South Africa 2014: Final Reflections on the Bush Experience

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We ended our time in the Bush with some additional time around camp and repeated research experience in which groups participated either in bird counts, game transects, or habitat assessments. 

I must add, that additional time around camp included a dung spitting contest in which nearly our entire group participated.  Yes, apparently South Africans participate in such competition that includes placing a dried pellet from impala or kudu in your mouth and shooting it out as far as one can. 

Of course, on a repeat experience of research the students are significantly more skilled and are able to actually complete the tasks with minimal assistance.  It is during these last two days that leaves me contemplating the value of staying in one location for a longer period of time.  Just as the students are accustomed to the location, the people, each other, and the research, we are uprooting and going to an entirely new site.

When the lion was spotted, staff called others to come and look and before we knew it, there were another 4 trucks filled with excited students and staff observing at the lion.  So, it is a special event :), much like the black rhino that we saw on the game transect. 

The staff shared with us that they were really appreciative of the hard work our students put into the research. They then proceeded to share the belief that "The Bush will show you what it wants to show you.  Just 5 minutes ago we were talking among ourselves discussing what a hard-working group you are and we had said, 'but is it enough for the bush to show them a lion’ and here it is.  The bush has deemed you worthy of a lion sighting”. 

I turned to the students and said, "Wow, you've seen everything!" To which the response was, "I still haven't seen a leopard".   I wanted to shout from the jeep top, "But you've seen hippo, impala, kudu, nyala, crocodiles, warthogs, a host of interesting birds, giraffe, elephant, rhinos, and lion!!!!!!" Hippos and crocodiles were residing in our backyard!   A host of species walked through and came down to water at the river!  Isn't that enough?!?!?!?!  In all fairness, the students were excited by all that they had seen and experienced.

Our final night in the bush the students present, in groups why a certain species is most important to South Africa.  Our students present first and do a truly fantastic job on "grass" and "termite hills" -- they have taken the assignment seriously and have done a truly awesome job.  The staff all exclaim "awesome" or "terrific" after their presentations.  The grass group has put together a very creative dramatization and the termite group has a great drawing that serves as a center and constant visual as each person speaks.  I wish I had video of their presentations.  My colleague, Eva, and I were duly impressed. 

Again, it is clear from all the presentations that students were thinking outside of the box and that they had stretched themselves and their minds through their experience in the bush.  The value of hands-on, real-experience learning is glaringly apparent.  Noteworthy is the fact that so much learning was attained without the use of any digital devices.  I am left pondering how I might make every lesson like a classroom in the bush.  To bring the topic alive, to generate original thought and opinions, to value all life, to fill with purpose – those would, indeed, be desirable goals for a classroom.  

Student thoughts on what they learned:

"I learned so much from the trip...My eyes are now opened to new things..."

"I learned a lot about conservation, the issues involved with it and how to make it (conservation) for successful.  I also learned that I want something different from my life than I originally thought."

"I learned that conservation is a daily battle.  And it is fought not just in the parks but in the hearts and minds of people"

Our entire group with all the staff at Struwig.

South Africa 2014: Bugs, Habitat Assessment, and Trophy Hunting

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When sitting on the peaceful banks of the Olifants river we are serenaded by a multitude of birdcalls that we cannot identify as well as the laughing echos of the local hippo herd.  However, it is mostly quiet as the river flows gently by.  The setting sun still offers warmth.  This winter day has been HOT, probably 30 degrees C, far warmer than any summer day in the Netherlands, a country that feels so far away from this beautiful South African setting.

A morning lecture on herbivores was quite good, despite the lecture format.  I even took notes as it went outside of my expertise and was extremely interesting.  These creatures of Africa are simply amazing.  As one student wrote in her evaluation, “Orla taught me a lot about adaptations in animals that I didn’t know before (like elephants)…” and another wrote, “I looked forward to the lectures from Orla”.  I’m so proud of our students for adapting to this new format of learning.

Following the lecture, students were faced with more practical work on insects.  Even though the entomologist had mentioned the word "mounting" several times in the context of her lectures, as she handed out the foam boards and pins, it was clear the students didn't really know what they were in for.  It wasn't until she started passing out the beetles and wasps that a look of understanding swept across their faces.  Expressions of surprise, shock, even horror, and a few big, wide grins were visible in their expectant faces.  She walked them through the procedure and all of them successfully completed the task.  They were triumphant at the neat pinning of their wings.  Then, off to collect the insects from the traps that were set yesterday.  All were surprised by the NUMBERS of little creatures!

In the afternoon we embark on a habitat assessment study, one of the main reasons we are here.  The sun beats upon us, nearly blinding us.  The students are flushed and sweaty, frequently sipping their water.  Caz carefully explains the plan but it takes awhile for each student to understand exactly what he or she is supposed to do.  The marking of the transect alone takes half an hour as students begin to comprehend the transect map, our relationship to the transect map, and exactly where they'd be taking the data.  One student manages the compass, another the rope, and another the posts and hammer. Finally the transect is complete and data collection can begin.  Another discombobulated attempt as students try to decide who will record, who will measure height and width for the trees, who will measure the woody contact, etc.  However, once they are done they feel accomplished.  Several claim that this is the favorite activitiy they have undertaken on the trip.  The data sheets demonstrate the work completed.

On the way back to camp, we see a lioness sunning herself on the banks of the Olifants!

At night a debate weighing the pros and cons of Trophy Hunting is conducted.  Students number off in ones and twos.  Then they combine with their number and are assigned a side of the debate.  After twenty minutes, four speakers are selected and face off across tables from each other.  Opening statements set the stage.  Counter arguments are presented.  Members of each team sitting at the sides can raise their hands and contribute to the debate.  They are making good points on both sides.  The staff have appeared to keep their opinions off the table but have stepped in to advise each side of the debate.  It is interesting and students clearly are put in a position to consider what they think of trophy hunting.  However, as an educator, I think this event would have been more significant to the students and more effective had the students been given articles to read and a small assignment on the topic before even coming to South Africa.  Regardless, the thinking is deep and any Theory of Knowledge (TOK) teacher would have been thrilled with the night.

As the debate draws to a close, the African winter night temperatures settle in and send us scurrying for our sleeping bags and beds eager for another day in the bush.

South Africa 2014: Learning from Bushmen

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We began with a bushwalk with our South African guide Warren.  He is a soft-spoken man with a ginger beard and ginger curls looping from under his safari hat.  He carries his weapon with ease though you know if he were on his own he wouldn’t take it.  He walks carefully and stealthily, listening and observing with expertise far beyond ours.  Gavin, an older grey haired gentleman accompanies us but has deferred to Warren as the lead guide on this hike.

There is something comforting and amazing about walking with people who are so self-assured in the bush.  They "read" the ground and the bushes inferring who's passed through recently.  Their ability to spot and identify tracks is unmatchable.  Animals camouflaged in the bush and standing hundreds of meters from us do not escape their scrutinizing eyes.

Looking at the effect of elephants foraging on this mimosa tree as well as about the tree's medicinal activity.

We walk in single file.  Silence.  Only the crunching of dry grass and branches beneath our feet.  The morning South African sun is just appearing overhead and hasn't yet dispelled its power upon us.  Warren stops and outlines some tracks in the road for us: a honey badger.  A feisty, aggressive, incredible animal he comments.  In fact, he’s seen a honey badger chase off lions!  Clearly, he could go on all day about this unusual king of the savanna woodland.  However, he smiles and questions, "Shall we continue?"  We veer up the hillside and Warren pauses to share with us deliciously smelling herbal plants.  One of them has a peachy basil scent while the other is similar to aniseed.  Instruction on the antihistamine action of the South African Mimosa tree is delivered.  Warren's observed an elephant take the bark and rather than eat it, stamp on it and suck it up through its nose!  He also had a terrible wasp sting in the bush once and went to the tree, cutting out a bit of the cambium, adding some spit and rubbing it on the growing blister.  He said it immediately relieved him of any pain and itching followed by a reduction of the swelling faster than any cream he'd ever used.

Onward we go.  Silently.  Single file.  Looking.  Scanning.  Grey monkeys leap around in the trees ahead of us.  A multitude of unique birds sing and fly around us.  A magnificent Kudu stares at us from across the valley.  We pause to appreciate this majestic creature before advancing up the hill.  Seeing the recent droppings of a buffalo Warren and Gavin share experiences of their encounters with this creature.


The countryside, as yet, remains untouched by man and looks pretty much like it did thousands of years ago.  Stunning and beautiful it expands out beyond what we can see.  At the top of the hill we shed ourselves of our jackets as the sun begins to heat us up.  We speak in hushed voices.  Truly, we are in awe.  Then, once again in single file, we are led by our armed and knowledgeable guards back to camp.


After lunch an insect lecture and practical is presented to the students.  It's not as organized as the others but the practical side of trapping interests the students.  They eagerly shove their gloved hands into the centers of elephant, hippo, and rhino dung, preparing traps for dung beetles.  They check on butterfly traps, ground traps and a malaise trap.  They are informed that tomorrow collection, mounting and identification of their specimens will occur.


While sitting quietly during our breaks we continue to observe from our campsite on the Olifants river animals coming to water.  Stunning to watch a giraffe  fling water into the air as he raised his head.  Kudu and waterbuck drink side by side.  A warthog is rolling in the sand.  Impala lurk furtively at the edge of bush cover.   On the sandy beach a crocodile suns.   Buffalo, hippo, spur fowl, and baboons pass across the grassland in front of the campsite.  The views from the campsite alone are simply sensational.  It's shocking how matter-of-fact you can regard hippo, crocodile, and impala on your back doorstep.


The power of quiet observation is consuming my thoughts.  Why is it that, earlier in the day, during our morning bush walk, did we have an urge to speak as soon as we began to move?  How is it that we are unequipped to simply be silent?  How do we instil a value of being still?  How do we develop a value of listening?  How do we foster the value of observation?  How do we establish a value of respect down to each step we take?  How does one teach and instil these principles?  Such skills would be immediately useful back in life at home and in the classrooms this coming fall.  I need to determine how to incorporate such mindfulness into my curriculum. 

Any suggestions?  Please comment below!

South Africa 2014: Data Collection in the Bush

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Orla - a dynamic woman with a lot of knowledge, experiences, and insight to share.

Student evaluation response

To have a lecture in the morning turns out to be a treat because we don’t have to be ready until 8:00 as opposed to 6:30 for field work.  This day begins with a bird lecture.  Though the presenter is animated and passionate, the lecture style is not how I teach nor is it anything our students are accustomed to.  The content is incredible and full of amazing and fascinating information but it is difficult for the students to process and remember it all, especially the language learners from the other school.

If it were me, I’d make sure each student had a laminated copy of every bird they were likely to encounter in the field.  Then, I’d play the bird calls and have them identify the bird fitting the song by holding up the laminated copy of the correct bird.  Likewise, they could practice the names of the birds in a similar manner.  Furthermore, the copies could be compiled with a ring and carried into the field.  All of the other educators share similar views and we discuss it out of ear shot of the students.  Later, we include details in our evaluation.  I wonder if I could get a job in the summers providing curriculum development for such programs. 

I question whether my students realize why we care about birds.  Did they glean from the lecture that birds are indicator species and a diverse ranges of species indicates a healthy ecosystem?  They are well-studied, abundant, and apparent.  If there is a disturbance the birds will respond in a linear fashion and are closely related to other species in the ecosystem.  Finally, they are easy to census due to their color, vocals, and popularity.  Do my students realize how important the upcoming bird counts are?  As with the other teachers, we all think this could be emphasized more for our students.

Searching for those birds

Well, even though the students struggled to be quiet for the lecture, they managed and then, as we went into the field, they were diligent in searching and seeking to identify birds.  Another point I would say to anyone embarking on such an adventure, you must have a set of binoculars.  Any student who didn’t have binoculars definitely missed out on both smaller species as well as the big game.

Daniella teaching the group what skills they will need for the game transect data collection.

Following a delicious lunch of potato wedges and vegies, we were assigned our first real data collection outing: a game transect.   Our guide, Daniella, prepped the students on their tasks. The recorder would need to write down each species identified as well as adult/juvenile and male/female numbers.  Another person would be responsible for the GPS device to announce the coordinates of the location of any given species.  Finally, a student was responsible for the compass to identify in which direction and how far from the truck each species was identified.  The plan was to drive a specified route at a specified speed and identify every species observed.

A small amount of pride swells within me as I realize my students will have no difficulty with this task as they are very accustomed to lab/field work, utlilzing measuring devices, and conducting proper recording of observed data.

 

The students jostle silently in the back of the truck with their eyes peeled toward the bush, straining to see any creatures that might be hiding.  If one spots an animal they exclaim as quietly as possible so that the student at the helm will tap on the roof of the cab to signal the guide to stop the truck so the count can be conducted and recorded.  Daniella is impressed with their ability to spot game and they high five each other quietly with broad smiles, even more determined to identify everything possible. We continue on, in total over two hours.

The Black Rhino

We are incredibly fortunate as we come across a black rhino, 4 bull elephants, 3 white rhinos, giraffe, and a whole host of other species.  Daniella is absolutely thrilled with the black rhino sighting, so much so, that she calls in their other guides so that they and all the university students can observe this amazing and critically endangered animal.

Student evaluation response.

Who could have known that data collection could be so exciting? 

South Africa Trip 2014: Teaching and Learning in the Bush

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The location of this place is amazing.  All along the camp there are look out points facing over the Olifants river.  In the morning we easily spot the hippos that had been “laughing” at us the previous night and the crocodiles that have settled onto the sandy riverside to sun them selves.  Additionally, we see spur foul families running around just outside the fence line.

The students stagger out of their cabins at 6:25 a.m., it's clearly too early for them.  They manage to grab the simple breakfast before climbing into the jeeps.  They munch on their fruit and toast in the 1 degree Celsius air as we head off into the early morning sun of the Woodland Savanna with hopes of spotting game.  Within 100 m of the electric fence our guide already spots evidence: tracks of elephant, giraffe, and baboon.  We learn that elephants eat over 200 kg of food per day and that their huge feet have cartilage in between the toes that helps the feet spread apart to better support the weight of their gigantic heads.  Due to their poor digestive systems, they poop every 1/2 hour to keep things moving.  They travel 5-6 km/hr yet they can stop in a location and graze for hours at a time.

guinea fowl

Additionally, we hear all kinds of bird calls, this morning particularly, the scrub robin.  We patiently look through our binoculars hoping to spot interesting fowl.  One student can't be bothered by the birds and sleeps heavily through a lot of the ride, leaning over on his flanking classmate and teacher (haha--that's me).  We sight the following fowl: Red and Yellow Hornbull, Glossy Starling, Doktail drongo, Gray Go Away Bird (lots and lots), and Guinea Fowl.

Kudo hiding inthe bush.  Photo by  Chanthea de Jonge

Furthermore, 2 water buck, Impala, a HUGE male Kudo (horns 1.5 m long) and later a smaller male Kudo with a female (probably his mother) are to be seen.

A female Koki Franklin on the road is unusually uninhibited by our jeep.  And then we spot her 1-day old chick that she is trying to protect.

GIRAFFE! A big beautiful old male crosses our path twice on different occasions, the second time he walks right in front of us on the trail.  Towards the end of our ride we spot an additional lone giraffe.

Three electrical towers house some baboons.  This is an example wherein animals have utilized the structures of humans to seek higher “ground” for watching out for danger.

A bachelorhood of Impala, Bushbuck, and Steenbok are also part of our morning.

It's an amazing ride and everyone is elated by the end of our journey.  The temperatures are rising and we have some free time before lunch.  We take a hike to the lookout tower where we enjoy a warm and relaxing time with our binoculars studying all that passes by.

During lunch we spot AT OUR CAMP SITE, a huge impala herd by the water, a giraffe coming down to drink, warthogs, and the usual hippos and crocodile.  It is amazing to me that already within one day hippos and crocodile can feel commonplace!  THERE ARE HIPPOS IN OUR BACKYARD! 

student evaluation response

student evaluation response

Orla delivers a very good lecture on biodiversity following lunch.  I watch these young enthusiasts and think how fun their jobs are!  I could teach under these circumstances!!!  During the break we spot more bushbuck and waterbuck by the water --- and, of course, the hippos and crocodile and the warthogs!

Enjoying some sun and the view from our campsite, just outside the lecture and dining area

I find I’d rather grab my binoculars than a camera and so, I'm afraid I'm not collecting any amazing pictures but I’m storing so much to my memory of these amazing sites that appear before me in my binoculars.

Then, a lecture on tree anatomy and a little practical on tree identification.  The students eagerly study the trees assigned to them and pour over the field manuals to properly identify their species.  They do quite well and we get compliments on how amazing this group is :)  I love these students.

Student evaluation response

The night lecture on snakes, scorpions, and spiders is captivating, given by Caz, a a tough and interesting superwoman.  Her lecture is accompanied by hyena calls and hippo calls from outside the fence of our camp She herself has been bitten numerous times by ticks and sac spiders and been spit at by a spitting cobra-----and had so many experiences with friends and acquaintances with all kinds of other bites.   We are captivated by neurotoxic, cytotoxic, and haemotoxic spiders, scorpions, and snakes.  A deep respect for the Bush and its hazards settles over us as this evening draws to a close.  Before slipping into bed, I’m tempted to check for spiders, scorpions, and snakes.  My colleague and I laugh at our fears and easily fall asleep, eager for the next day.

South Africa Trip 2014: Leaving Home (Days 1-2)

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“How easy it was for me to be away from home”

-student response to the question  “What surprised you most about the trip?

At Schiphol airport, ascending the escalator to check in!

photo courtesy of Chanthea de Jonge

With a huge smile, each drops his/her bag as we gather at the red and white cube, known as "The Meeting Point" in the Amsterdam Schiphol airport.  Others come with a trolley heavy laden with luggage.   Parents greet us with warmth and excitement on behalf of their children and linger about with anticipation of the departure.

It isn’t a school trip.  Yet, my students surround me.  It isn’t a field trip either, yet I carry responsibility. 

Our expedition has been organized through the Opwall Wallacea group, a non-for profit research organization that includes both university and high school level students in their projects.  We are headed to South Africa to participate in studies involving, among other things, the assessment of the effect of elephants on the ecosystem of a private reserve in the  greater Kruger area.  The scientific component and anticipated lecture series of this program thrills me, excites parents, and makes the students somewhat leery of the trip.  My current and future biology students will experience many links to the curriculum.  The chemistry and physics students will be exposed to a new aspect of science.

in Cairo, waiting.

photo courtesy of Chanthea de Jonge

 

By 13:30 the last of the 12-person group had arrived and the expedition was ready to proceed.  Good-byes.  Check-in.  Passport control.  Security.  We are truly on our way!  Our group of 12 (ten students plus two teachers) remains together for our 15-hour journey to Johannesburg, South Africa that includes a 2-hour layover in Cairo. 

We emerge in Johannesburg somewhat bleary-eyed but surprisingly rested despite our overnight flight.  After securing a phone card and cash, we find the Wallacea group.  Two other school groups are there, both international schools from Shanghai, China.  Our students check-out and size-up these other students.  Will they become friends? 

In the open pick-ups heading to our destination of the Balule Reserve.

photo courtesy of Chanthea de Jonge

 

We are loaded into tour busses and are combined with one of the other schools.  As we pull into Hoedspruit, pick-up trucks stand in readiness for us.  Neutrally clad individuals with lilting South African accents organize all participants into the open  pick-ups.  Why is it inherently exciting to be sitting in an open topped vehicle tearing off on dirt roads through the bush?    Dust swirls behind us as we are jostled about in the back of the vehicle.  The jeep slows as we pass by lions, giraffe, and bushbok, forshadowing of what lies ahead of us. 

The 6-bunk room for the girls.  We only brought six girls so they all roomed together.

Two hours of bumping around and rapidly dropping temperatures leaves us all eager for arrival at the camp.  Finally, our jeeps pass through the voltage-gated fence.  It’s dark so we can’t see the river that runs past the camp, however, we can hear the hippos ‘laughing’.  We partake of a delicious dinner under an open-aired grass-thatched roof. Toby delivers his orientation and distributes the students into the 6-bunk rooms.  They quickly decide who will sleep where and have already organized their shelves with an excited fury. 

Despite over 20 hours of travel with 10 teenagers, we are happy!  The students are simply great to be with!

To our utter surprise the teachers’ are allocated cabins with sheeted beds and blankets.  My colleague and I are so proud of our students and their flexibility and ability to travel this great distance without even getting temperamental.  And we are really pleased with our housing situation.  We all settle down into our accommodations and students and teachers alike can hardly wait for the morning sun to rise.

Until July 6th no blogging: I'm in South Africa!!!

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The final parent/student meeting fully attended.

Plans for meeting at the airport arranged.

Final discussions of PADI kits, where to get a wetsuit, medications, and telephones have taken place.

The Kit list has been checked off.

The bags are packed.

Tens of parent/student emails have been sent, including several pleas for emergency contact information.

Tomorrow a group of ten students and two teachers will meet at the Amsterdam Schiphol airport to begin our journey to Johannesburg, South Africa.  There we will meet the representatives from the Wallacea Opwall program and will be bussed to our location for two weeks of conservation courses, field work, and research. 

I will be keeping a daily record and will blog about it upon our return!

Until July 6th!  Happy and safe summer travels to all!

The final teacher day: It’s all about getting out of there

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Today we began our day by gathering in the cafeteria for a breakfast and a short faculty meeting.  We speak of summer plans.  We also talk a bit about next year’s needs but we make an effort to not obsess about it.   Already the pressure is gone with knowing there is no class to prepare for.  There are no more tests to grade.  There are no more labs to prep.  No more lessons to plan.  It feels good.

We spend our day clearing out our rooms.  A student arrives to work on his extended essay in Biology.  We sort out his supplies and make a game plan for August.  I make my way through the desk, shelves, and lab space.  I have to admit, there are moments where the through creeps through my mind, “I am never getting out of here” as I see the mounds of papers needing sorting, dirty lab supplies, the living organisms, odds and ends, and just STUFF.  I realize that even though I really love my job, I’m ready for a break.  My checkout sheet is signed.  I just want to go home.

Teachers assemble on the playground just after 2:00 with smells of the BBQ wafting through the air.  The sun beats upon us and it does, indeed, feel like summer.  Being outside clears our minds and allows us to truly focus on what lies ahead.  I make my way around the group, trying to touch base with as many people as possible, especially giving my good wishes to staff members who won’t be here next year.

“Well, I need to go pack up my fish and stuff” I remark to a small group as I prepare to return to my classroom.  A colleague bursts out in laughter, “If I had a dollar for every time I said that…..’pack up my fish and stuff’”.  He’s genuinely amused.  I guess we’re all feeling lighter with another year behind us and summer plans upon us.

The school feels absolutely empty by 3:30.  After my turtle and fish are ready for transport, I load up a cart, say my final good-byes and lug my things to the car.  It’s 4:00 and pretty much everyone is gone.  There is a silence.  You can feel that everyone is both physically and mentally gone from the school right now. 

What is it about our profession?  Why are we so wiped out by the end of the school year?  Truthfully, the two months without classes hardly seem enough to fully recover! 

Once home, I set up the fish and turtle for their temporary summer residence and I relax.  No emails.  No planning.  No reading.  It feels good.  Though many of us will engage in school related activities this summer, I wish teachers everywhere a relaxing, refreshing, and energizing summer!

Fish and Turtle, settled into their summer residence.

The final student day: it's all about the yearbooks

A last minute student request for six letters of recommendation sealed in envelopes, left me a bit frazzled before our MS/HS awards ceremony this morning.  A stream of students with requests to sign yearbooks kept me from the task.  The clock was ticking and I managed to print out the recommendations and sign all the yearbooks.  The envelope stuffing would have to wait.

MS teachers giving out awards.  I'm at the podium for the MS science award.

Meanwhile, down in the gymnasium eager students and staff were gathering for the final school event of the year.  5th graders were graduating from elementary school, 8th graders were graduating from MS, and a host of awards were to be delivered.  And, it was the last day of the school year that students would be in the school.  Excitement was in the air.

A delightful morning full of recognition, music, and song ensued.  We celebrated the students.  We celebrated the year.  We celebrated accomplishments and improvements.  We celebrated talent.  We celebrated education.  We finished the morning with singing our “AISR Good-Bye” song, a unifying tradition.  Then, on to the cafeteria for ice-cream. 

For students, however, the most important part of today was getting their yearbooks signed.  Even seniors showed up for the event with that express goal in mind.  I recollect yearbook signing.  While I never really knew what to write, I was eager to read the words of others and hated the student who chose to write the following words in the crease of where pages and binder joined, “I was the first to sign in your crack”.  Years later, across the ocean, in a small international school, the tradition carries on.  It’s the exact same scene: students bent feverishly over their books, contemplating what to write or simply scribbling something hurriedly.  The books are returned to owners and some immediately read while others are hurried to the next person to sign.  It’s clear, this is an important ritual.  While the significance of the peer-penned words that seems so important now will fade, the memories created by the interactions with the authors will last forever.  The experiences of this year, whose memories will be triggered upon pouring over the yearbook in years to come, will hopefully leave these students with lessons learned and new convictions formed. 

Yearbooks tend to be cherished pocessions.  I still own all of mine, as does my husband.  Perhaps the yearbook serves as documentation of development and maturation.  It is a reminder of carefree years in which we developed, unknowingly, into the adults of today. So, today I enjoyed watching students participate in the tradition of yearbook signing.  I wish students everywhere fond memories of their school years and a wonderful summer!

The Last Days

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“We understand that it’s the last day and it’s beautiful weather outside but we need to take care of some things”

Their faces fall and they sink into their seats as they predict  boring class time coming their way.

“We will be doing an egg drop today”

Students sit up straight and tall, immediately curious.

The parameters are set, groups are assigned, and suddenly the students can hardly wait to get started.

The last few days of school are always somewhat of a conundrum.  A teacher ponders how best to handle the last hours with classes.  Personally, I want each day in my classroom to be productive, useful, and worth a student’s time, even the last days of the year.  With this goal in mind, a tradition has evolved: the egg drop. 

Students receive a set of supplies and work in teams to construct a structure that will protect a raw egg as it is dropped from the highest point available.  Of all surviving eggs, the structure with the least mass then wins. 

“Is this physics?” one girls queries, as though she’s discovered a trick we’re playing on her.  You know, like when a child suspects a parent of sneaking spinach into a fruit smoothie?  However, her skepticism gives way to the thrill of competition and the curiosity of the challenge and, in the end, her group wins!

We launch our eggs from the roof of the school.  Confidence, anxiousness, skepticism, and hope are all present. The launchers, one at a time, carefully place their eggs and count down.  Eager students below observe, film, and time the descent of each egg.  Celebration ensues as eggs emerge from their capsules unscathed.

“What’s the prize?”

“A place in the egg drop’s hall of fame”

“You have an egg drop hall of fame?” The students were clearly impressed by this.  I decide to not admit that I just made that up on the spot.

My colleague did manage to snag some muffins from the cafeteria so the winning team ends up with a muffin for each member.  It is enough to yield an eruption of cheers from the winning team. 

I have to admit; this morning as I was rounding up supplies and preparing for the egg drop competition, I questioned my sanity.  I thought about teachers around the world who pop in a video or have a party on the last day.  While I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, in fact, I envied them slightly, I just can’t bring myself to spend the last day that way.  I have an obsession with “feeling productive”.  On the flip side, I also can’t bear the thought of carrying on with another strictly academic lesson.  And I know the students wouldn’t be up for that either.  They’ve long checked out for the summer.  Their lockers are empty, their pink check-out forms signed, and yearbooks are clasped tightly in their hands.

So, this is my compromise: an egg drop competition.  It’s a success each time it’s conducted. My early-morning doubts are quickly dispersed as I observe students engaged and in debate about the best design.  My colleague, students, and I rejoice together as we head out for the egg drop itself.  It’s just plain fun.  Plus, the weather is gorgeous: full of warmth and sun.  At the end of the day, we all feel good.  Students analyzed, designed, thought critically, and participated in teamwork.  For me, that’s good enough for a last day of class!

Graduation Day!

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Our youngest carrying the flag for his graduating teenage siblings.

The procession begins with the typical pomp and circumstance.  However, the first group through the door is the flag bearers carrying flags from each country represented by our graduates.  Tradition maintains that siblings or very close friends carry the flag.  A short gap and then the graduates begin their march into the gymnasium, around the attendees, down the center aisle and up onto the stage. 

A short introduction by the head of school followed by the staff choir singing “Home” by Phillip Phillips.  I was part of that choir.  We met every Friday for several months preparing ourselves and, in the end, if I do say so, we actually sounded pretty good!  Next up the high school orchestra played a rendition of Ave Maria. 

The faculty address by the IB Coordinator and TOK teacher is directed personally towards our 12 graduates.  He has worked intimately with them for the past two years and knows each of them well.  His comments on their weaknesses and strengths give credence to the sage advice he offers them.

Following awards and scholarships, the students present their addresses.  Each graduate has prepared a 2-5 minute speech.  They speak of their educational journey, their hopes for the future, offering up a piece of advice they have gleaned and found useful, and finally thanking everyone who has brought them to this point.  It’s touching and I’m brought nearly to tears by several of the speeches.  This is one of my favorite parts of graduation because it is evidence of the personal experience that a small school has to offer.

My son giving his speech.

The graduates, on stage.

A number by the high school band leads into the commencement address by a former IB History and TOK teacher from the school.  She also knows most of these graduating seniors personally and frames a very clever speech within the context of a TOK essay yielding smiles and laughter in the audience and amongst our graduates. 

Another favorite part of the program is the senior slideshow.  Each graduate has put together about 25 pictures of their childhood.  These sweet and tender images from each graduate are accompanied by music of the graduate’s choice and offer a peek into the past of each individual honored this day.  Everyone smiles as they see familiar expressions or gestures that were present in toddlers that clearly still reside in the grown teenagers sitting in caps and gowns on the stage today. 

Finally, the reason we have gathered together arrives.  The graduates receive their diplomas and stand before us proud with broad smiles.  They present their senior class gift, the mug wall I wrote about previously.  Finally, they transfer their tassel from right to left and are presented to the crowd as the graduating class of 2014!

Cheers accompany them as they exit the stage once again in step with Pomp and Circumstance. And wow, are they happy!  

We all gather in the lobby for the traditional cake cutting.  Then, we mingle there and in the courtyard and enjoy food, drinks, and cake.  We congratulate the graduates and parents.  The graduates share their plans for the future.  We rejoice together.

I always enjoy graduation, especially since I have taught a majority of the graduates for at least two years as IB Biology students.  Somehow I feel a bit personally invested in each graduate.  It fills me with pride and excitement for them as they embark of the journey of life.  Today, however, is extra special because two of the twelve graduates are my own children.  I’m bursting with happiness for them and I’m thrilled to celebrate this rite of passage with two of my own.  My best wishes extend to all graduate around the globe and my hope for a bright and joyful future for all is sincere. Congratulations to the class of 2014! 

My husband and I with our graduated seniors.

What happens if everyone gets an "A"?

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Well, I graded a set of final exams today and the lowest score was an 86%.   My first thought, “The test was way too easy”.  Then I actually searched through the student answers to see if there was any response with which I had been too generous.  I was looking for reasons to dock students points!  What was wrong with me?  It’s as though I couldn’t accept the fact that the entire class had done so well.

It felt so flawed because this is what I had been shooting for the entire year: to have all students attain the standards.  The standards were clear.  The test had been built upon the standards and understanding expected from this unit.  Critical thinking was required to complete all problems. I re-read the test with a demanding and discriminating eye searching for weakness.  However, I was satisfied with the assessment.

So why was I so bothered by the high scores?  Is this idea of a bell curve so engrained within me that I can’t let it go?  Are the years of old fashioned grade scales such a part of me that, despite my intellectual convictions about standards based grading, I can’t actually in my heart embrace it?

I’m shocked at my own reaction to the success of my class.  I should have been rejoicing and there I was sitting at my desk thinking that something was wrong.  It seriously took some processing time before it sunk in what had actually happened.  Students had learned and were able to demonstrate their understandings in a summative assessment.  There was a 100% success rate!  That’s what it should be!  This should be our goal: all students succeed.  All students reach high, learn and thereby grow.

So, what happens if everyone gets an “A”?  If the grades are a true reflection of student achievement and are fair, consistent,  and accurate, then we celebrate!

Teaching Balance with Technology

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I’m walking down the hallway.  Students line the path, sitting on the floor, faces fixated at their computers positioned carefully on their laps.  Not one of them notices the passing people.  They are focused on fb, instant messaging, or games.  They do not look up.

After school and I’m walking through the cafeteria.  MS boys sit at the tables smiling at their computer screens.  They are talking amongst each other, however, their eyes never leave the screen.  They are engaged in an interactive game: Minecraft or Roblox, or something similar.

I’m circulating through my classroom as students work individually on projects.  I look at the screens and can see IM conversations discretely positioned in a corner of their screen.  Signs of fb, Skype or other social media are scattered across the screens.  Some students attempt to “multi-task” gaming with researching.  It’s never successful.  I’m always amazed that they’re surprised that I can spot a difference between typing for a research project and playing a game.  I wonder if they really think I’m that stupid.

High School students often place their phone on top of their desk “just in case”, despite knowing they aren’t supposed to answer it or message during class.  However, I often spot students viewing messages or even trying to sneak a message in during class.

It’s common for MS and HS students to get together in a social setting and bring their computers with them.

Ongoing discussions in schools revolve around computers.  How much computer use?  What type of computer use?  Are games appropriate in school?  How much screen time?  How to increase technology in classrooms?  What about digital portfolios?  How do we educate on Digital Responsibility?

'Look Up' - A spoken word film for an online generation. 'Look Up' is a lesson taught to us through a love story, in a world where we continue to find ways to make it easier for us to connect with one another, but always results in us spending more time alone.

A few weeks ago I viewed this spoken word film titled “Look Up” by Gary Turk who portrays, through poetry, the potential pitfalls of being overly engrossed with technology.  It’s powerful and worth listening to.

I would like all of my students to be more reflective on their personal computer usage.  It would be nice to see young people choose to set aside the technology and have a discussion or at least face-to-face interaction.  What do you think about teaching balance with regards technology usage?  How can it be done?

Review of the IB exams

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Group IV science (Environmental Systems and Societies, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) teachers gathered together today from around the region to review the IB exams that our students sat this past May.  We each had taken time to work the exams beforehand and then came together to analyze the questions and determine the value and quality of each question. Five different international schools were represented.

The biology teacher from the host school led us to his lab where he had set up a large table for us to gather around.  We pulled out the exam papers and immediately set to work.  The atmosphere was cheerful, lively and very collaborative.

Initially, when I had previewed the exams, they seemed good and fair to me.  I had scrutinized each question from a teachers's perspective,  to determine whether all content had been sufficiently covered and whether there were any surprizes for my students.  I was satisfied that the students had been equipped to answer all the questions.   However, as I listened to my colleagues attack each question from the standpoint of students, my eyes were opened.  Suddenly I envisioned each of my pupils pondering the questions and instantly new perceptions filled my mind.  I realized that though my students might have been equipped with the content, there was, indeed, some ambiguity in a few of the questions that might have prevented them from knowing what to write.   It was actually enjoyable to approach the exam questions from this stance and to document our input.  The group will submit our report to the IB and then we each individually will have a chance to logon to the IB site and record our personal impressions of the exams.  The IB takes our input seriously and if enough teachers place doubt on a particular question, it can be thrown out.  Participating in such an activity is satisfying and is somehow empowering as you feel like you’re contributing to a greater process.  It’s kind of like voting.  You research the issues, you put forth the effort to go out and vote and then you feel good.

Additionally, the process has given me additional respect for the IB process and the IB education.  Any other IB teachers out there that have taken a formalized approach to the exam review? Or have any exam review experiences to share?

Unsung Heroes: The Parents

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The students stand proudly on the stage anticipating their turn at the microphone.  Typically it is the captain or co-captain of the team that speaks.  He/she offers thanks to the coach and highlights the season the coach and team has had together.  Then, bursting with pride and eagerness, they hand over the carefully handled coach’s gift.  But wait, where did that gift come from?  An unassuming parent has taken the time to collect money from the team members and has made the effort to pick out a gift.  No credit given for that effort. 

This evening I’m thinking about the unsung heroes of parents with school-age children.  At our last awards banquet I sat there enjoying the evening and watching the athletes from all the teams participating in this ritual of the coach’s gift.  Suddenly I felt a great appreciation for the parents who managed all those gifts.  Typically, it’s the same parents always ending up with the duty.  One of the parents had actually rounded up four coach’s gifts!  And, she works full time.  When I thanked her for her effort she responded with a smile on her face, “It’s my pleasure”.  And, she meant it. 

Parents are often called to duty, even well into secondary school.  Besides the travel, carpooling, and cheering on at sporting events, there is still the need to be aware of a child’s academic progress.  As students move from MS into HS and into IB level classes, the responsibility definitely shifts.  At the MS level, there are parents who check homework or sit with a child to ensure completion of or better quality of assignments.  In HS the support turns to more monitoring and reminding, except when supplies are needed for projects.  However, sometimes more involvement is required.  And many parents are there, steadily standing by their child, finding the best way to help that child succeed.

Some parents need to attend additional meetings with teachers, tutors, or entire learning support teams, often hearing messages that might be discouraging or might seem overwhelming.  However, they listen.  They offer input.  They share personal experiences.  They consider their options.  They participate in learning plans. They find ways to build their child and constructively help that child to improve learning behaviors.

As another year comes to a close, I applaud all you parents out there!  Thank you for caring!  Thank you for working on your child’s behalf.  Thank you for communicating. Thank you for checking my web site.  Thank you for checking PowerSchool.  Thank you for being there!  Thank you for all you do for your children and often for others as well.  

Getting Students to Stand Alone

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Recently I was with a group of students and a couple of chaperones.  One of the colleagues is a photographer so he challenged the students to slow down their walking pace, take in the sights, and find something worthy of photographing.  He told the students that we, the chaperones, would judge their photographs at lunch.

“What should we photograph?” came the obvious question, especially from younger students.  “Anything you like – anything you find interesting and find worthy of sharing”.  Armed with ipods, iphones, and cameras, the students combed the city for interesting sites.  However, the comment of one student stuck with me.

“You know how to succeed at something like this?” 

“How?”

“You look at what everyone else is photographing and then you take pictures of that also”

Suppressing an urge to shout out "No, no, no!", I attempted to instill into this young person the idea that in finding something unique that speaks to one self and perhaps not others is a great journey.  That, in the moment you exit your comfort zone and search deep within yourself to discover what speaks to you, you find something beautiful and perhaps amazing. 

Isn’t it true of educational pursuits as well?  The student willing to stand alone in an idea matures above the rest.  The student willing to acknowledge weakness learns the most.  The student willing to try something new discovers hidden strengths, talents, or creativity. 

Despite my efforts to celebrate any attempt by a student to take a risk, to dare something new, to challenge an idea, to share contradictory thoughts, students continue to be hesitant to wander out into unknown territories.  They are afraid to fail notwithstanding my endeavor to foster a safe environment where all answers and suggestions have value and are considered seriously. 

Unswayed by peer pressure.

For example, today I thrilled when a MS student refused to back down on his answer in formative assessment despite the fact that the entire class opposed him. His arguments, of course, were completely valid, and, in the end he persuaded the rest of the group to a higher level of understanding.  He felt great.  Everyone gained.  However, in the next round of questioning students still remained hesitant to come up with a unique answer and hoped to have “the ultimate right answer”.

So, how do we get our students to become independent thinkers?  How do we shed them of the focus of “being right” or finding the answer they think we want them to produce?  Sure, they need to learn the products of photosynthesis but when it comes to analyzing the ethics of stem cell research or determining whether a doctor has the right to use someone’s cells for research or entrepreneurship without patient consent, I want my students to form their own opinions.   I want them to decide for themselves whether genetic engineering is something they want to support or not.  I want them to know for themselves whether they advocate for genetic report cards that employers have access to when hiring employees or not. 

My best attempt at this is to enable access to both sides of any given debate and foster student discussion on the subject, always prefacing that there is no “right” or “wrong” answer and that they need to come to their own understanding and level of comfort with the ideas.  When probed as to my stand, I withhold comment until all votes are in.  Discussions have been fascinating but they remain isolated pockets of independent thinking rather than a constant state.

How do we surpass the isolated incidents of autonomous thought?  I’m open to any ideas!

What is it like to teach your own kids.

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Admittedly, my teenagers were horrified when they realized we were moving to a school so small that it would mean that there was no choice other than for me being their HS Biology and their IB Biology teacher.  We immediately made a pact to never discuss personal matters at school, keeping ‘work/school’ and our personal life separate.  Also, I agreed to never pester them about our class homework at home.

Seeing as we do not carry the same last name, we further decided to see how long we could go without the other students discovering our relationship.  Student orientation involved veteran students showing the new students around the school and introducing them to the teachers.  My teenagers accompanied their high school buddies and dutifully shook my hand upon being introduced to “Dr. Markham, our biology teacher”.  “Nice to meet you,” my son cheekily added.  Clearly at this point no one suspected a thing.

My son (center) with his CanSat team in Norway.  It was fascinating to watch him work under pressure during this competition.

We began classes together and everything was going smoothly for about two weeks.  However, one day in class we were working through some IB practice problems together and my son calls out, “Hey Mom, I’m stuck on this one part”.  SILENCE.  All the students look at me and then at my son.  Finally one comments, “Do you realize you just called her Mom?”  A huge grin crosses my son’s face and he acknowledges, “Well, that’s because she is my mom”.  All jaws in the classroom drop open at least 5 cm.  Additional stunned silence. “She is your Mom?” This piece of information was completely incredulous.  They look at me for verification and I nod.  “Dude, you shook her hand in front of me.”  The entire class erupts in laughter. 

My daughter with some classmates during an "Edible Molecule Lab"

With my son it was downhill from there.  He only calls me “Mom” at school now and frequently violates our code of not discussing personal matters at school, “Mom, did you put money on my card?” or “Mom, I need my bike fixed, did you call the bike guy yet?”  My daughter, on the other hand, maintains the professional relationship at school, even calling me “Dr. Markham” in class. Every now and then their sibling relationship can be disruptive as far as bickering over how to do a specific task or as elated cheering in being able to be partners, knowing they will “nail” it together because they completely understand each other and how to work best as a team.    Both of them, however, overall preserve the student/teacher relationship as far as our daily interactions are concerned.

My 6th grader in the lab.

A major difference exists between my youngest son and my teenagers.  I began teaching him this year as a 6th grader.  It’s really difficult for him to step into that “professional” relationship at school.  For example, one time he was working in a pair on a presentation.  I called his group to put forward their argument and he immediately responded, “Mom, why us?”  I’m thinking “Seriously?”  Despite my continuous discussions on this topic, he struggled all year with putting on his “student hat” when he was in my classroom as a pupil. 

The most unexpected result our relationship, especially with regard to the teenagers, is the fact that my children’s’ peers would text or message them asking, “Can you get your Mom to postpone the test?”  or my own children would come to me and request, “Is there anyway we can get this assignment postponed?” and my response would be, “Well, if you can contact every student in the class and get their approval”  Of course, given our small class size and the convenience of instant messaging, this was always successful.

The greatest aspect of having my own children in the classroom is seeing them as a student and experiencing how their mind works in an academic setting.  What a gift that has been.  In past years, with my older kids, when I went to parent/teacher conferences and listened to the teacher’s perspective on our children I remember feeling envious of the teacher for seeing our kids in an educational light.  Now, I’ve had that chance with our youngest three children and it’s been wonderful.  To see them pondering over problems, designing experiments, questioning the world about them, puzzling over lab challenges and tackling ethical issues in science, has given me an entirely different perspective on who they are.  It has given me a greater appreciation of the uniqueness of their minds.  Their strengths and talents, especially as they might manifest themselves as future college students or employees, are more apparent. Truly, it has been a wonderful journey.  I will forever treasure these three years we’ve had together in the classroom.

My teenagers graduate this coming Saturday.  I sure will miss them in the classroom! 

Awards Ceremony: Even in Sports it's Personal

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The girls' soccer team: They played Varsity 11-aside at the NECIS tournament.  They fought a valiant battle!

 

This past week we had a Sports Award Ceremony for the girls’ soccer, coed softball, and the track and field teams. 

Excited athletes and their families gather in the cafeteria, placing their contribution to the banquet on the prepared tables.  Food dishes from an assortment of countries supply the feast.  Several students search for their favorite, the sushi plate that appears at every awards ceremony.  Crock Pots loaded with aromatic meals, nachos, an assortment of casseroles, and a variety of salads tempt the attendees.

The track and field team: 7 school records broken this season.

The track and field team: 7 school records broken this season.

Athletes sit with their teams and coaches while parents find friends at the “family tables”.  The standard “drawing” takes place to see which team is privileged to approach the banquet table first.  The Track and Field Team cheers leaping to their feet and jumping eagerly towards the food.  The rest of the teams shuffle through and then the parents join the line.  With plates loaded, each enjoys a dinner before the awards ceremony.

The traditional cupcakes circulate the tables before we all enter the gymnasium and find a seat.  A music-accompanied slide show commences the ceremony.  Every single athlete is featured.  Then each coach stands and highlights the season as well as every member of the team.  The coaches know the individual athletes and speak fondly of each one.  Then they announce the coaches’ awards.  Athletes are celebrated.  Smiles abound.  Parents cheer. Each team captain also delivers a short speech thanking the coach and presenting him/her with a gift of appreciation.  It’s clear the students and coaches truly admire each other.

The softball team placed 3rd at the NECIS championship.

 

As I’ve written before, as a teacher I enjoy the individual attention I can give to each student at our small school.  After this awards assembly it strikes me that the personalized experience extends into athletics as well.  

It’s just so personal.  And, again it is confirmed why I love the small school setting.  

Transition Traditions: Grade 5 to Grade 6 Orientation

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They line up outside my classroom in a less than orderly manner.  I make a comment on the situation to which a 6th grader responds, “They’re only 5th graders, they don’t know about lining up”. 

 According to instructions, the 5th graders file into my classroom with their 6th grade buddy and find a location at a lab bench.  Instantly they are bending, stretching, and touching everything within reach.  As I observe this adorable can of worms I reflect, “Oh yes, there is a reason I am not an elementary school teacher”.  Just getting their attention is a task.  Finally, the health teacher helps me with that rhythmic clapping thing they do in elementary to capture students’ attention. Suddenly they are all quiet and facing me.  That clapping thing is magic.

 They are making a wind-measuring device that will aid in determining the best place to build a windmill (it fits with the MS curriculum). I’m counting on the simplicity of this task making it relatively easy to guide 23 little ones through the process.  They eagerly place the eraser over the pencil and insert the thumbtack.  I notice many of them require the help of my 8th grade assistants to tie the string.

After each step I need their attention. I try the clapping thing but apparently I don’t have the correct rhythm as the response is a smattering of nonsensical claps.  But at least they’re listening again.

 After a short discussion on how to measure an angle and how the angle will help us determine wind power, we head outside.  On the playground they measure the wind power.  We move to the side of the school and then to the front discussing the differences in wind power at each location.  They understand that their collective data gives a good idea of what side of the school would make the best location for a wind turbine.

 We noisily ascend the stairs and return to the classroom.  I debate for a split second allowing them to take their wind-measuring devices with them but realize instantly that the pencils, erasers, and thumbtacks will be disassembled and used in ways I’m sure I can’t imagine.  So, I collect them.   Wow.  40 minutes with that group is exhausting. They’ve left the room and I realize I forgot to take a single picture. So I take a photo of the pile of wind-measuring devices.  “Yes” I reflect, “I’m correctly placed in secondary school”.

 The idea is good; to have the 5th grade students follow the 6th grade students around for a full day.  They meet the teachers and they get a sense of how a day in middle school feels and what to expect next year. Even the lunch experience is different with choices! 5th graders end their day with anticipation and excitement for the coming year.  It’s definitely a worthwhile tradition at our school.

 Do you have any good transition ideas to share?

 

SENIOR DAY

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My high school senior class participated in an age-old tradition at the end of the year titled “senior ditch day”.   The school did not sanction it but everyone was part of it.  A group of us spent a sunny spring day at Six Flags.  It was fun and we felt ridiculously spontaneous, free, and rebellious. 

In the past years our school has offered a senior trip during trip week in which seniors planned their entire trip on their own.  Truthfully, it turned out to be more of a vacation than a school trip.  This year, in an effort to give more valuable IB time to the seniors, they were provided an “extended essay week” to work on their extended essay and other IB assignments.  They were promised something special after IB exams.

Paint Gun Girls

So, yesterday the 12th graders had their “senior day”.  They met for breakfast at the school and participated in a mini-graduation ceremony for two seniors who will not actually be here on graduation day.  Then, they were off for a vigorous game of paintball. Following lunch they were back at the soccer fields behind the school for a game of bumper soccer.  Apparently that proved to be 100% hilarious and fun was had by all.

Finally, the day ended with a barbecue at their homeroom teacher’s house.  An abundance of delicious food, a pool tournament, and mingling with friends and teachers ended the day perfectly.  Even we, the IB teachers enjoyed this event.  It seems to provide both a celebration and closure of high school while simultaneously looking forward to the future.

It wasn’t the historical “senior trip” but it was fun for the students and perhaps it will become a new tradition at the school.  What do you think?  Is there value in a “senior trip” or “senior day”?