Mr. Jorge Ruiz is the Head of School of the International School of Sosua. He has been in the field of education for 20+ years. Mr. Ruiz has been a teacher in the Primary, Secondary, and University levels; as well as an administrator for Primary and Secondary. Mr. Ruiz is an educational consultant, specialized in Project-Based Learning, Professional Learning Communities, and Shared Leadership. He received the National Merit Award for Contributions to Education of the Dominican Republic in 2018. Mr. Ruiz has also hosted and served on Cognia Engagement Reviews in several countries of Latin America. Northern area of Dominican Republic - North coast of expats Less than 250 students 27 nationalities Many different points of view. Accredited by US and DR Got rid of homework and semester exams Comparison with theater and sports - it’s about the practice Pandemic changed a lot of things, let’s make it for the better! Learning gaps always exist - good we’re talking more about SEL Rebuilding relationships - sports are not as intricate piece of schooling in international school. What’s your biggest priority? 1. relationships, 2. depth of knowledge Inquiry based to cover more ground and getting the things you really need. go beyond knowing all kids’ names! So much talk about learning gaps, but we always have them How to be a transformative principal? get out of your office and go be with kids. Sponsors Transformative Principal Mastermind Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You’re pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at https://transformativeprincipal.com Just Right Reader Just Right Reader Decodables are a great way to help your students learn how to read, with research-based strategies that are proven to be effective. Each grade level has over 100 books. Send books home in packs of ten, with video lessons accessible via QR codes on each book, with lessons in Spanish and English. Learn more at https://justrightreader.com