Yes, it’s true, most faculty members look forward to holidays as much as do the students.  I’ve spent the first few hours of the holiday catching up on some much-needed grading and responding to emails.

The holiday also offers a very brief respite from the busy Thacher schedule to reflect on the winter term, which is rapidly coming to an end.  This term, for me, has been one of improvement.  I’ve seen improvement in so many areas of School life where I work.  My freshmen in European History have not only improved their writing skills–now able to construct and support a cogent argument–but they have also become analytical and sophisticated thinkers.  Forty minutes with them is forty minutes of intellectual exploration and meaningful discussion.

The AP Government & Politics students, too, have demonstrated great improvement in their abilities to take the seemingly disparate concepts that we covered earlier in the year and to apply them to the rapidly changing political landscape.  The have both a deep understanding of current issues and a genuine interest in the 2012 presidential elections.  I look forward to seeing them in action next week, as they participate in a mock Supreme Court trial involving the case Arizona v. US.  They have become citizens who understand the weaknesses of our political system but also know that meaningful change in the world must happen by working within this system.

I’ve particularly enjoyed charting the progress made by the girls’ Varsity basketball team this winter.  Though we started off to a 2-5 record, we bounced back nicely and have won our last five games and seven of our last eight.  The team’s improved play is due to the girls’ hard work in practice, particularly their commitment to play great man-to-man defense.  Everyone on the team has made huge strides as a player, especially those with the least experience coming into the season.  The seasoned veterans have provided terrific leadership, and we’re ready to take on our first-round opponent in the CIF playoffs on Thursday.

We frequently talk about how the Thacher bubble cuts us off from what’s happening in the rest of the world.  The thickness of this bubble seems to increase during the latter part of each trimester, as the build-up of tests, projects, and exams causes us all to become even more inward looking.

Despite this tendency, nine Thacher students broke out of the bubble last weekend, taking part in the UCLA Model UN conference.  While most of the other “delegates” were taking a class at their respective schools to prepare for the conference, our students participated without the benefit of much preparation or guidance from a well-informed and experienced advisor.  Nonetheless, all nine reported that it was a very positive experience.  One junior said: “Though at first I didn’t know what was going on because I hadn’t had much time to prepare, nor was I familiar with the terminology being used within the committee, I quickly adapted to the situation.  I felt that Thacher classes prepare us well for this type of situation by making us think on the fly and adjust to new and ever-changing assignments.”

I was quite proud of the kids’ efforts.  They could have easily been intimidated by the level of knowledge and expertise of the other students, but instead they observed what was happening and found opportunities to participate and advance their own ideas.  Considering how busy they all were with end-of-term assessments, I was amazed by their ability and willingness to commit to two full days at UCLA representing Malaysia and debating some of the most urgent issues facing today’s world.

As I continue to reflect upon and make sense of the recent week-long Thacher trip to Japan and China, I’ve thought a great deal about why so many Chinese students want to study in the US.  Recent articles in the New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education, along with a story on NPR, document the growing number of Chinese students who are seeking access to the American political system.

While I was in China, I often wondered: what is it that we have that these students want?  Clearly, many Chinese secondary schools do a wonderful job of training their students, especially in preparation for the demanding and rigorous college entrance exams.  As a result, the Chinese educational system–I was told–fine-tunes students’ abilities to master a wide range of information.  As strong as the Chinese system is, however, many people with whom we met informed us that Chinese schools focus too much on entrance tests, causing many students to struggle to develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Coincidentally, while I was in China, I asked my AP Government students to imagine that they worked for a political consulting agency that one of the underdog Republican presidential candidates had contacted for help on his or her campaign.  The students were then charged with the tasks of creating a pamphlet to be handed out political rallies, a catchy sign with a slogan, and a minute-long ad extolling their respective candidate’s strengths.  To my pleasure, student began by “mastering” information, learning about the candidates’ backgrounds, views and positions, and strengths.  Then, they set to work “creating.”  While they didn’t finish the project having memorized the Republican presidential candidates from the last sixty years, the final product required them not only to use their “creative” abilities but to employ real-world skills.  I’ve been so proud of what the students created that I’m tempted to get in touch with some of the candidates who are in most need of help.

I’m quite sure that Chinese students and their families hope for more from American high schools and universities than simply a chance to engage in creative learning.  Indeed, the opportunity to learn English, experience life in another culture, and receive an “American education” are certainly some of the prizes.  But I also believe that when we unleash the best of our pedagogical practices and teaching styles, we export a home-grown product that is in high demand in other parts of the world.

This is the longest day of my life.  Literally, it is.  I left Shanghai this morning (11/7) at 9am, switched planes in Tokyo at 2 pm, arrived to LAX at 7:30 am, attended assembly at 10:45, taught classes from 12:15-1:45, prepped, picked up my kids, went to formal dinner at 6:15, attended a faculty meeting from 7 to 8:30, visited with advisees, discussed the day with Susannah (wife), and am now writing my first blog at 10:21.  Yes, crossing the international dateline explains the surreal nature of such a day, but the inspiration and experiences gained from my recent trip to Japan and China explain the burst of energy that I feel to record some of my thoughts.

Though I will most certainly provide a more in-depth description of my travels with Head of School Michael Mulligan, Chair of the Board of Trustees Andrew Shakman, trustee David Chao, Head of Admissions Bill McMahon, Dean of Students Sabina McMahon, and Thacher parents in Tokyo and Beijing, I do want to take a moment before fatigue overwhelms me to post some reactions to our trip to Asia.

1.  I was struck by the order and stability in Japanese society.  Only nine months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami, I saw no indications in Tokyo and places to the south that the people of Japan had endured such a catastrophe.

2.  The pace of change in China was stunning.  We visited parts of Beijing filled with modern buildings housing  hi-tech companies that fifteen years ago consisted of empty fields.  The choked streets and smog suggest that the city hasn’t fully managed how to keep up with the change, but the energy and dynamism expressed by the people we met point to what a special moment this is in human history as a nation is being transformed before our eyes.  The skyscrapers in Shanghai–all constructed after 1996–further emphasize the dizzying pace of change taking place throughout China.

3.  The demand for education in China is inspiring.  At two of the receptions, prospective students and their families had travelled from afar hoping to hear about the Thacher magic.  We talked to various Chinese people who praised the innovations of the American educational system, and our ability to teach our students how to think, not what to think.  We might be buying products manufactured in China, but plenty of Chinese believe that our educational export is as good as any in the world.

4.  The support from our hosts in Tokyo and Beijing was extraordinary.  Not only did David Chao, Eric & Alice Xu, and Hong Chen ensure that we tasted the finest dishes in Chinese cuisine, but they arranged a variety of meetings and encounters with Chinese citizens that provided us with a multiplicity of invaluable perspectives.  This wasn’t just a trip to Japan and China; it was a total immersion into the history and cultures of east Asia.  These three individuals conveyed a generosity and hospitality that I’ve rarely, if ever, experienced.  I will forever be indebted to them.

5.  I return from Asia ready to think about how this trip can transform the visions and experiences of our students and teachers.  How can our curriculum re-orient itself to adjust to east Asia and the ever-changing world?  What skills and knowledge will our students need to succeed and survive in the twenty-first century?  How can we set up programs so that our students can experience life in Japan, China, and other countries?  How can we ensure that our teachers have access to seeing first-hand some of the incredible changes taking place in Asia.

I could continue, but something’s telling me that I should pay attention to sleep.  Instead, here are a few pictures:

[Show as slideshow]