"Our joint commitment to
apply the mutually agreed upon principles presupposes
dedication to common rules of life, continuous communication,
and the consolidation of a genuinely honest working
relationship amongst ourselves. In the classroom, a
"coommon culture" such as this transforms itself into shared
creativeness."
Markos
Kynigos
Psychico College was founded in
1980 as an elementary school headed by Markos Kynigos. From its inception,
the School has followed its own unique approach towards
education, all the while in keeping with the guiding
principles, traditions and goals of the Hellenic-American
Educational Foundation.
Markos Kynigos
strongly encouraged the creative input of students in the
learning process as well as their involvement in a variety of
extra-curricular activities. In so doing, he
ensured them every opportunity to develop their own
initiatives and to become cultured
individuals.
In 1995, the
Elementary School (Demotic) adopted the practice of
descriptive evaluations, designed by the Pedagogical
Institute, for students across all grade levels. The consistent
application of this evaluation process in the Elementary
School (and later in the Gymnasium and Lykeion) constituted an
innovation in the Greek educational system. Beginning that same
year, the Elementary School, by way of its participation in an
experimental program titled "Computers as a tool for exploring
the expression of ideas and for communication for everyone in
school," provided an entertaining and constructive environment
in which it introduced the use of modern technology to its
student while simultaneously strengthening their problem
solving skills. A
few years later, this same program was implemented in the
Gymnasium as well.
In 1999 when Psychico College 's Middle
(Gymnasium) and High (Lykeion) Schools opened their doors,
Markos Kynigos attempted to apply his pedagogical concepts to
the new upper levels. He helped teachers realize the need for a common
pedagogical approach; not implying that all teachers think and
act in the same way, but rather the need for them to agree on
the same pedagogical principles to be consistently espoused
and practiced in everyday activities. These very pedagogical
principles were, and continue to be, formulated by the
teachers themselves through constant dialogue and the frequent
exchange of ideas.
Psychico College
Lykeion was enriched in 2000 by the introduction of the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The I.B. Program was
embraced by the School; as a progressive private institution
with open and boundless horizons, it seized the opportunity to
profit from the IBO's international educational concepts and
approaches. Students in the I.B. Program follow the spirit and the
philosophy of Psychico College , regularly
participating in all School activities, events and traditions
along with their peers in the Eniaio Lykeion (Greek Ministry
program).
With the onset of
the 2003-2004 academic year, Psychico College reached
completion with the Eniaio Lykeion now offering majors in all
three tracks (science, liberal arts and
technology).
As a result of the
new dynamics, teachers across the board - from elementary
through high school - reevaluated and modified the pedagogical
line of the School in order to adapt it to its new needs. The goals on which the
School steered itself until then were discussed at length and
subsequently reformulated and
supplemented.
It was agreed that
the core objective of the School is the mastery of a diversity of intellectual skills and the upbringing of our
students, the fostering of individual aptitudes/talents
and the acquisition of high academic standards – with the
ultimate aspiration being excellence.
Within the
framework of the fundamental principles and the philosophy of Psychico College , special emphasis
is given to the cultivation of creativeness, critical thinking
skills and the students' aptitudes and talents, as well as to
the development of cultural awareness, a strong set of values
and a solid academic foundation on which to build. It is our obligation
to the provide students not only with the subject matter
required by the State, but to provide them with the skills
that will allow them to shift and evolve with society's
ever-changing needs, with technological advances and with
their own personal evolution. Thus, they will be
able to come into play even beyond the borders of our nation
and become tomorrow's citizens of the world. Our programs are
designed to cultivate research and self-motivation skills,
collaborative learning, active participation by all students,
and awareness of the inter-disciplinary nature of
knowledge.
Our students'
academic education is supplemented by a variety of
socio-political and athletic activities in which they can
participate. Noteworthy is the fact that the majority of our
students have joined the School's Clubs which convene on a
weekly basis. These Clubs reflect the students' interests and talents
and contribute to the development of their multi-faceted
personalities. Certain Clubs, such as the Model United Nations and
Forensics, have teams that regularly represent Psychico College with great
distinction in both national and international
competitions. Furthermore, field trips and excursions are also
designed to complement the students' academic studies by
sensitizing them to historical, socio-political, and
environmental issues.
In the realm of
student assessment, in addition to the standard quarterly
grading and the descriptive evaluations, students in all three
School units are assessed through the system of portfolios
(individual compilations of graded projects, tests and student
assignments).
Particular efforts
have been made to establish a continuum in the educational
development of the students vis a vis the alignment of all three School units insofar as didactic methodology,
disciplinary policies, and the organization of joint school
events. Our aim
is the moulding of a "shared pedagogical philosophy." With the establishment
of unified academic departments in the Gymnasium and Lykeion
and counterparts in the Elementary (with coordinators in the
three basics subjects: Mathematics, Language Arts and Sciences), Psychico
College strives for the most efficient collaboration between
its School units and the assuredness of uniform academic and
pedagogical policies that will, by extension, result in the
students' smooth transition from one grade level to the next
and from one School unit to the other.
The School's
Administrators have formulated a thorough yearly evaluation
tool for each educator. Having first taken into account teachers' suggestions
which were voiced during Faculty and Department Meetings, the
Directions of Psychico College and Athens College jointly composed
a "Teacher Evaluation Form." Also, Psychico College is currently
undertaking a School self-evaluation, assessing the programs
in all its School units, for the purpose of reformulating and
improving the teaching/learning process.
Great emphasis is
given to the teaching of English through an enriched syllabus
in all School units and across all levels. Special courses in the
Gymnasium, the Eniaio Lykeion and the I.B. (such as "Research
Skills", "Information Literacy" and "Academic Writing Skills
Seminar") help students develop research, thinking and writing
skills. Additionally, courses in other disciplines, such as
Geography and Psychology, are also taught in the English
language. Having
acquired the appropriate terminology and learned the general
principles in English, students are better prepared to pursue
future and more advanced studies in these
subjects.
The Computer
literacy program, too, is continuously being upgraded as a
result of the increased use of new technologies in
teaching. Computers are utilized for research purposes in a wide
range of subjects and are used as a teaching tool across many
disciplines. The
Computer program syllabus was designed and is implemented in
our School by a single, unified department of teachers that
supports all three School units. Its goal is for all
students to achieve a high standard of computer literacy so
that by the end of third Gymnasium they will be in the
position, if they so desire, to earn a certificate from Cambridge University with whom we are
associated.
Our School places
immense importance on the professional development of its
faculty, particularly as it regards teaching methodology,
professional updates, the use of new technology in the
classroom, class management and leadership skills. It, therefore,
encourages on-going learning through participation in
conferences and organizes internal educational seminars for
its faculty as well. Within this framework, it promotes collaboration with
other well-established institutions in
Greece and abroad. It is noteworthy to
mention Psychico College 's collaboration
with Cambridge University and the Education
Department of the University of Patras as well as its
on-going collaboration with Harvard University 's Graduate School
of Education. With an eye on keeping
abreast of all international developments in education,
teachers at Psychico College departmentally
studied the feasibility of applying the widely acclaimed
Finnish model of education to our programs. In fact, as a result
of our Lykeion students' participation in the PISA Exams
administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), our teachers enriched their teaching
practices with new approaches aimed at empowering students
with the knowledge and skills required for problem-solving in
everyday situations. Further evidence of the School's commitment to
professional development is the practice of exchange class
visits between the faculty. Teachers sit in on
colleagues' lessons (not necessarily from the same department)
as a means of enriching their own experiences with new ideas,
techniques and teaching methods.
It is our firm
belief that life-long learning by all members of our School
community gives rise to conditions that enable the School to
transform itself into a learning
community.
Unified Academic
Departments for Psychico College Gymnasium-Lykeion
One of the basic
goals of Psychico College is the tailoring
of a "common pedagogical philosophy," the establishment of a
continuum in the students' academic progress and the alignment
of all three School divisions with regard to didactic
methodology, discipline policies and the organization of joint
School events.
We believe that
the existence of Unified Academic Departments for the
Gymnasium-Lykeion and a corresponding structure in the Demotic
(together with the appointment of Coordinators in the three
basic subjects: Mathematics, Language Arts and Sciences)
contribute to the more efficient collaboration between the
School units as well as to the assurance of unified academic
and pedagogical School policies which for the student
translate into the smoother transition from one division to
the next.
The Unified
Academic Departments for the Gymnasium-Lykeion are as
follow:
- Ancient Greek
(comprised of teachers of both Ancient Greek and
Latin)
- Modern Greek
(teachers of Modern Greek)
- History and
Social Studies (teachers of History, Religion, Philosophy,
Law, Citizens' Rights, Economics)
- Mathematics
(teachers of Maths)
- Science
(teachers of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography,
Astronomy and Technology)
- Computer
Science
- English
- Physical
Education
- Music
In order to better
serve the School, there is both a Chairperson (Head) and a
Coordinator for each Department. Where the Chairperson
is a member of the Lykeion faculty, the Coordinator is from
the Gymnasium faculty and vice versa.
The English,
Physical Education and Music Departments are headed by
Chairpersons who preside over the faculty of all three School
divisions.
A) In order for the Chairperson to be able to
carry out the complex tasks that fall under his/her domain,
the following considerations are
foreseen:
1. That he/she teach 15 hours
per week;
2. that he/she be physically
present in school 30 hours per week (60 min/hrs). That he/she will
follow a prescribed schedule (office hours) from the onset of
the academic year during which time department colleagues can
consult with him/her as required;
3. that he/she attend all
Academic Meetings and Faculty Meetings that are held
(approximately 5-6 additional hours per
week);
4. that he/she be absolved of
patrol duty (except in unusual
circumstances);
5. that he/she receive an
allowance (bonus) for said position,
and;
6. that he/she teach in both
divisions (Gymnasium and Lykeion).
The responsibilities of the
Academic Chairperson are those outlined
below:
• To manage and coordinate all
Departmental tasks and projects.
• To call and chair weekly
Department meetings during which time topics such as the
syllabi, student evaluations, supplementary materials, new
pedagogical strategies and approaches, etc. are
discussed.
• To ascertain that all
Department members are fully abreast of the syllabi and
evaluative criteria as outlined by the
Ministry.
• To inform Department members
of Ministry updates that concern seminars, the teaching of the
syllabi, bibliography corresponding to the syllabi,
etc.
• To establish, with the
consensus of the Department members, the evaluation criteria
so that there is uniformity in student
assessment.
• To look over (and approve)
all tests, booklets and supplementary materials distributed to
the students, to check the student portfolios, to peruse and
edit as necessary all School publications that pertain to
his/her Department.
• To assist in the orientation
of new faculty members with regard to the spirit and the pace
of the School.
• To see that model lessons are
carried out, either from Department colleagues or from
externally invited guests.
• To oversee and update
Department files.
• To work alongside the
Administrators in evaluating the efficacy of the Departmental
programs as well as to assist in the preparation of the
year-end report by providing a progress report of all
Department projects and student results in the final
exams.
• To support and encourage
colleague class visits as well as to sit in on Department
members' lessons with the intent to discuss teaching
methodology and class management skills with the instructor
following said visit.
• To cooperate with all School
coordinators and authorities and be responsible for
classrooms, laboratories, libraries and other School
facilities assigned to his/her
Department.
• To be responsible for the
preparation and participation of students in School
visits/excursions, competitions, etc. that are related to
his/her Department.
• To regularly attend the
Academic Committee meetings.
• To collaborate with the
Administrators in the allocation of teaching
assignments.
• To be involved in the hiring
process of new Department faculty in the capacity of Member of
the appropriate Hiring Committee.
• To grasp the overall
philosophy of the School as it applies to all divisions
(Gymnasium, Lykeion, I.B.) and to support the interconnection
between all units and all sections of the
School.
• To set the schedule for
semester and final exams, in collaboration with other
Department Chairpersons, and to submit said schedule to the
Assistant Director.
NOTE: The Chairperson's
responsibilities may be adjusted subject to the academic needs
and idiosyncrasies of the Department.
B) In order for the Coordinator to be able to
carry out the tasks that fall under his/her domain, the
following considerations are foreseen:
1. That he receive a bonus
(allowance) for said position without a reduction in teaching
hours, and
2. that he/she be absolved from
the responsibilities of Class Advisor and those of patrol
duty.
The responsibilities of the
Coordinator are as follow:
• He/she assists the
Chairperson in fulfilling his/her duties and substitutes for
the Chairperson in his/her absence.
• He/she ensures that those
teachers/programs whom he/she coordinates are fully abreast of
the Ministry syllabi, the instructions for the teaching of
said syllabi, the bibliography accompanying said syllabi, and
seminars taking place which pertain to the those
subjects/programs.
• He/she is responsible for
looking over all tests, booklets and supplementary materials
distributed to the students and checking the student
portfolios as they pertain to the subjects that he/she
coordinates.
• He/she handles matters as
they pertain to the preparation and participation of students
in educational visits/excursions, competitions,
etc. |
