For over 30 years international school leaders, teachers, and counselors have come together for PTC professional learning experiences. Each day of every program begins with a “pearl of wisdom,” a “'nugget of knowledge,” or a “gem of inspiration” from one of the participants. We are delighted to offer our readers around the world these powerful stories, insights, and strategies, all dedicated to our shared mission of ever more and better learning for our children.
In this Pearl, Shanez shares her journey from a struggling student to a frustrated teacher, doing the same things she resented in school. But then, she picked up a book that changed her world. She followed her passions, determined to become the teacher she herself had needed. She “learned explicitly how to plan units, deliver lessons, ask the right questions at the right time, all while fostering curiosity, giving students agency.” As her understanding grew, she started collaborating with her peers in a deeper way that led to students investigating, inquiring with well-designed questions, and formulating central ideas and statements of understanding. She ends by saying, “unleash your inner power and empower yourself to pursue your passions, as you never know where it might take you.”
Professional positions cited were the ones held at the time of recording. The positions and schools of those quoted may have since changed.
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Shanez Cabraal works at Hanoi International School.
