That High School Life

When you measure student success, and it's easy to get lost in the numbers—exam pass/fail rates, diploma completion, acceptance ratios. It's important to remember the people behind the numbers though. This is an interview with Anna Do, a former student who graduated from the Canadian International School in Vietnam in 2019. Today, Anna's a graduate student pursuing her M.Sc in Health Sciences at Wilfred Laurier University. In this episode, we talk about the importance of perseverance even when you're not 100% clear about the outcome, adjusting to grad school, beating imposter syndrome, and finding your pathway.

Well, well, well, how the turntables...If you didn't get the reference to The Office, that's okay. In this episode though, the tables did turn, as I was the one getting interviewed (sort of). This was the recorded conversation between me and a group of students in Holistic Approaches to Information Technology (CTL 5011), a master's level class at the University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education taught by Dr. Selia Karsten.We talked about:Why technology is only as good as the teacher who knows how to use itThe role of tenacity for new (and experienced) teachers, and the key to consistently good practice (hint: It's reflection. Consistent reflection.)The importance of rapport and how to build it with students, and the critical nature that the German version of The Office (i.e. Stromberg) played in helping me build a relationship with my students.Challenges in language- and content-learning, and how teachers can address themTeaching technology and the need for a holistic approach to its integration in the classroom

Every year without fail, it happens: senior students around the world chase down guidance counsellors, do their best to cram an impactful experience into a 500 word personal statement, and call up teachers for reference letters. And then there's the process of interviewing. This episode is a deep dive with Kana Shishikura, who works in the field of holistic admissions. Kana unpacks a few burning questions that I, as a guidance counsellor, have: What is a holistic admissions process? How does it help to even the playing field for college applicants? Will my students still be emailing me at all hours of the night to get a recommendation letter for an application that's due the next day?And a special congratulations to IS Ruhr's IB Class of 2022 - I'm very proud of all of you!

This episode is brought to you by Obsessed with ABGs. Read more about it at the bottom of these show notes.Show notes:Nothing's set in stone kids—sometimes the final destination that you have in mind in high school is only a pit stop on the way to another destination. High school is a time to figure out what you're passionate about, but this is a conversation about how it's never too late to start something new. In this episode, I'm joined by my two guests, Reina and Kim. All three of us have left our previous careers, and in this interview we talk about what made us pivot into different fields, words of discouragement that drove us forward, and how missed trains are sometimes exactly what we're looking for.About Obsessed with ABGsJoin Reina (a legit career & life coach) and Kimberly (also a legit producer) as they navigate their careers, Asian identity, and personal goals. They may not have all the right answers to life, but they want to be your hype women so that YOU can start obsessing over your own ABGs!

"Can you hear me now? I'm standing as close as I can to the router."Welcome back for Season 3 of That High School Life! Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), we've found ourselves back at online learning after four months of in-person classes.For Grade 12 students around the world, and the ones at IS Ruhr, some things remain the same: Getting up, doing work, wrapping up the last few months of a K-12 career and thinking of moving on to bigger and better things.In this episode, I pick up where I left off last season by interviewing a Year 2 International Baccalaureate student about finding motivation to keep going, how he's doing in the midst of writing IAs, and finding himself in a digital classroom once again. 

The past couple of months have been...interesting (in the sense of the phrase, "May you live in interesting times"). This episode of That High School Life is an interview with Johannes, an IB Year 1 student at International School Ruhr. Since we just recently implemented a hybrid (in-person/online) learning schedule, this interview during a lunch break at school (and right before a business quiz). In this interview: a student's perspective on online learning—losing track of days, keeping up with community service, and realizing the things that we sometimes take for granted, both as students and educators. Also, That High School Life has hit 10,000 downloads! Thanks to everyone who's downloaded and listened (and maybe even subscribed) to this podcast that started with a small idea and a very awkward first episode. It's still awkward (though less so), but the ideas keep coming. 

International School Ruhr is two weeks into online teaching, and it’s safe to say that hitting the ground running is not easy, and even less so when you’re still delivering a full day of lessons. In this interview I talked to Maria Robalino, Secondary Years Principal at IS Ruhr, and she shared her thoughts on how the team there made online learning happen in just four days.Netflix shows to watch if you're at home: - Unorthodox- Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal- Lock and KeyLinks to apps we've been using: Shoutout to these providers for stepping up to help educators in this really unprecedented time!SlackFormativeFlipgridPadletSkribbl.ioZoomGoogle Apps for Education (Meet, Docs, and the other apps in the suite)Unicheck

This instalment of That High School Life (and the reason for the title) comes to you from Brussels, Belgium, where I and my guest were supervising an overnight trip with a group of 24 kids. An obvious, but often overlooked perk of teaching K-12 is that it can be a lot of things, but it's never boring. In fact, it's the opposite—no two days are ever really the same. One thing that is often overlooked though, is the idea of moving with a family: Throw the clothes into the carriage, pack the kids into the luggage, and off you go...or is it the other way around?In this episode, I talk to Jen, a fellow Canadian who also teaches at the same school, about what to think about when deciding upon your next career steps as a professional and as a family. Everything from reasons for getting into international teaching, things to consider when signing your new contract, to why a sleeping bag and story books should be the first thing you pack.Cool places to go in Belgium if you're a science fan (this was a science-themed trip):Technopolis—a gigantic science museum: https://technopolis.be/Brussels Planetarium—where you can see the stars up close: https://www.brusselsmuseums.be/en/museums/planetarium-of-brusselsAtomium—this place has a pretty cool looking structurehttps://atomium.be/ADAM Design Museum—the highlight of the field trip for me, especially if you're into design:http://adamuseum.be/en/And finally, Hostel Bruegel—my new favourite hostel between Europe and Asia:https://www.jeugdherbergen.be/en/brussels

What happens when you slack off? Bad things usually, but is there a good way to slack off? And if there is, how do you do it? In this episode, I interview Conrad, a university pal who's now a senior developer at Slack.But he wasn't always a senior developer—like every functioning adult, he had to go through his own ups and downs to get to where he is now. In this episode, we talk about a few things that I regularly get asked about as a teacher.High school indecisiveness: Good or bad?Working smart: Does it exist?The importance of saying yes and being uncomfortable: Should you actually do this?Building your own luck: Yes, it's possibleSci-fi and fantasy book recommendationsAlso, if you're looking to try Slack as an alternative to email, I highly recommend it as a way to communicate with your colleagues. And finally, no, I'm not getting any type of benefit from bumping Slack, I just really like it. https://slack.com

It's been six months, but I do have some exciting news—I moved to Germany! Moving isn't without its challenges (which is why this season is starting in the middle of the school year). On that note, here's a new episode where I talk to Kimia, an student in Year 2 of the International Baccalaurate (IB) diploma programme, about:- What it's like to move between two really different cultures- Starting things in the middle- Favourite food (I should really turn this into a food podcast)While we're talking about food, here's a list of Kim's favourite restaurants. I've eaten at one of them (Tofino), and highly recommend it because their burgers pretty stellar.The Ash Steakhouse: https://www.ash-steakhouse.de/Red Sun Sushi: https://www.redsunessen-sushigrillrestaurant-essen.de***AYCE for 26,60€!Tofino: https://www.facebook.com/iLoveTofino/***This place makes the best burger I've eaten in Germany so far.Burgerheart: https://www.burgerheart.com/

An interview with Yu, soon-to-be official graduate of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma ProgrammeThoughts on 9 years in the same school, being a third culture kid, and lessons learned from teachers as you get olderA look at the familiar feeling of "what now?" that follows completion of a long task (like high school)A special announcement to wrap up season 2 of That High School LifeAt the end: A trailer for Onward!, a new podcast coming out in July 2019Subscribe to Onward! by looking for it in your podcast app (Google Play, Apple Podcasts or Spotify), or by visiting the link below:theonwardpodcast.com

In this episode:An interview with Jean, who I happen to be related toWhat originally started out as an interview on math quickly turns to a conversation about apps, Vietnamese culture, reverse culture shock, adapting to change, and western foodTips for teachers who are coming to Vietnam next yearAn answer to a very topical question: If you were an Avenger, who would you be?For reference, all of the locations and apps that we talked about in this episode are listed below in the order that they were mentioned:Vietnammm.com - A website that allows you to order food from various restaurants around the city. Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, North American, and European options available. bTaskee.com - A website that allows you to request a variety of home services (I've never used this, but many teachers here have, and reviews seem positive).Grab - The main ride-hailing service used in SaigonMai Linh Taxi - If you don't use Grab, Mai Linh Taxi is an alternativeVinasun Taxi - Traditional taxi service that is also an alternative to GrabPizza 4Ps - Japanese pizza chain that also operates in Vietnam (and apparently Thailand, according to Jean. Get the burrata parma ham and chicken teriyaki pizzas for ultimate happiness).No specific location was given for banh mi, but Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is pretty good in SaigonSubway - Located at RMIT campus, as well as in District 1McDonald's - Various locations around the city. Vegan Garden - While their food preparation can take a while (~15 minutes from time of ordering), but what they lack in speedy food prep is made up for in the quality of the end product.

The concept of music in a school setting conjures up some common images: spit valves being released, guitar strings being plucked, reeds being soaked, and the humble plastic recorder being turned into an impromptu spitball shooter.In this interview, Erik shares his thoughts on what it is to be a music director in an international school. Musical influences from Bach to John Denver to Mariah Carey, contemplations on street karaoke, and the growing Vina House sub-genre are just a couple of things we talk about in this episode.***Music for this episode: "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

In this episode, an interview with Khai, a Grade 11 student, on:Switching curricula as an international school studentMoving to another countryMurakami novelsFuture aspirations for schoolLong term personal goalsAlso in this episode:Sort of improved sound quality thanks to a couple of new mics and a mildly soundproofed room. This interview was filmed before the winter break, and Season 2 of That High School Life continues in February with a look at technology in the classroom.Music for this episode: "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this episode:Recording on new gear!Making mistakes with new gear!A sort-of new layout for the show.More importantly:An interview with Diana, a teacher at the Canadian International School on teaching English Language LearnersThe upside of making mistakes in your students' native languageThoughts on assessment and evaluationBeing a language teacher first, subject teacher secondOn why learning a language is important

In this episode, an interview with an IB student on life in Year 2 of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. A look at summer, challenges in Year 2, and some insights into the beginning of the end of high school. And finally—a definitive answer to a hotly debated question: would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses, or one horse-sized duck? Welcome to Season 2 of That High School Life. Music for this episode: "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome back to school! Season 2 of THSL starts with an interview in Toronto, Canada (recorded back in July). My guest for this episode was Jon, a student services professional at the post-secondary level. - Helping students make a transition (for teachers) - the right kind of workload - Helping yourself make a transition (for students) - lifestyle, academics, social stuff - Specific information from a professional: Transitions for international students (tl;dr - if you need help, ask!) Some issues I had in this episode that you might notice: I just got these sweet tube pre-amps not an hour before I recorded this (yay, no more fuzz), but I got the settings wrong (boo, still fuzzy-sounding, for the moment). Also, still working on getting the audio levels right when mastering. Next session, I've got my fingers crossed for a fuzz-free listening experience. Tune in next episode!

In this episode: - An interview with Reina, a self-described third culture kid whose K12 education took her from Japan, to Taiwan, to Michigan, and back again - Advice from one international student to another: Things to be mindful of when you're making important decisions about your post-high school pathways - Advice from a student services professional for all students in general: Three things to check when you're thinking about college/university Further reading on third culture kids: Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds, David C. Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

In this episode: - New intro/outro music! (CC attribution below) - Joe remembers to introduce the podcast - An interview with Anna, an OSSD student - Looking back at three years of high school - Anna dishes out advice for the new class of grade 9s - In retrospect, some odd editing went on with this episode. All part of figuring out Logic X Pro + how to work the recording gear! "Professor Umlaut" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

First episode, and we're already at the end! In this episode:- Dana sings the intro- Joe starts a new podcast, but forgets to introduce himself- Dana talks about transitioning to another role in education and recommends coffeeCoffee places:1) Cafe Cabin: Đường số 9, Tân Phú, Quận 72) The Coffee House: 223 Võ Văn Tần, Quận 33) Cafe Du Nam: 300 Nguyễn Thị Thập, Tân Quy, Quận 7The barbecue restaurant:1) Quán nem nướng Anh Thành - 67 Đường Võ Văn Kiệt, Phường Cầu Ông Lãnh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh