The Russian branch of the OIS school focuses on subject knowledge and academic results. What are called 21st century skills, meta—subject skills, soft skills — communication, creativity, critical thinking, the ability to cooperate – of course, is also very important for us, but still we are convinced that knowledge must come first. It is the foundation without which it will not be possible to start discussing, critically evaluating, and creating new things. We use different techniques in the lessons: group studies, game mechanics, training tasks differentiated depending on strength and motivation, and time-consuming projects, but all these forms of work are chosen primarily to provide strong academic knowledge and subject skills.
Developing the ability to work and plan at the OIS school
Another important goal that we pay a lot of attention to is the ability to workto work hard and for a long time. We want children at school to learn simple but necessary things in life: to concentrate attention, plan and evaluate their results, build a learning strategy depending on their goals.
How do we achieve this?
We have implemented a detailed and transparent assessment system. The semantic block, the unit, lasts 5-7 weeks, a new topic is studied within each unit, and at the end — the final work. According to our rules, a week before the final work, the teacher posts the materials of preparation for it and the assessment criteria. This allows students to plan their time and effort.
Transfer exams:
We have transfer exams at the end of the year: Compulsory mathematics and English and two elective exams. We believe that the choice of subjects, the exam preparation process, the methodology and planning of this preparation — all this allows him to better understand himself, understand why he makes such a choice, and think about the direction of study after school. Acting in this system, the student receives not only new knowledge, but also planning and analysis skills: he knows in what time it is necessary to master the topic, how the final work is evaluated, what this assessment means, what needs to be done to improve his result.
Individual learning trajectory: choosing an OIS school
Another principle that underlies the work of our school is the diversity of choice. This is especially important for high school, when children can build their curriculum depending on which university they go to. Last summer, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev said that high school students need to be helped to build an individual educational trajectory; now the number of subjects taught in high schools has been reduced from 16 to 11, so that students planning to enter a university can choose lessons in one of the directions
- Chemistry — biology
- Mathematics — physics
- mathematics – foreign language
- native language and native literature — a foreign language
Our school has even slightly outstripped this trend, this approach has already been implemented and is in effect for the second year: high school students have both basic subjects and those 3-4 advanced subjects that are needed for admission. In order to make the choice of direction in the 10th grade meaningful, in the 9th grade our students choose a subject special course every semester and make a project within this special course. For example, you can try to study biology seriously for six months, history for six months, and understand what is really interesting to you and what works better.
OIS School Success: Differentiation and international certification
It is important to note that the school implements a differentiated approach to teaching: starting from the 3rd grade, there are groups of different levels in English, from the 7th grade — in mathematics. We divide students into groups not within a class, but within a parallel or two parallels, depending on the success and goals of the child. We really hope that in the future we will have the opportunity to create in-depth groups in grades 5-9 and in other subjects.
We are working to ensure that the results of our students pass international examinations, received an independent external evaluation. This is necessary so that parents and students themselves can see the objective result of our joint work. Almost all of our students pass IELTS in grades 10-11 and the results are usually very decent. For example, among the current graduates there are two who passed IELTS by 7.5.
A variety of clubs and projects at school
Speaking about our educational program, it is necessary to note a very large selection of clubs — something that can be used after lessons. We have a film club, a biology club, a discussion club, chess, a math club, an ART studio, dancing, vocals, a jewelry club, sports sections, a board game club and much more. There are also various educational trips, excursions, both subject-oriented and for team building. I hope that gradually, on the basis of the school, we will be able to implement the so—called museum pedagogy system – when children do not just listen to museum staff, but study something themselves, collect and systematize information, and conduct classes for their peers. We are starting to implement interdisciplinary projects and are working on the development of school self-government.
Much has been done, much more needs to be done, but already now it can be said that the school’s value orientations I’ve decided. We believe that school time is a time when a person, in addition to learning something, gets the experience of concentrated work and overcoming. It can be compared to hiking with a backpack: no one will carry it for you, you go and carry your own load, it is difficult for you, sometimes very difficult — but you reach the top, take off your backpack, look at the way you have done and realize what a good fellow you are, you have something to respect yourself for. We strive to ensure that our students receive the pleasure of self-development, which is impossible without hard work and overcoming.
