Dear Nikki,
It was very a good day, hanging out at MICDS. It is an excellent school, but very different from Soular or New City. When I asked some of my classmates if they wanted to work here, surprisingly, all of them hesitated to answer yes. I wonder if it is a coincidence that we all felt a little bit disconnected with this type of schools, even though there were two alumni talking with us. Here are some notes I took during the visit:
It was very a good day, hanging out at MICDS. It is an excellent school, but very different from Soular or New City. When I asked some of my classmates if they wanted to work here, surprisingly, all of them hesitated to answer yes. I wonder if it is a coincidence that we all felt a little bit disconnected with this type of schools, even though there were two alumni talking with us. Here are some notes I took during the visit:
My first impression about MICDS was that it definitely was more like a college than a high school. Everyone was busy working on their laptops, well-equipped classrooms and labs, pretty designed posters. Even in the lower school, all the art works are beautifully framed and displayed on the walls.
MICDS didn’t give me a warm and dynamic vibe like New City left with me. Maybe it also was because we spent a lot of time in the high school. Kids were not running around like a kid. The school culture is not as casual as NC. I remember Marshall was talking about a learning expert who “can tell you everything about learning.” That reminds me of the librarian/storyteller we met in NC. If I have a choice, I would rather have someone who can tell stories.
It’s good to know that teachers here have a lot of freedom and resources in the classroom. But I didn’t get the impression that they are very excited about what they are doing. Maybe it’s Friday, they all seemed worn out. We went in an advisory class and didn’t see any interaction between the teacher and students. They all acted like they would rather be somewhere else.
The school’s mission statement, which is “Live a life in purpose and service,” doesn’t quite fit the impression I got from visiting this school. Scott gave us an example of project base learning and service, about the 2nd graders helping their marketing to promote MICDS. To me, it was not the kind of service I was thinking about.
I like the concept of “diversity of thoughts,” instead of skin. It’s a good point. But a lot of time, what color we are, where we come from, reflects a lot of what is in our thoughts. I was not very impressed by the Mandarin class I attended. It was a typical class, nothing very special.
I really appreciate this experience. I think I would prefer to teach at a smaller school where there is a lot of personal interaction.
Much Love,
Jamie Yu
10.9.15
MICDS
http://www.micds.org/
MICDS didn’t give me a warm and dynamic vibe like New City left with me. Maybe it also was because we spent a lot of time in the high school. Kids were not running around like a kid. The school culture is not as casual as NC. I remember Marshall was talking about a learning expert who “can tell you everything about learning.” That reminds me of the librarian/storyteller we met in NC. If I have a choice, I would rather have someone who can tell stories.
It’s good to know that teachers here have a lot of freedom and resources in the classroom. But I didn’t get the impression that they are very excited about what they are doing. Maybe it’s Friday, they all seemed worn out. We went in an advisory class and didn’t see any interaction between the teacher and students. They all acted like they would rather be somewhere else.
The school’s mission statement, which is “Live a life in purpose and service,” doesn’t quite fit the impression I got from visiting this school. Scott gave us an example of project base learning and service, about the 2nd graders helping their marketing to promote MICDS. To me, it was not the kind of service I was thinking about.
I like the concept of “diversity of thoughts,” instead of skin. It’s a good point. But a lot of time, what color we are, where we come from, reflects a lot of what is in our thoughts. I was not very impressed by the Mandarin class I attended. It was a typical class, nothing very special.
I really appreciate this experience. I think I would prefer to teach at a smaller school where there is a lot of personal interaction.
Much Love,
Jamie Yu
10.9.15
MICDS
http://www.micds.org/