Vision & Philosophy
Mission
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Our commitment at Marian Baker School is to provide a nurturing community which fosters moral integrity and inspires a life long love of learning. We challenge our students to strive for academic excellence, solve problems constructively and to make responsible decisions. In a multi-cultural environment, we encourage them to be proud of their own culture, appreciative of other's and determined to work together for the welfare of all.
Philosophy
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Marian Baker School (MBS) is an International English speaking school educating preschool through high school students. MBS is fully accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The school offers a United States and a Costa Rican based curriculum, to prepare students for colleges and universities in the United States and Costa Rica, as well as other countries.
MBS recognizes each individual as having infinite possibilities of success. In small, student-centered classes, teachers address individual needs. The emphasis is the acquisition of critical thinking skills, to promote high academic and creative achievement. The goal is to help students become lifelong passionate learners who are concerned and responsible participants in their communities.
MBS provides an atmosphere that fosters a love of learning. The school recruits an international staff who reflects its philosophy and serves as positive role models for the students. Teachers employ a variety of strategies to stimulate active and engaging learning and to reach the whole student. MBS ensures opportunities for teachers to grow and to develop professionally.
To successfully educate the “total” person, the staff works with the student’s family. The parents’ understanding of school programs and the educational process is vital to the development and emotional well being of the student.
MBS encourages the involvement and participation of the parents’ association.
Marian Baker School was founded in 1984 as a privately owned K-12 school. The grounds were part of a dairy farm purchased by the Bakers shortly after their arrival in Costa Rica in the early 1960's. The school began with only 50 students and has grown to the present size of approximately 200 students. It was founded by the Bakers to serve the educational needs of children without discrimination of race, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. At present, the school's facilities are adequate for a capacity of 250 students. It is a coed school adhering closely to a United States curriculum. Mrs. Baker's original "Philosophy of Education" and "Philosophy of Teaching" are found below.
My Philosophy of Education by Marian Baker
"A well developed imagination is founded upon culture and exploration."
What kind of people should teach? Only those who regard teaching as a great privilege, a great trust, and a great joy. Only those whom seeing the wonderful light of understanding on a child’s face is one of the greatest rewards of life. Only these people should teach. No school is good for children unless it is a child-centered school. The child’s needs always come first in my opinion. Here at MBS we sometimes resemble a clinic. When a child has a problem, his teachers, and the principals, and I get together and discuss every aspect of the problem, trying to find the causes and the cures. We often invite the parents to such consultations. Just buying beautiful new books is not enough. The subject matter in books is not meaningful to a child unless he can relate it to his own experience. Therefore, we must always bear in mind the maxim that children learn by doing – as do we all. It does no good to just talk, talk, talk. Children turn you off. They need to dramatize, to experiment, and actually experience as many concepts as possible. We all learn by doing. Teachers must never become so absorbed in teaching a subject, that they forget that they are teaching children. They must always remember that nothing succeeds like success. If a child has a pleasurable learning experience, he will want to repeat it. Children respond to sincerity, genuineness, and goodness. They resent and see through a false front with the speed of light. Honesty in all aspects of teaching, as in life, is a basic ingredient. Humor is also a basic ingredient. It lightens the load if we laugh with children – but never at them. For better or worse, it is the teacher who sets the example. You cannot say to a child, in effect, do as I say, not as I do. There is an old saying – “What you are speaks so loud, I cannot hear what you say.”
My Philosophy of Teaching by Marian Baker
A good teacher sees no chafe against being a good example if he or she really loves children and teaching. A good school helps children develop seven basic skills:
IMAGINATION – A well developed imagination is founded upon culture and exploration.
CREATIVE THINKING – This comes from the development of memory, attention, concentration, logic, clarity, originality.
OBSERVATION – This is the ability to put observation in order and to appreciate patterns and relationships.
COOPERATION – This is the ability to labor for the joy of it and to do so in harmony with others. It involves all the communication skills.
DISCRIMINATION – This is the ability to distinguish between and detect subtle differences.
ETHICS – This includes self-esteem, mutual respect, and individual responsibility.
A SENSE OF BEAUTY – This leads to appreciation of beauty in all its forms and makes for a greatly enriched life. (Seeing rainbows in a soap bubble) If an education cannot inculcate these values, it is not an education for life and living. For teachers and students – remember! |
