ISY Elementary Blog
The Power of Presuming Positive Intentions
Mike Simpson, Elementary School Principal
28 August 2019
On Monday, we will start the academic year. Not on campus but online. Over the summer, we had planned for both eventualities and everything in between.
It is a funny thing to be excited about something that no-one wanted to happen. Since it was announced that all schools were to be closed, after the initial disappointment, there has been a definite feeling among our teachers of wanting to get on with it and use what we put together over the summer. Almost like a sports team or an orchestra done with practicing and just wanting to play.
Like any good sports team or orchestra, our teachers will do everything they can to play the perfect game or perfect symphony. However, if these last six months have taught us anything, not many things seem to work out perfectly. But, more importantly, these last six months have taught us that we are stronger working together.
As families and teachers, we are constantly learning about our children and trying to come up with ways to encourage and develop in them the attributes, skills, and knowledge that will help them in the future. Our children are also learning about themselves and are developing their attributes, skills, and knowledge the best way that they know how. Our children want to be successful and so do we as their families and teachers.
In our compassionate community in a challenging time, we are all doing our best as children, families and teachers and we can therefore presume positive intentions in each other. Presuming positive intentions in others is the most important factor in developing and maintaining positive relationships. This is very important as positive relationships based on presuming that intentions of others are positive enable meaningful conversations about the development of our children.
In our compassionate community, children, parents and teachers are able to provide and receive feedback and advice from each other knowing that the feedback and advice is given with the positive intention of helping each other.
This year will continue to surprise and challenge all of us. As a school and as teachers, this year more than ever, we will rely on insights from you to help us meet the needs of your children. There will be organized opportunities throughout the year to provide those insights and this week’s listening conferences were the first of those opportunities. But please know that you are always free to share with us anything anytime that might help us help you and your children. This will be particularly important in this year like no other.
Compassionate Class Agreements
This week, every class worked together to develop a Compassionate Class Agreement. These agreements are made between teachers and students to ensure that every person’s culture, identity, perspective, and experience is valued and included in the classroom.
Previous Elementary School Posts
Elementary School Blog – October 9, 2020
As expected, we have retained our fully accredited status as a WASC school and this extends to our ISY Nay Pyi Taw campus.
Elementary School Blog – October 2, 2020
Next week, we have a committee from WASC working with us online. WASC stands for The Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Elementary School Blog – September 25, 2020
I hope this finds you all well after navigating another week that I am sure had a few twists and turns. This week, I have written about how Winnie the Pooh might provide us with some guidance in dealing with these uncertain times.
Elementary School Blog – September 18, 2020
I have been thinking a lot about connection lately and how it important it is for all of us to feel connected to something bigger than themselves – like ISY
Elementary School Blog – September 11, 2020
At the end of our second week of the academic year, we feel that our students are getting into the swing of things online.
Elementary School Blog – September 4, 2020
It feels good to have finished our first week online. There is a real positive energy around campus. That energy comes through online from our students and our teachers are building on that as they implement our planning and adapt it to meet our students needs and keep them engaged.
The International School Yangon
20 Shwe Taungyar Street
Bahan Township
Yangon, Myanmar
+95 (0) 9 880 441 040