From the head of school

Global Citizens

Before ISA, I was a head of an international school near Shanghai.  I worked with a mostly Chinese administrative team, including my secretary, Stella.  One of my earliest experiences was asking her to prepare some lists for me; being English my exact words were ‘Would you mind … preparing these lists for me’.  The next day, I asked Stella if the lists were ready.  

She looked at me blankly, and replied in a slightly bewildered tone, ‘no.’ 

‘I am pretty sure I asked you to’  I pointed out, trying to remain polite.

‘No. No, you didn’t.  You asked if I minded and then didn’t wait for a reply.’

Stella understood the meaning of the words I used, just not what I meant by them.  I intended a polite order, she heard an optional request.

ISA is a community of 45 different nationalities.  These kinds of misunderstandings are frequent, but in fact, they occur with any group of people.  Stella and I may have miscommunicated because of our cultural differences, but there can be all sorts of reasons for a gap between intention and impression.  In an intercultural community we are so much more aware of the possibility.

It is essential to know your own assumptions, and to listen to others describe theirs.  In my conversation with Stella, she had no voice because I didn’t listen.  It is a skill I had to develop.  Unless others were willing to speak, and I was willing and able to listen, I couldn’t express my values.  Nor, as it happened, could I complete certain actions.

All communities hold diversity, certain ones - like ours - far more so.  ISA is educating students to be successful in their communities, they need both academic skills and aptitudes of character.

In last week’s Thistle Talk I wrote about our statement of learning.  This week, take time to look at our statement of citizenship.  To thrive, students must cultivate both their abilities and their characters.