Mr Carson at CIS

19/09/2021

Well another start that is different again. I think these last three years have been testing times for us all, but seeing the students this year makes it even more so. A year 7 group seems troubled by ‘normal’ lessons after a period of time online or in hybrid learning. Some really struggle a little at the change of teaching. But I must admit I like this start when I think about 12 months ago

15/08/2021

Unfortunately now reading the rise of Covid infections in school aged students. This shows that we are still learning about the virus, and the previous held opinions about children and the virus 🦠 need to be revised. With another school year just about to begin in HK, be careful.
It also makes me wonder if hybrid and/or online will revisit this year.

25/04/2021

I’ve always been interested into the cultural interpretations of stars, constellations and the universe in general. I once read a book on the Australian Aboriginal view of the stars. Intriguing

25/04/2021

I just read this and half laughed and half cried. It feels like this sometimes

30/08/2020

Just thought I’d share as a discussion point. I’m sure all educational systems around the world propose inclusive education. A fine goal to aspire to reach. But then we have the implementation of these programs into real world classrooms. Is there a good fit? It’s one thing to support inclusion, but it’s quite another being in a class of 25-30 students and successfully implement it. Differences in classroom dynamics in large crowded areas, small isolated schools or other local based factors tend to be lost in the policy. One size does not fit all even in a western style setting such as NSW. But how ...

Sarah Mitchell, Minister for Education in the Australian State of New South Wales, is proposing brave and, in my view, misguided reforms to behaviour policy that will affect government schools. The…

11/08/2020

A start to the new school year is imminent, but it is looking more like a zoom launch rather than a person to person. Resilience is the catchword for the year 2020 methinks

13/10/2019

As a teacher, I am often confronted by students who err and then seek forgiveness by using the term, “I’m sorry”. They seek forgiveness knowing full well that they will again transgress in the future and again utter the same message. I’m also sure that I am not alone in reminding them the full meaning of the term and the actions that should come from them - using the time as a teaching moment.
This article probably tells the message better than I ever could, and maybe if I had the time in class I would show snippets and try to teach the difference between forgiveness and atonement.
I know that Roddenberry worked social issues into the Star Trek shows and perhaps this constitutes a way forward.

On Yom Kippur, Gul Dukat and Neelix make an important distinction between forgiveness and atonement.

06/08/2019

In these times it is important to recognize the problems caused by racism. Remembering what it is like to be isolated because of perceived differences.

Hate crimes and harassment since the 2016 election affirm that racism still exists in America. Here’s what racism is, how it hurts and how people who witness it can respond.

20/06/2019

I stumbled on this while trying to keep up to date. It was one of the things that I often comment upon - the resilience & responsibility of adults (parents and teachers) to make sure that this actually happens before the teens are dumped miles (kilometres) from home often in a strange city and/or country, and being expected to come home with good grades. For many it is their first opportunity to make choices and be responsible for themselves. Maybe its time for us all to "step up to the plate".

If they're calling us to ask how, they do not have the life skill.

15/06/2019

A little disconcerting to say the least. It’s not only students who are attached to their phones & but the resultant changes to executive function and emotional maturity are problematic to us all. It seems like is needed

A recent doubling in teen rates of self-harm in Canada adds urgency to calls for community-based mental health services.

19/05/2019

As the sports and activities kids once did “just for fun” sometimes led to prestigious academic opportunities, the grown-ups caught on and took over, and everything from baseball to math modeling was commercialized and turned into a means to an end.
An interesting quote from The NY Times, telling us how adults have sucked the child out of childhood and successfully lowered the age of onset on anxiety & depression

Will kids still do what they like when it won’t help them get into college?