Reflections from a lifetime at BHS BHS Miletones
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n Tina Harris ’85, having spent most her life at BHS, as student and member of the faculty, is uniquely positioned to look both forward and backward at the school. In June this year, BHS will bid a fond farewell to its Primary teacher (1993-2002) and Head of Primary (2003-2019), as she retires from the school and pursues a new venture that will provide educational services to families.
Torchbearer asked Ms Harris to share the insights, lessons and favourite moments from her time at BHS.
Torchbearer: How have expectations and ambitions changed for girls entering BHS today compared to when you entered the School? Ms Harris: The BHS of today is more student centred than when I attended. I see teachers and students working together, laughing together and engaging with each through shared experiences. There is a more personal approach. I believe that BHS always had high expectations and ambitions for its students, however, today, we offer a wide variety of options and experiences for students to pursue, counsel them in their choices of subjects, programmes and tertiary education and open the world of possibilities to them.
TB: What is your main takeaway about BHS and its role in education in Bermuda? Ms Harris: BHS has remained true to its beginnings by continuing to offer a single sex education to girls up to Year 11. While we maintain high academic standards, it is my belief that we also create an environment where all students are given the opportunity to be successful in their area(s) of interest, whether it is sports, music, drama, art or another field.
Some of our alumni are doing amazing things with their lives providing us with a plethora of role models for our students. It is through these role models that we are able to demonstrate that the education we are providing the girls will allow them to pursue their dreams - and that they can dream BIG! TB: Describe the rewards of being in the classroom and the Head of Primary. Ms Harris: In the classroom I enjoyed
10 Torchbearer Spring 2018
Global Impact: BHS Students who attended the UNIS-UN Conference were able to attend the Global Assembly at the UN Building in New York, which left a lasting impression on their perspective of global decision-making.
getting to know the different students and developing their knowledge, skills and understanding. It was rewarding to see the “Ah-ha” moments. Researching and developing materials for lessons and finding different ways to teach something was also stimulating and engaging. In the latter years in Year 6, I specialised in teaching Math. This gave me the opportunity to focus on one subject area and become more of an “expert” (although I will use that term loosely). This is an area that I still enjoy working in when I get the opportunity. Head of Primary has also been stimulating. I have been able to hone my strengths, and to develop new ones. Curriculum development has been one of my favourite areas to work on. I had a
complete picture of the curriculum and over the years have worked closely with all of the year groups to develop their specific areas.
One of the biggest differences between the two roles is the uncertainty of each day. In the classroom, I had my timetable, and for the most part, the day was scheduled. As Head of Primary, I have had to be ready for any eventuality, and be able to shift gears at a moment’s notice; one minute I can be working on schedules or observations, and the next be called upon to help sort out an issue. Being flexible and quick thinking is often necessary.
TB: What are you most proud of from your time at BHS? Ms Harris: There are several things that I am proud of, however, most recently I
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