with the director and the boy’s father. Both the director and father accused me of purposely singling out the boy, who purportedly had no history of academic failure or behavior issues. I knew this to be far from the truth based on what colleagues had shared with me.

Just prior to the close of the reporting period the director paid me visit, instructing me to do whatever it took to bring this kid’s grades up. I failed the boy. He got what he had earned, period.

That’s when things took a turn for the worst! Summoned to the office, the director hedged the topic of this student’s grade and jumped right in with a new concern: What would happen if parents found out I had been an exotic dancer? He couldn’t take that chance. I could ruin the school’s reputation. He fired me then and there. Ouch!

Now I’m at a new school. I’m much less trusting and I play my cards close. I have formed a few acquaintances to spend time with, but have come to realize that these fledgling relationships, formed out of proximity and circumstances, are fragile and possibly fraught with unforeseen consequences.

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Help! Out-of-Control Students & NO Support

In all my years in the classroom I’ve never experienced anything like my new 5th grade class. ‘Spoiled, overindulged, undisciplined, entitled kids of the rich and powerful’ best describes their persona. This, for lack of a better term, is a classroom full of kids who have yet to be house-broken.

They’re not malicious, or conspiring to make my life miserable. They just don’t know any better. Or, maybe they do but couldn’t care less. On a one-on-one basis I find them to be nice kids. But put them together in a classroom and the dynamics are like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

In search of a little support I paid a visit to the director. With an inquisitive look on his face he said he’s never had any complaints from this group’s previous teachers. So, I went to have a chat with the fourth grade teachers (one of which was new as the previous teacher broke contract and didn’t return after the Summer break, as did the teacher I am replacing.).

This surviving 4th grade teacher brought everything into focus: “…there is no support from the office. Don’t ask! Registering the fact your class is out-of-control will be to your detriment. The kids can do ‘no wrong.’ Calling for parental support is absolutely not acceptable.” I also learned any grade lower than a ‘B’ will not be accepted by the office.

I’m weeks into being at this school and realizing I should have taken the ISR reviews more seriously. Instead, I concluded the issues stemmed from the teachers’ inexperience in regards to classroom control. My mistake…

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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The IB & AP Square Off on AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. As educators, do we embrace AI and guide students to use it ethically and responsibly? Or do we move to ban its use in our schools?

Two heavy hitters in the field of education, the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the College Board Advanced Placement course of study (AP) are at the two extremes in regards to AI.

The IB asserts: “AI will become part of our everyday lives just like spell checkers, translation software and calculators, and we therefore need to adapt and transform our educational programs and assessment practices so that students can use these new AI tools ethically and effectively.”

Matt Glanville, head of IB’s Assessment Principles tells us: “When AI can essentially write an essay at the touch of a button, we need our pupils to master different skills, such as understanding if the essay is any good or if it has missed context, has used biased data or if it is lacking in creativity. These will be far more important skills than writing an essay, so the assessment tasks we set will need to reflect this.”

Taking the opposite stance, the AP strictly prohibits the use of AI: “Like educators across the country, AP teachers are confronting the implications of ChatGPT and other tools. Students are categorically prohibited from using any and all artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT or DALL-E) or essay writing services (Chegg or Course Hero) to guide, brainstorm, draft or create student work related to any AP assessment, including written projects and performance tasks.”

ISR asks: Do YOU side with the IB or AP stance? What’s YOUR position on the use of AI?

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Unqualified Teachers at Your School?

Sciteach12, an avid contributor to the ISR Member Forum, recently posed a topic that attracted our attention, Unqualified Teachers in International Schools. It’s a topic never before discussed on the ISR Discussion Boards and, we felt, well suited for discussion by the ISR community at large:

Sciteach12
A few weeks ago I made a mention in a thread that I was unaware of the many schools which employ unqualified teachers. This brings me back to some questions on which others might be able to Share their thoughts.

Q1) Have you worked at a school which regularly employs unqualified teachers? Which area of the world is it in?

Q2) Do you see a difference between registered and unregistered teachers? That is to say, the difference between teachers who have kept their credential up-to-date as compared to those who have let them lapse?

Q3) If you found out a school employs a number of unqualified teachers, would you think more poorly of the school? Would you accept a position there?

Do you see see my questions as acceptable or reeking a bit of qualification arrogance???

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Leaving More than Just Footprints

As the end of my 3rd year and completion of contract came into view, I wanted to leave behind something more than just my footprints. I’m not referring to an ego-driven legacy commemorated with an engraved plaque. But rather something of lasting value to my students and my host community.

At my previous school a few of us departing teachers pitched in to purchase and install some much needed software for the elementary library computers. At the school before that, 3 of us had an 8-seat custom bench built and installed on the elementary playground. As for the school I’m now leaving, well … I’ll keep my plan to myself and not spoil the surprise since I know my admin are ISR members!

For me, departing this school and not leaving something of value would color the experience of the past 3 years with an overtone of it having taken place in a vacuum. It would be as if I closed the book on a vibrant chapter of my life and that was that. Contributing lends itself to a sense of connectedness and continuity I can carry with me far into the future.

I love this school and my students here. My desire, while young, to see the world is what motivates me to experience new countries and schools. My desire to contribute to the greater good motivates me to leave behind more than just footprints.

What sort of things have YOU and your colleagues done to leave your schools and/or host communities better than when you came in?

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COVID Collateral

by ISR Guest Author

Over the past few months I’ve noticed a decline in the caliber of writing gracing more than just a few ISR reviews — I’d call it a more agitated, aggressive approach, accompanied by a weaker command of written language. I hadn’t found this to be true, previously.

My theory is that this temporary literary decline is a reflection of a transition currently taking place in the international teaching community. I call it COVID Collateral. Bear with me:

When COVID was in full swing, international schools were finding it next to impossible to fill vacancies from a greatly diminished pool of experienced, qualified candidates who could/would travel to their school. As such, this situation presented an unprecedented opportunity for applicants who otherwise would not have been considered by top-tier schools. Or, tier-2 and/or -3 schools, for that matter.

Of course, every rose has its thorns and along with this unique opportunity for those less-than-qualified came the potential to be subjected to severe, extended lockdowns along with repetitive COVID screenings; this, in countries with unsophisticated medical standards and less democratic governments.

My school, out of necessity, took on some questionably-qualified teachers. I’ve come to fully appreciate why recruiters and most schools require candidates to have a minimum of 2 years teaching experience, a 4-year degree and a teaching credential.

The COVID crisis is today more or less in the rearview mirror. The pool of qualified, experienced educators is back to normal. My school is not renewing the contracts of most COVID ’emergency hires.’ The level of resentment is high. I’m guessing this is happening across the board in international schools around the globe.

It’s my opinion these educators should be grateful for the otherwise unavailable, unique experience they were afforded, knowing they can return when more qualified. The experience will hold some real weight on a resume.

To my point: I believe the recent dip in the level of writing currently populating some ISR reviews is the work of lesser qualified, COVID crisis ’emergency hires’ expressing their dissatisfaction with non contract renewal. This too shall pass. Call it COVID Collateral.

Has anyone else notice this dip in writing competency? What are your thoughts on this topic?

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How Prepared are Your Students for American Universities?

by ISR Guest Author

Although it shouldn’t be the all-consuming focus of my job, placing our graduating students in American universities has become my sole responsibility as Counselor at an “International” school in Egypt. Our board of directors and the director himself think that’s how it should be and how it is for me in my position here as Counselor.

I worry about theses kids. Grades are mostly based on family clout. Administration even goes so far as to pressure teachers into changing test and assignment due-dates if study time might conflict with attendance at a school sporting event or a major weekend party.

There are some bright, hard-working students here with the qualifications to get into any university. But there’s a problem: From what I’m starting to realize, a good percentage of our previous graduates placed in U.S. universities failed out in the first semester. This high attrition rate sent up major red flags, making admissions Counselors hesitant to continue accepting our students. I do now know why I’m having such difficulty placing even the very best of our students.

Additionally, the director, parents and students all think it’s my duty to rewrite entrance essays and fill out entire applications. As a result of this country-club style education, a number of our graduating students lack even the basic English skills to complete an application.

No doubt I’ll be fired at the end of the school year. At least that’s what I think is coming. I’ll be the scapegoat. After all, these kids have the ‘best grades money can buy.’

How prepared are YOUR students for American Universities? Anyone else in the same situation?

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Do You Have to “Like” Kids?

Voila! You’ve earned a teaching credential, landed a position in an International School and fulfilled your dream of exploring the world! Wait…but…what if you don’t really “like” kids as much as you “love” the idea of a life and career of worldwide adventures?

To be clear, there’s a huge difference between not “liking” kids and detesting them. Anyone who detests children obviously has no business in the teaching profession. Not “liking” but caring about kids, on the other hand, may simply denote someone who doesn’t choose to spend their free-time with kids, but is qualified, capable and motivated to teach them.

It would be naïve to think everyone who enters the teaching profession does so with the singular motive to “serve children.” Is there a difference between entering the profession, one perceived as altruistic, with the expectation it will meet one’s financial needs as compared to entering the profession as a means to explore the world?

ISR Asks: Is something inherently wrong with becoming an International educator if the underlying motivation is to travel and live overseas? Does the deeper adventure motivation make a teacher any less qualified to teach? Does it make an International teacher any less effective in the classroom if they really don’t “like” children?

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My School’s Disgusting Grading System

“As I was informed the first week at my new school, the grading policy forbids teachers giving anything less than 70% on all homework and/or tests.

Any student who earns 69%, or less, on a test or homework assignment is given 70% and the given an opportunity to improve that grade. Test takeovers are administered after school, on my time. Makeup assignments ‘should‘ be turned in no later than two weeks from the original due date. Good luck!

In and of itself this isn’t a bad system. However, I have high school kids who submit homework with nothing more than their name, date and the assignment title at the top of a blank page. Since they turned something in I’m required to mark it 70%.

The make-up versions of blank page submissions has so far consisted of a couple of worthless paragraphs. The students then argue they deserve a higher grade on the make-up since it’s an improvement over their first attempt. The school actually supports this idiocy.

The students’ perspective on test results is equally ‘creative.’ A student who, in real life, deserved 47% on the original attempt, and 60% on the retake, argued she improved by 13%, making her combined grade for the test 83% (the mandatory 70% + 13%). I told her to take it up with the school Director. I’ve yet to hear back.

How I plan to survive this experience is beyond me. Yes, I read the Reviews. One of them spoke to this situation and I ignored it, thinking …. in what universe does this stuff take place? Now I know! Has anyone out there had a similar experience? Any suggestions for me?”

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Teaching Admin Kids

_{Great experience or total nightmare?}

Teaching Admin kids who are strong students, great athletes or talented artists is wonderful! And even better when you’re able to build a positive relationship to support their learning and growth.

It’s tougher when Admin kids have challenges or need support. Tough conversations with Admin about their kids’ struggles can build better professional relationships, but can also lead to a nightmare of a workplace if Admin won’t accept that their children are less than perfect. Walking on eggshells to ‘keep the boss happy,’ while trying not to disservice the child, is not easy.

Most Admin kids know they’re in an awkward situation. Teachers report to their parents about them while at the same time their teachers have to answer to their parents. Every once in awhile you get that excessively entitled kid who’ll play the My mom’s your boss! card. The parent is usually on the same page.

ISR Members Comment:

So far I’ve been lucky. I’ve taught the admin’s kids, but they were mostly well-behaved and academically ok. At my first school, however, admin always tried to make excuses instead of apologies for their two kids’ awful and disrespectful behavior. I was never their teacher. The admin didn’t go as far as to pressure the teachers to treat them differently, but it was very annoying and uncomfortable for their teachers, to say the least.

Almost all the admin and teacher kids I’ve taught have been a delight. I can only think of one who had any issues. He wasn’t a bad student – just very quiet and terrified of his dad who was a terrible admin and kind of an ass to everyone, staff and students alike. I might have brought it up with the guy if I felt like he was responsive to any criticism at all, but nope...

It depends on the admin. In my experience they’ve almost always been great. I’ve only once ever seen a nightmare case, and I thankfully wasn’t involved. Considering what happened, I was really surprised that it didn’t end up on this site. Close to the most unprofessional behaviour I’ve ever seen!

ISR asks: Have YOU personally navigated teaching Admin kids? What do YOU do when you see an Admin kid really struggling emotionally and their ‘chin up’ parent has low or no EQ? SHARE some stories so we can all learn.

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Topic & text by LastToKnow & transplanted from ISR Member FORUM.
Teacher’s Comments from ISR Member FORUM.

Aggressive-Student Policy

March, 2022, Pines Lakes Elementary School, Florida: Police were called on campus after a 5-year-old boy reportedly attacked his classroom teacher. The incident started when two children, ages 4 & 5, began throwing things & knocking over chairs.

Once separated, with help from facility members, the classroom teacher escorted the 5-year-old student to a time-out room where he reportedly threw his body weight against her, causing her to fall & hit her head. Losing consciousness, she was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Pines Lakes Elementary soon thereafter released a statement stressing: Safety of staff & students is a top priority. The injured teacher says, Their actions did not show that.

International Schools, by comparison, report far fewer incidences of student-on-student violence &/or aggression directed towards teachers than do public schools. Yet, violence happens & often without a clear-cut policy for how to deal with it. An ISR Member tells us:

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I am a teacher at a Tier-1 school where admin is reluctant to create a “policy” for violent behavior, student-to-student or student-to-teacher. Unfortunately, I have seen an uptick in dysregulated children. Teachers feel unsupported and have to tolerate being hit, kicked, etc. We recently raised this issue in a meeting with our HOS and received a reluctant response. Again, this is a reputable, high-profile school!

***

Is it fear of losing a well-paying customer, or fear of retaliatory measures from an influential parent that cowers some International Schools into hesitancy in enacting a violent-behavior policy? More than a few School Reviews hosted on ISR go so far as to say: The inmates are running the asylum.

Some years ago ISR documented a situation in which the parent of a high school student, sent to time-out for fighting, used his influence to invalidate the exit Visa of the teacher who dared to reprimand his over-indulged teenage son. Not aware of the situation, the teacher was detained at Immigration & prevented from leaving the country. The boy’s father equated a simple time out with putting his son in the Abu Ghraib prison! Weeks later the teacher managed to exit the country, never to return.

ISR asks: Does YOUR International School have documented consequences for violent, aggressive behavior? If so, ISR asks you to Share the details of that policy in an effort to help schools with no policy create one of their own. No one deserves to be hit, kicked, or detained for doing their job.

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Could Book Banning Spread to International Schools?

U.S.A. in the Book Banning Spotlight

In Virginia, a mother is petitioning the Board of Education to remove Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved, from the A.P. English curriculum. She insists that revealing the horrors of slavery is upsetting and not appropriate for young adults.

In Kansas, a school district removed 29 books from its curriculum, claiming they contain material that might make students feel guilt simply because of their race (white) or sex (male). Award winners like Confessions of Nat Turner head the list of banned books, as does The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

In Texas, a school district informed teachers that if they include a book on the Holocaust, they must also provide a book with an “opposing” view. In December of 2021, Texas state representative Matt Krause further pushed for the banning of 850 books.

In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster threatened to send police to seize offensive books. And possibly even arrest school librarians who have not yet removed banned books from shelves.

Banned Books share one thing in common — almost all have received universally recognized awards from respected literary organizations. For example: the Newberry Medal, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award for Young People, American Library Association Best Young Adults Books, Barnes & Noble – Top 10 Best Books for Teens, and the California Book Award.

What’s being banned? Here’s an example:

Laurie Halse Anderson, whose books for young people have been challenged on numerous occasions, articulates the situation: By attacking these books, by attacking the authors, by attacking the subject matter, what they are doing is removing the possibility for conversation. You are laying the groundwork for increased bullying, disrespect, violence and attacks.

Advocates of book banning claim they are ‘protecting children.’ Fact is, it’s really about hiding the truth and rewriting a history of which the parents of students, grandparents and great-grandparents are the authors. It’s about discrimination, politics, conservatism, race, gender and anti-intellectualism. At a recent public school board meeting, a strong advocate for banning a specific book admitted he had not read the book.

Could book banning spread to International Schools offering a U.S. curriculum? It may seem unlikely, but so did the level at which parents, activists, school boards and lawmakers in America are currently challenging outstanding Young Adult and Children’s literature. What are your thoughts?

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Adaptive Schools – Collaboration or Something Else?

I had started my fourth year at an international school in SE Asia. For the previous 3 years, I had deferred leadership of the Secondary School committee to an aspiring administrator we’ll call ‘Bryan.’ The first committee meeting commenced…

For more than an hour ‘Bryan’ explained, in great detail, his version of the 7 Norms of Collaboration, the cornerstone of Adaptive Schools. When I pointed out that leadership of the committee should rotate between individuals within the department, he replied that he  alone was the one who would set the agenda, because, as he put it, he had to “promote student learning.”

The Principal, new to the school, gave ‘Bryan’ authority over the entire Secondary School committee for the next 4 meetings, where he talked for hour upon hour about these Norms, and how this was going to become the basis for the entire school year.

What are the 7 Norms of Collaboration that fall under the umbrella of Adaptive Schools? And why do they require so many hours of explanation?

• The 7 Norms of Collaboration
  1. Pausing before responding to others.
  2. Paraphrase what other people say to promote understanding.
  3. Ask questions to figure out what people are thinking.
  4. Put ideas on the table.
  5. Use data to create shared understandings.
  6. Pay attention to what you say, how it is perceived, and what others say.
  7. Assume that the intentions of other people are positive.

Are these not skills normal adults are expected to have? Listening, paying attention to others, asking questions…..why do educators need a framework for these things? Moreover, why are multi-day seminars and/or hours and hours used to discuss this dreck?

I understand needing programs related to curriculum or classroom management or other kinds of best practices. But this is nothing but behavior modification. It is based on the assumption teachers can’t hack it as professionals, and need to be told what to do and how to think, talk and act. It is also based upon the idea that behavioral modification will usher in a better era. This is the thinking of cults, not the open inquiry that true education requires.

Some may say, “Just go along to get along and stop making waves. Don’t take any of this too seriously.  It’s all just small requests.”  As for me, it’s not a small thing if you are treated like you’re incapable of functioning in a group. Also, consider it will suck the life out of you and hurt you as being a source of strength in the classroom, and in your life. Life is too short to be treated like a dorky automaton!

I welcome any defense of Adaptive Schools and/or the 7 Norms of Collaboration and I accept any criticism of the views expressed here. Open discussion is welcomed because that kind of discussion is almost impossible in a school environment where one is forced to toe the line with Adaptive Schools.

(Note: The views expressed in this Article are those of the guest author and not necessarily the views of ISR.)

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High-Tech Cheating

If you’ve ever suspected cheating may be responsible for some uncommonly high test scores, Cheat-Tech may be the culprit. Not surprisingly, an entire tech industry has grown up around helping students cheat on exams in ways impossible to detect, and just as difficult to prove.

Is Cheat-Tech prevalent in International Schools? We’re not in a position to say. Except one thing is for certain, privileged students have the financial resources to purchase any or all Cheat-Tech devices.

If you believe your exams are falling victim to technology, here’s some helpful insight into how students use Cheat-Tech in, and outside the classroom, and what you can do to deter offenders.

IN the Classroom

Smartwatches – So-called smartwatches are the perfect device for streaming test answers sent by an accomplice in a remote location. Special screens can make a smartwatch appear to be turned off to all but the user who is wearing special lenses. Solution:  In late 2019 the Independent Commission on Examination Malpractice in the UK recommended all watches be banned from exam halls, even what appears to be normal watches which may be a smartwatch in disguise.

Smartphones – Would-be cheaters have gone beyond the obvious, using tiny earbuds to listen to prerecorded information transmitted from their smartphones hidden away in their purse or pocket. Solution:  Signal Jammer

Spy Cam Glasses – This may seem extreme, yet students have been caught cheating with spy cameras hidden in eyeglass frames. These micro cameras read and transmit exam questions to an off-site helper who sends back the answers to a smartwatch.  Solution:  No watches allowed in exam hall

Invisible Ink Pens – Perfect for creating cheat sheets, invisible ink pens have a special light at the tip of the pen that makes otherwise invisible ink, visible to the user. Solution:  Pass out easily identifiable pencils/pens and erasers. Prohibit the use of any other writing device.

Electronic Erasers – Like spy glasses, this device can transmit questions and receive answers. Solution:  Permit cross-outs. No erasing.

Calculators – We’re talking calculators that look just like ordinary scientific calculators but can stream answers from an offsite accomplice, store and retrieve information and connect to the internet for a quick Google search. A push of the right key instantly puts the device into calculator-only mode – a handy feature if the user thinks the teacher is watching. A code is needed to return the device to Cheat-Tech mode, making it impossible to prove the device was used for cheating. Solution:  Insist on the use of school-supplied calculators during exams.

Fake Fingerprints – Although we’ll never encounter this form of cheating in our classrooms, it’s interesting to note that students in China have been caught using fake fingerprints to appear to be another student for whom they had planned take a college entrance exam. Chinese education authorities now have taken to using facial recognition systems, fingerprint verification, metal detectors, drones, and signal jammers in a bid to thwart unscrupulous pupils.

 

OUTSIDE the Classroom

Auto-summarize – The latest trend in student cheating involves students using auto-summarize features in programs like Microsoft Word that extracts the most important information from a large piece of writing and generates a much shorter version that anti-plagiarism software has difficulty detecting. Summarizing software is easily found online. Solution:  On the first day of class, get a writing sample from every student. A few paragraphs, handwritten, on an impromptu topic should be enough.

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Sex Education in International Schools

Hello ISR, I know this suggestion for a discussion topic is a bit off-key to those you usually address. With that in mind, I’m submitting my comments & asking if you would please consider taking them live. I believe there are many parents of international students who will find this conversation beneficial. Here goes:

Predictably, when Samantha, my 16-year-old daughter, tells us about her day at school, her comments follow a well-worn path. She talks about the state of affairs of her friends, excessive homework, the goofy science teacher & so on.  This evening was different as she went on to mention that the P.E. teacher (who’s also the Sex Ed. teacher) demonstrated the proper use of a condom. “Miss Wiggins gave us each a banana & a condom & said, ‘Now it’s your turn.'” “What!?” I exclaimed, trying my best not to overreact.

I’m good with the school including Sex Education, but I had no idea they were taking it this far. I’m not so sure I’m ready to think about the possibility of Sam soon jumping into the sack with her boyfriend. I’m wondering if Sex Ed. (emphasizing “sex”) may even be encouraging her to experiment? Or is Sex Ed. (emphasizing “education”) informing and helping her to mature with knowledge & safety in the forefront of her mind? That surely gave me something to ponder…

My first reaction, admittedly, was to lay the abstinence routine on her, but my conservative parents tried that approach with me & well….it didn’t work, as evidenced by Sam. So, I decided to ask Sam to what extent she & her boyfriend have taken their relationship. “NO,” she answered. “We don’t have intercourse, but we do other things.” I thought I’d better leave it at that & not probe for details (no pun intended).

After some days I decided to call the PE teacher. I thanked her for having the courage to tell it like it is regarding contraception. Miss Wiggins said she felt like she was making a positive difference in her students’ lives. I told her I had brought up the topic of maturity, consent & mutual respect with a partner, and Sam’s response was: “You think Mrs. Wiggins hasn’t taught us all about that, too? She definitely has!” Thank you, Miss Wiggins!

My question for the ISR Community is this:  Are all international schools like our school here in Brazil? Do international schools generally take a liberal view of sex education & prepare teens to act responsibly on their sexual desires? Or is this school an exception to the rule? I know for a fact that in my Midwest hometown they only teach abstinence, which, by the large number of teen mothers, is not working. I’m wondering how different things might be for Sam if we had not gone overseas…

Any parents, teachers, or admin out there who want to expand on this conversation &/or share their experience with teens & sex education in international schools? I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,
K

ISS VP Looks Back to the Future of International Education

   On the cusp of retirement, vice president of ISS, Rob Ambrogi, recently published a thought-provoking article entitled, “Looking Back to the Future.” In Rob’s own words, “As I approach full-time retirement this July, I can’t help but examine and reflect upon my 47 years as an educator with both retrospective and prospective lenses…”  

In regards to Rob’s prospective lenses, one of International Schools Review original members forwarded us an excerpt from Rob’s article, along with a personal critique and a pressing question, Is the future Rob outlines, now?

Excerpt from Rob’s Article:

   It is clear to me that the future of this arm of our organization will depend on the development of school start-up and business models that acknowledge lower tuition price points, larger class sizes, lower salary and benefit packages, a greater number of locally sourced teachers with necessary professional development, and a higher rate of expat teacher turnover. I am convinced that careful management of these realities will produce very credible and valuable learning opportunities that will be sustainable and will serve students well. There is nothing in our mission that says we only serve young people in highly subsidized, expensive international schools. We need to change the negative narrative about these newly emerging schools and continue to find ways to directly and indirectly extend enthusiastic support to them. (complete Article)

ISR Member’s comments: 

   Rob describes the ‘international’ school where I work very accurately. I’m currently working with more local students, often requiring SEN and/or EAL support, more local staff hires, some qualified, some not, more turnover from ‘overseas’ hires (1-2 years) with a salary base that has not changed in over 10 years. If this is the ‘new reality,’ as described by Ambrogi, are some of us living/working, or at least aspiring to work, in schools, where the future is now?

As Ambrogi is retiring from his influential ISS position, he is, at least, acknowledging that the bottom-feeder schools are growing in number, and that more established international schools are feeling the pinch with the increase in competition. Some schools have opted to lower their standards (alongside other considerations) in order to remain competitive. How ISS, and other organizations, intend to support these start-up and business/schools, as he states, ‘directly and indirectly,’ remains to be seen, but it is a situation which needs to be addressed.

Agencies such as ISS are in the position to help, and I think they should, given that teachers are also starting to abandon some of their services (job fair, anyone?) as these agencies become less relevant in the hiring process.

It is a win/win when standards are raised, rather than the bar continuously lowered. And, at some future point, if these schools improve, with better support and more supervision, we might begin to see many more positive Reviews on ISR!

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Local Methodologies vs Western Pedagogy

Open Letter from an ISR Reader

..Dear ISR, There’s a situation that’s been on my mind for some time and I’d like to hear how colleagues in various parts of the world are dealing with this sensitive topic. Here goes:

..I am sure everyone is aware that teaching styles around the world vary greatly. While international schools claim to be employing western-style educational practices, we can all agree that this may not always be the case, particularly when it comes to local-hire teaching staff.

..At my last school (in the Middle East) my assistant was a host national with a locally issued teaching credential.  She was a hard worker and an immense help, but when it came to classroom management she was hampered by the social hierarchy of her homeland. Sadly, the wealthy, over-indulged, entitled students treated her as a member of the janitorial staff instead of an education professional. 

..It got to the point I was hesitant to run out to the restroom or the copier because I could trust that I would return to utter classroom chaos. My assistant was not alone in these difficulties as I witnessed nearly all other local staff experiencing the same disrespect and mistreatment. 

One solution that worked was to have her deliver the lecture, during which I would leave the room for 10 minutes. Shortly after my return I would administer a prepared test on the material she had covered. Of course, this backfired on me to a degree because the parade of earned “D” and “F” grades brought the parents to my door to complain. I stood my ground and although I explained the situation, most parents were not sympathetic to local teachers.

..I’m currently at a wonderful school in Southeast Asia and although I love it here, I find myself faced with a new teaching dilemma. At this school we have local co-teachers and we are supposed to work as a team. But, our teaching styles are so different I am not sure it’s possible. The local teachers’ focus on rote memorization and fact regurgitation is utterly against my standards, as modern pedagogy is ignored for the most part.  To date I’ve found the local teacher only seems ‘in her element’ while conducting drills of before-test review. I have been preparing some lesson plans for her but I feel she resents me trying to influence her ideas on effective teaching. 

..I would bet that the situations I have described are just the tip of the iceberg. So, I ask you: How do you reconcile local teacher methodologies with western pedagogy, and do so without sacrificing education quality, upsetting the local-hire teacher or alienating your students or their families? 

Excused Absences Galore

..School’s well under way here in South America (I’ll leave out the name of my school) and in the few months I’ve been here we’ve had four activity days that kept kids out of class. Worse yet, kids regularly come and go with admin passes to participate in this event, that rehearsal, an important soccer practice, and even a hamster race (yes, you read correctly…science, I’m told). The list of reasons for kids to miss class just keeps on going. It’s clear I’m working at an entertainment center for the children of a privileged class, where education takes a back seat to fun.

..The latest incident which brings me to write to ISR is in regards to canceling my unit math exam due to an unplanned soccer match. Here’s what happened: A rival team challenged our school to a Friday afternoon soccer match at the last minute. The word went out Thursday afternoon over the intranet. I had been preparing my class for a big exam which I then had to postpone until Monday. When Monday rolled around it seemed unfair to have them walk into class “cold” and take the exam. So, we spent that class session reviewing and took the exam on Tuesday. This put us two days behind the scheduled curriculum.

..The teacher in the room next to mine told me last year they her called into the Counselor’s office to meet with the parent of a student who was failing her class. She knew the boy was failing because he had missed too many days of class, even though they were excused absences. It really jolted this teacher when she was accused of being a bad teacher and told that she had better get busy and see that this boy did well in her class. When she pointed out that he had missed an excessive amount of classes, she was told his failure was because she’s a boring teacher. How do you deal with this? She confided in me that she ultimately gave the kid a “B” grade to protect her job, but later the parent complained that her son would have earned an “A” if she had been a better teacher.

..My plan is to teach to the best of my ability, give these kids what they really earn and be done with it. I will either establish myself as a teaching professional and be accepted as such or will gladly leave when asked to. Has anyone experienced a school like this one?

 

 

Duped & Ready to Walk

…A couple of weeks  into every academic year I begin seeing a sprinkling of School Reviews that claim a slick school director duped the reviewer into accepting a job at their lousy school. My reaction to such comments has always been the same: stick it out, stop whining. YOU signed the contract. I couldn’t imagine that any school would be half as bad as what these teachers were describing…

…Well, the tables have turned and I stand corrected. I now find that I am the victim of severe duping by a fast-talking director at a school not reviewed on ISR.

…Everything here is contrary to what I saw (on the school’s website) and was told during my online interview. There’s no disciplinary support with known disruptive kids, and believe me, there’s plenty of real “prizes” at this school. There are no classroom supplies — not even pencils. The internet connection is so sketchy it might as well be shut down. There is no AC in the classrooms — it’s like a sauna in my room. Textbooks are all photo copied from one purchased edition. Software is boot-legged and glitches to a standstill constantly. To top it off, the director has proven himself to be an egocentric, buffoon who lacks any semblance to an educator.

…I might be able to bite the bullet and put up with everything wrong with this place, but the crowning assault on my sanity is that the majority of students are local kids with poor, to non-existent, English skills. Try teaching high school Literature to a classroom of students who can barely muster enough English to ask to use the restroom, let alone read and discuss a story by Edgar Alan Poe. It’s like a bad joke.

…The job was advertised online and not through a recruiting fair. So, if I walk out and don’t put this job on my resume, what might be the long term consequences, if any, of doing so? Also, what is the best way to bail? Should I give the school notice that I plan to leave ASAP or send them an email once I’m safely away and out of the country? I’m leaning towards the ‘wait until I’m safely away’ idea…

…To those of you who have suffered the disastrous consequences of being mislead by a slick website and/or a fast-talking director, please accept my sincere apologies for having doubted you and thereafter posted such to the ISR Forum or Blog. Once I’m out of here, I’ll post a lengthy review of this place on ISR. Any advice would really comfort and reassure me at this time.

Sincerely,

Duped big time