I am a huge fan of teamwork in schools. A student cannot thrive without their peers, teachers need to collaborate with students to achieve better results. On a larger scale, who keeps the school clean and ensures we have meals every day? Personally I feel a great bond with everyone at Eerde-team.
What benefits do Grade 9 and 10 students gain from this teamwork? First of all, our ATL and GP teacher, Ms. Farida Suleymanli, makes topics like fake news a subject of discussion in Grade 9, encouraging our students to use their critical thinking skills (ATL) and question knowledge and news. She also explores areas of tension around the world, such as the Middle East, where students research the situation in Yemen.
Ms. Ajina Remadevi excels in group work: she often asks me to view students’ work or attend presentations. For example, I recently listened to Grade 9 students presenting their podcasts in groups on popular businesses. And in assemblies, she is making a difference by mentioning the good group work of her students. Meanwhile, Grade 10 is working on analyzing literature as part of ATL, a skill required for IB’s Language and Literature A, such as English A or Dutch A.
In summary, our pre-IB students are developing the skills required for the IBDP program. I am proud of these students, each of whom is following their academic path. Since no two paths are the same, I hope you as parents are equally proud of your son’s or daughter’s journey, even if it sometimes takes a different direction than you might have expected.