In this post...
- IB Learner Profile: Balanced
- Finals and the New Semester
- Things To Do in our Community
IB Learner Profile: Balanced
"We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical, and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live."In the month of January, we have kept the LP attribute Balanced at the fore. At this time of year, maintaining a sense of balance is a particular challenge, especially for students. Dark mornings and short days, the end of the semester and final assessments, and the normal twists and turns of adolescence make for a difficult journey to spring.
One lesson for maintaining balance comes from an article we touched on in the most recent round of parent coffees, "The Dark Side of Believing in Natural Talent." The authors address the growing body of research that indicates that time and effort are more significant predictors of success than IQ or any notion of "natural" talent. This dovetails with the emerging understanding of a "growth mindset," as coined by Carol Dweck. TED also provides a brief introduction to the notion of "growth" and "fixed" mindsets. The authors of "The Dark Side..." give starting points for engaging in deliberate practice: identify what students should learn based on the skills associated with expertise; engage mental representations and teaching skills once aspect at a time; and give plenty of repetition and feedback. One might even apply this approach in responding to the stress and anxiety that students feel at various times of the year. Shifting attention to the "big picture" and identifying the pieces that can be fixed or changed enable kids to take one step at a time toward completion and success...and a better sense of balance.
The other aspect of "balance" that is central to the IB's definition is recognition of our interdependence with each other. This is a particularly challenging time to embrace this, particularly when we are conscious of the sometimes stark differences between us. This morning, the Middle School gathered to watch the Presidential Inauguration, and as we began to watch the live stream from the Capitol, I explained why we were watching it. On one hand, this is what it means to be a citizen - actively engaging with civic events and standing witness to the peaceful transition of power every four or eight years. On the other hand, it gave us an opportunity to put aside our differences and focus on the constitutionally-driven institutions that are central to our society. To be a citizen and to attend to these structures does not mean ignoring differences or disagreements, but it does mean establishing a common ground from which to start. After watching the swearing-in of the Vice-President and President and hearing most of the inaugural address, we shared some information about how the District of Columbia handles big events and played a game based on Presidential trivia. By focusing on historical nuggets, we were able to shift the focus away from whatever political divides existed among us and redirect to learning and to focusing on each other.
Finals and the New Semester
With final assessments finished, we begin Second Semester on Monday. With the new semester, we are tweaking the daily schedule slightly. Mondays will retain the daily schedule that we used during First Semester, and Tuesday-Friday, we are adding 5 minutes to morning Advisory and taking 5 minutes from the mid-morning break. The mid-morning break was intended as a snack and tutorial time, but throughout the term we have recognized students' need for a real mid-morning break, and 15 minutes will suffice for that.
| Monday: | Min | Start time | End time | PERIOD | Tuesday-Friday: | Min | Start time | End time | PERIOD |
| 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 0 | 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | 0 | ||||
| 15 | 8:00 AM | 8:10 AM | Morning Meeting | 15 | 8:00 AM | 8:15 AM | Advisory | ||
| 50 | 8:15 AM | 9:05 AM | Period 1 | 50 | 8:20 AM | 9:10 AM | Period 1 | ||
| 50 | 9:10 AM | 10:00 AM | Period 2 | 50 | 9:15 AM | 10:05 AM | Period 2 | ||
| 30 | 10:00 AM | 10:30 AM | All School Chapel | 15 | 10:05 AM | 10:20 AM | Snack/Break | ||
| 10 | 10:30 AM | 10:40 AM | Snack | 30 | 10:20 AM | 10:50 AM | Morning Activities | ||
| 10 | 10:40 AM | 10:50 AM | Advisory | 50 | 10:55 AM | 11:45 AM | Period 3 | ||
| 50 | 10:55 AM | 11:45 AM | Period 3 | 35 | 11:45 AM | 12:20 PM | Lunch | ||
| 35 | 11:45 AM | 12:20 PM | Lunch | 50 | 12:25 PM | 1:15 PM | Period 4 | ||
| 50 | 12:25 PM | 1:15 PM | Period 4 | 50 | 1:20 PM | 2:10 PM | Period 5 | ||
| 50 | 1:20 PM | 2:10 PM | Period 5 | 55 | 2:15 PM | 3:10 PM | Athletics | ||
| 55 | 2:15 PM | 3:10 PM | Athletics |
Things To Do in our Community...
- Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.
