Culture, Curriculum and Community

A friend @Mlynch9395 asked me this week about what the differences were in schools between my current school and home. This is a complicated question and had me reflecting and gathering my thoughts over the last week. It is true that each school even within the same district has its own identity and culture but there is uniformity of curriculum, expected practices, policies and procedures that govern each one within that system. They are public and are obligated to follow the rules and regulations set out by the Ministry of Education. Some of this is true here in China and some is not. I have tried to identify some of the major differences between my international school and schools I have worked with in the past. Note: This is reflective of my own experience and each international school has its own identity, culture and philosophy.

Culture

When we talk about culture in an international school it is three fold. First is the culture of the country in which the school is located. Our school is owned by a Chinese company that has many other schools both Chinese and International across China and other places in the world. We live and work in China and are obligated to follow the laws and customs of that society. Some of these are rooted in a long and complicated historical and political context. Our school calendar is build over traditional Chinese holidays and celebrations. The services provided in the school purchasing, cafeteria, human resources, and finance are all based in the Chinese laws and market.

Second are the actual countries, regions and ethnic groups represented. At CISB we have many cultures, languages and religions. We are located in the Embassy district of Beijing which means we often get students from the various embassies within our geographical area. Many of our students are dual citizens or were born abroad. They are transient and move from one country to another as their parents are stationed in new locations every 2-4 years. They often have parents that hold passports from more than one country. In order to enrol at CISB you must have a parent that holds a passport from another country. We have students from all over the world but we also have many Asian students. The predominate Mother tongue language spoken by students and parents is Chinese. Our language of instruction is English but students second language is Mandarin. Each student receives 40 minutes of Mandarin instruction each day. We have a large EAL (ESL) population many of whom are only Level 1 EAL speakers especially in our Nursery-Grade 1. These students all receive 40 minutes of EAL each day as well. We work very hard to respect and celebrate all of the cultures within our community so that everyone feels safe, welcomed and respected.

Third is the culture within the school. I would characterize this as the identity of the school. What is the mission, vision and values of the school? How are these determined? How are these lived within the school each day? At CISB teaching and learning is at the heart of what we do each day. As an IB school we believe it is our mission to create critical thinkers and globally minded citizens that are life long learners. This is lived in each classroom each day as we inquire and explore as well as develop the whole child through the transdisciplinary skills, learner profile skills and approaches to learning.

Curriculum

This is rather complicated at an IB school. We follow the IB framework and must insure that all components of the IB curriculum are followed. This is required for accreditation as an IB school. We have 6 units of inquiry: Who We Are, Where we are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How We Organize Ourselves, How the World Works and Sharing the Planet. These units are where we embed the various curriculum outcomes from many subject areas. These curriculum expectations vary from school to school as the curriculums used vary: Ontario, British, or Common Core and a variety of others.

We also are accredited in the province of New Brunswick and are required to weave the NB curriculum into the IB framework. This is both liberating and challenging at the same time. Not all concepts in the NB curriculum easily marry with the IB curriculum and it can be a challenge to find natural connections at the appropriate grade level.

Community

At CISB we live and work in the same space. Our apartment building is literally 50 metres from the school. This is not the case for all schools as many international schools give a housing allowance and staff can live off campus. There are positives and negatives to this arrangement. You are never alone. Working and living in the same space allows you to reach out if you need help, something to do, or if just want some company. Being new to China this was a blessing. There was always someone who knew how to help you get what you needed or to navigate the unfamiliar and at times

Finding the balance and seeing other perspectives, making friends or establishing relationships outside of the community can be a challenge. It is important that you make an effort to connect to the broader community outside the school.

As a newcomer to this community you realize just how close everyone is and how challenging it can be to develop relationships as an outsider. Since many of the staff have been here with their families for many years there is a lot of history, memories and relationships among and between staff. At times you feel like an outsider quietly observing and watching waiting for the right time to enter the conversation. Traditions, celebrations and patterns of behaviour have been established and finding your place in these can be difficult. It is important to remember that you have to make and effort and take an active role in finding your place in the community.

This experience is allowing me to apply the skills, knowledge and experiences that I have gained as a school administrator and apply them in a global context. I know that I will come back with new learning that I can implement at home. Where, when and how is yet to be determined………

3 thoughts on “Culture, Curriculum and Community

  1. There is so much to think about in this post. I wonder how difficult it is to learn even a rudimentary amount of Mandarin oral or written. It seems so different from English. The inquiry units at CISB sound very interesting and reflective of the clientele you teach in the Embassy district.

  2. Annemarie,
    Your posts are enlightening and interesting. I hear your growth over time. You have a giving and intuitive personality and I am sure that contributes to fitting in and having a good sense of cultural awareness. I am learning from your experiences and gaining courage to try a similar adventure.
    I wish you a happy holiday season. How long will you be there?
    Marge

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