Teacher spotlight series: Stephanie Miller

Spotlight is a new series introducing our dedicated and talented Secondary School teachers. For our inaugural Spotlight, we welcome Stephanie Miller. 

I have moved into the role of Deputy Head of Secondary School from the start of this academic year and I am truly excited about the year ahead. Aside from working closely with Mr Newman to ensure our educational provision in the Secondary School is world-class, there are a number of additional responsibilities that I hold. I largely look after the academic direction of the Secondary School in Years 7-11 and work hard to ensure that our learners are well prepared and possess the best knowledge and expertise to undertake the IB Diploma Programme successfully. 

Whilst we hugely value academic outcomes and understand the importance of this for our students and families, we are also conscious that we are preparing for a future that doesn’t yet exist. The pace at which technology is advancing means that we have to be confident that our provision places our students in the best position to thrive in the future. The following quote underpins our philosophy and illustrates the challenges we work with your child to overcome: 

Our Virtual School provision supports our mission by providing an infrastructure that focuses on cognitive ability, personalised learning and developing skills for jobs of the future. With an emphasis on social and emotional learning, we leverage technology to create more a more flexible and tailored approach for every child. Skill development embedded in technology, but also encompassing self-management, communication, reflection and collaboration are critical skills for life after graduation. You will find these skills embedded into our practice from Years 7 to 13, whether we are delivering our learning virtually, face to face or using a blended model.   

A particular area of interest for me as an educator is the concept of fixed and growth mindset. This theory coined by Carole Dweck, suggests that we should be looking to develop a growth mindset in all of our students. This is a mindset where students thrive on challenge and see failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities. Ultimately, it is believed that in order to for students to grow, it is more important to have made a mistake, developed skills to overcome it and learned from it, rather than always being correct. This is something that you can explore at home with your child. Rather than focusing on a test score, try to frame your conversations about what they have learned from the process and how it has helped to consolidate their knowledge.   

Finally, it is a pleasure to be able to work with parents and carers in ensuring our combined effort bests support your child on their educational journey. Should you have any questions regarding our academic provision or support we can provide please do not hesitate to get in touch.