We recently caught up with Mrs Carissa Wilson, our Deputy Head of the Junior School and the HOD of the Senior Primary Phase at Kingswood College. She reflected on her teaching philosophy and how the senior phase of the Junior School had tackled the online learning platform over the course of the second half of the term.

At the Kingswood Junior School one of the main aims is that our pupils should learn, play and explore in a challenging and stimulating environment where they are urged to ask questions, to solve problems and have healthy debates on topics of interest. Whilst online learning provides a platform for some of this to continue, it cannot replace the real face-to-face interactions which are required for proper engagement.

One of Carissa’s main desires is to grow young minds and more importantly, their characters. For Carissa, our Character Education underpins our teaching at the Junior School. There is so much more that needs to be learnt in the classroom than the mere curriculum found in the pages of worksheets and workbooks.

Carissa reflects on her role as an educator: “ I am very passionate about growing a child’s character. I will always take the opportunity to grow character or teach a life lesson where I can. The challenge of this is living out or role modelling what we ask our children to do. As we know, gone are the days of ‘do as I say….’

We need to be role models of the behaviours which we expect from our children, each and every day. This in itself is a challenge but one that I am up for every day.