The BC provincial government is proposing to cut all the wrong education programs, again! Athletic Coordinator, music, special needs? Really?! They want to cut all the things that really matter in the day to day life of a student’s social, mental, and physical well being. Programs like hockey academies we so love could be next.
In 2008 I graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Education from Endicott College (Massachusetts) through their satellite campus in Madrid Spain. It was a great program, and an unforgettable life experience. (The feature image is us, trying to survive life in Madrid after a long day of classes). Our program consisted of 65 teachers, teaching in 30 countries around the world (I was teaching in New York City at the time). A small crew of us really connected, and remain friends today. Jeff (last name hidden for his own protection), was just visiting from Boston and I had to call Whistler Search and Rescue to repel him off a large cliff near Whistler Glacier (Boston guys should not ski out of bounds in Whistler).
Another classmate, on the other hand, is now the Principal of the Shanghai Community International School in China, and recently spoke at TED Talks in China (click here for the awesome video of Dan Kerr). I am throwing Jeff under the bus a bit here, because he really is an excellent teacher, but Jeff and Dan clearly have their own unique strengths!
Principal Dan writes a great blog for his staff, Monday Musings, and this week really struck a chord with me. While the BC Teacher’s union may again be forced to strike, Dan writes of the power of education outside the classroom, not just through lectures of core subject material. Here’s a sample of Dan’s post, and link to it in his blog…
A quote from Mark Twain goes something like this…DON’T LET SCHOOLIN’ GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR EDUCATION! …I think back to many of the defining moments in my life, when profound, real life learning experiences shaped who I am today… and I’m reminded how life outside of the classroom can be so monumentally important.
