Message from the Head of School
Namaste! It is an honor to introduce myself to you.
My professional background includes twelve years as an IB Teacher, six years as an IB Moderator, three years as a CAS Coordinator, and eleven years as a head of school. I have taught IB Biology, IB Geography, IB Environmental Systems, and Global Studies.
Originally from Canada, I fell in love with India in 1999 when I joined UWC Mahindra College as a young and ardent teacher. Since then, my twenty-two year journey as an international educator has delivered a plethora of life experiences that have shaped my views, honed my values, and impressed upon me the vast potential of international education for creating a better humanity.
I have many educational beliefs that I will be sharing with you on this blog over the months to come. For example, I will soon be writing about “Formative Assessment” and “Feedback”, which are central to high-quality teaching and learning. Formative assessment provides evidence of learning that informs the teacher on what needs to happen next. And, feedback is how students are guided to move forward in their learning. However, feedback is only useful to the extent that it is acted upon by the student. Thus, teachers must know how to be inspiring and motivating for their pupils.
Initially, I taught purely for the love of teaching; I had passion for my subject and I loved sparking enthusiasm in learners. However, over time my interests expanded to include sustainable development. In 2000, as a CAS Coordinator, I developed a passion for service learning through various partnerships, including a care facility in Pune and an orphanage in Paud. There, I discovered the joy of engaging in community service with students. In 2001, I went to Bhuj, Gujarat, to join the earthquake relief effort. We set up camp in a pungent jeera field and moved rubble each day, under the perilous sun. In the evenings, we spent time with youngsters who were injured or had lost family members. They were visibly distressed, but they lit up when we played with them. In 2002, I helped facilitate a UWC short-course in Kotor, Montenegro, for war-affected youths in the Balkans. Subsequently, over the next eight summers, I led peace-building workshops in Nepal, India, and the Philippines. In 2004, as the Service Learning Coordinator at International School Manila, I helped establish community partnerships that are still running today. In 2011, at Aguinaldo International School, I worked with an inspired team to establish a special education center and a night school for street children that included an urban garden, a mobile library, a film camp, and a ‘street-kid’ football team. These activities provided a rich milieu for broadening our international-school students’ perspectives whilst improving the health, safety, and confidence of their less-advantaged friends.
Presently I am living in Manila, Philippines with my wife and young children. Although we’re overseas, Edubridge is in our hearts and already like a family to us. We have had nothing but amazing experiences with online schooling and we are greatly looking forward to joining the school in person as soon as we can. In the meantime, we look forward to the exciting new experiences that await us.
Warmest regards,
Timothy J. Boulton