Last week, we hosted two College Counseling Town Halls for parents at BCIS. One was specifically for our Grade 12 families, who are very much in the middle of the university application process right now, and the other was for families in Grades 7 through 11, some of whom have children for whom university probably... Continue Reading →
It hasn’t been easy, but over the course of these first few weeks at BCIS I have been spending as much time as I can getting into classrooms and talking with students. Part of that is simply because I am new and trying to learn as much as I can about the school, but I... Continue Reading →
I have a pretty consistent morning routine. I wake up, make my coffee, and usually start the day with a quick word puzzle. I tell myself that the puzzle gets my brain working before I really have to think about anything important, though honestly I also just enjoy doing it. After that, I take a... Continue Reading →
Almost thirty years ago, I found myself sitting in a canoe, completely lost in the Florida Everglades. I had been working in education for all of three months. In fact, I wasn't even sure education was going to be my career. I had taken a job as a substitute teacher at an independent school in... Continue Reading →
The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. - Lao Tzu Over the past few months, my transition from High School Principal at Lincoln School Costa Rica to High School Principal at Beijing City International School has really picked up in speed and intensity. While I remain fully committed to being present... Continue Reading →
On December 11th, we held something at Lincoln School that we had never held before. For the first time in our history, we brought all of our high school honor societies together into one unified Night of Honors. Rather than hosting separate inductions throughout the year, we gathered our Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Art... Continue Reading →
Earlier this semester, during our Teacher-Leader planning days, we left our conference tables behind and stepped into the heat of a neighborhood not very far from our campus. Instead of reviewing calendars and refining strategic goals, we spent the day clearing brush, pulling debris, and laying pavers to create a new pathway through a small... Continue Reading →
For more than twenty five years, I have had the privilege of working in schools. I have been a teacher, a coach, a dean, a principal, and a partner to students, families, and colleagues. I have watched schools change and evolve. I have seen educational trends rise and fade. And through it all, I have... Continue Reading →
Author’s Note:I have always believed that schools should be places where students discover who they are and who they are becoming. This post reflects a recent conversation with school leaders from across the Americas about how we design graduation pathways that honor student strengths, widen access to rigor, and prepare young people for a rapidly... Continue Reading →
I recently watched the TV series Stick, the story of a once-prominent golf pro who returns to the game not to reclaim his own glory, but to coach a young golfer named Santi. Now, let me be clear: there is plenty in Stick that has nothing to do with my life as an educator. There... Continue Reading →
