A friend – a teacher, just like me, hugged and pecked on the cheek of a colleague’s child in junior grade. She happened to pet a child and it was misconstrued by parent – an IB teacher himself. The entire incident – the way it was bought to the limelight (the staff shot a mail to all concerned authorities) and the way it is being handled –with 5 member panel enquiry – makes me (an IB teacher) wonder if the IB Learner Profile is for the tutor or the taught?
It’s amusing, as IB schools are bound by IB learner profiles (attributes) which the schools help students to achieve. One of the profiles that tops the list – and often, used by students is Open- mindedness – meaning different perspectives. What I fail to understand – is why has not the parent (an IB teacher himself) verified this issue with the concerned lady teacher before shooting out a mail shocking the entire teaching community in the school – I guess, being ‘open-minded’ is very difficult. So, it comes back to the same question – Is IB Learner Profile more for the tutor or the taught?
It actually gets me thinking – How capable are the IB teachers in inculcating IB profile to his students? Are IB schools in India really serious about the learner profile – or they just colourful words posted all over the school campus? When will School leaders grow and mature to understand that single woman are neither seductress nor are they starving for male companion that they seek out support in young kids? When will schools learn to handle sensitive issues professionally and not as a half-baked reality shows?
This raises a few more questions in my mind – Will the educational leaders of the school I am working in read this blog and will take it personally or ‘be open-minded’ enough to accept that this blog is a different perspective? Are they open-minded enough to understand that I have freedom of speech- constitutionally?
Time will tell. Let’s be open-minded.