From the Head of School

In-Service Day

Education used to be a one time thing that happened to children.  By the beginning of adult life we were meant to be equipped with everything we needed to know for the job we would have for the rest of our lives.  After that, our judgements may have matured, but few would have suggested that an adult would need more time in classrooms.

Times have changed.  Graduates today are unlikely to have a single career.  Even if they do, most professions are changing so fast that what is cutting edge in our twenties is quaintly old fashioned by our forties.  Being a lifelong learner has become a fundamental skill.  

Today, teachers have been on in-service training.  It has been an opportunity for us to have reflective discussions on a range of important educational issues from how we meet the diverse range of needs and experiences of our students to the newly challenges and opportunities of ChatGPT.  

As teachers we keep in touch with current research, but a day like today is an opportunity to consider how we apply it to our practice, to learn from each other, and plan the next step in ongoing, incremental improvement.  

At ISA, we treat our in-service days with respect.  It is a day out of school for children; a time for the teachers to become the students, so that when normal school resumes on Monday, they can do their job just a little bit better.  If we always look for little improvements, over time we are transformed.  Education doesn’t end when childhood does.