When I graduated from school, there was no graduation ceremony, no wise words to never remember, and no fanfare. We finished our exams and that was that. We parted ways, got merry (some more than others), and then we got on with the summer holidays and waited forlornly for our exam results to come in. […]
This week, I overheard an expression I hadn’t heard before. One lady was talking to another about the “strawberry” generation. I was at the supermarket (in Singapore), so I assumed something was afoot in the fruit and vegetable aisle. Curious, I walked around the aisle for a look. But there was nothing to see besides […]
The special ones Recently, I was asked to nominate a student to support a high-profile event. Even at short notice, she absolutely crushed it. I knew she would. She deserved the feedback and accolades she received afterwards…they said she was inspiring, articulate, responsive, and confident. If humanity manages to save itself from itself, it will […]
According to ISC Research, there were about 8,000 international schools ten years ago. Today, that number stands close to 13,000. The growth is staggering. Indeed, a recent (illuminating and challenging) Bloomberg article postulates that two new international schools open each day on average. It has become an incredibly competitive market as more and more families […]
Be honest. You assumed the boy was stealing a cookie, didn’t you? You probably did it all the time when you were his age, and we all know it takes a thief to catch a thief! But what if….he’d been told he could take that cookie? Or if he was actually putting them out on […]
“Which came first: the chicken or the egg?” Who hasn’t explored this age-old debate with little kids? I know I have. Ask any other person you know how the discussion went. I am sure they will all agree that the kids loved the inquiry and the opportunity to explore theories and develop some spectacularly […]
This week, we kicked off Writers’ Fortnight in school. Incredible speakers, including many extraordinary parents, are being invited to speak to our students to share how particular books have inspired them or how they are involved in literature in some way. As a result, our students have been awed by poets, journalists, diplomats, artists, and […]
A school’s first and most important function is to create a sense of belonging for each student. Everything else (literally) is academic. My first lesson on how to go about this (many years ago) came from my first teaching mentor, who believed it was all about “nailing the welcome” at the start of each […]
“Be curious, not judgmental”, quotes Ted Lasso in response to being underestimated in one of the TV series’ most iconic scenes. Do watch it if you have not done so already. As well as being incredibly funny, the understated and seemingly incompetent Ted Lasso has so much to teach us all about how to lead […]
I recently read No Rules Rules, which was by far the best book I have read this year. It was co-written by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer. The book is about how Netflix’s ‘no rules’ culture has helped to provide and sustain its competitive edge. Rules and top-down controls, it seems, just get […]
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