IB Global Conference: Day 1 - Morning

(Posted on 07/10/22)

The IB is a core part of our identity at CIS and I have been lucky enough to attend the Global Conference at The Hague. This morning, I attended a talk from “Stand Tall Steve” who is a motivational speaker in education. I have terrible memories from my days in banking, where I listened to “motivational speakers” come up with cheesy slogans like “there’s no traffic after the extra mile” and “live everyday as if your dreams have come true and let reality catch up”. Thankfully, this talk was inspirational and thought provoking, allowing me time to reflect on my practice as a teacher, a colleague and a leader. The emphasis of the talk hinged on developing a healthy culture based on integrity and hard-work. Although the talk gave me food for thought on how we can improve at CIS (because we can always improve), it gave me a sense of pride in what we are already doing. Steve spoke of how a school cannot be the best it can be based on a compliance mind-set alone, but on its stakeholders having a committed mind-set to achieving the best for its learners. I believe the commitment from our students, staff, parents, governors and friends is rivalled by few. On another note, the food is awesome.  - Daryl Goodwin, Vice Principal, Chester International School.