WIS's Professional Development Collaborative (PDC) has partnered with the Smithsonian on many projects. Read more about this innovative program HERE.
Faculty
Lifelong Learners
Faculty learning groups take place regularly and allow teachers to explore best practices and learn from one another.
Mentors
From a WIS alumnus: [My teachers] were there unconditionally to help me get through the difficulties I faced with the IB. They always had a positive attitude and I really appreciated that, and still do.
Native Speakers
Our French, Spanish, and Mandarin teachers are all native speakers; most WIS teachers speak at least two languages.
Citizens of the World
WIS teachers come from more than 30 countries; their experiences support our students' cultural fluency.
Fast Facts
Over 70% of WIS teachers have advanced degrees; 36% have been at WIS for 10 years or more.
For an entire decade, the Washington International School Summer Institute for Teachers (WISSIT) has never missed a beat, whether it’s changing up locations or pivoting to accommodate a pandemic. The Institute always strives to provide inspiration and a community of thought partners that all educators need and deserve by the time early August rolls around.
WIS Middle School teachers Amy Tong and Lauren Wright recently had their work featured in this article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Some great ideas here to keep kids busy and thinking without expensive gadgets.
Oxford University Press has published this article about Visible Thinking, written by Dr. Jim Reese, Director of WIS's Professional Development Collaborative.
WIS recently received a grant from the Longview Foundation to support the Museums Go Global: Creating Exemplary Global Competence Lessons for the Smithsonian Learning Lab project.
Grade 11-12 IB Diploma Visual Arts students in former Art Teacher Annette Zamula's classes are featured in a free online course through the National Gallery of Art. The course focuses on using Artful Thinking Routines, developed at Project Zero, to unlock complex thinking in students. The portion of the course featuring WIS students is available HERE and another video including commentary from Annette Zamula is available HERE.
Upper School French teacher Charles Gueboguo's first novel, Cacophonies des voix d'Ici, was nominated for the 2019 Ahmadou Kourouma Award of African Literature. This literary award is supported by the Geneva International Book Fair every year and the recipient is announced in mid-April. Charles also received some press right after his book was published, in an article in Today News Africa.
Grades 6-12 Director of Teacher and Learning Carole Geneix and Director of the PDS @WIS Jim Reese presented at the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference.
University Counselor Pam Joos was selected to attend the International Guidance Counsellor Conference at Cambridge University, UK. There were over 250 applicants; 20 finalists attended.
At the 4th Annual Maker Educator Convening in San Jose, CA, Upper School French teacher Anne Leflot co-presented a workshop on Making across the Curriculum with Project Zero principal investigator Edward Clapp.