What is a “Learning Environment”?

A classroom is exactly what the word implies – it is a room where classes are held.

The Primary Years Program at CISS takes the concept a step further. We provide a learning environment. It is the educational equivalent to a child’s physical home. Here, students find the physical comfort, emotional support, and sense of adventure that facilitates a fun learning experience.

We collaborate on everything, from the care of the physical room, to caring for and helping along our students who are struggling. We never laugh at our differences.

Instead, we recognize, respect, and celebrate our diversity of knowledge, spirit, and talent. 

“The classroom belongs to the school, but the learning environment belongs to the class,” says Coach T.D. Cox.

In Grade 3, we are the “Thunder Tigers.” We have our own class culture, including unique customs and cheers and celebrations.

For instance, birthdays are wonderful events in the Thunder Tigers learning environment. We sing, we dance, and we congratulate our peers - who are our learning family members - on another glorious trip around the sun.

Also, every morning we offer a “toast” to the positive thoughts that each day brings.

This sense of camaraderie and teamwork is invaluable when the work becomes challenging and, sometimes, exhausting. Our learning environment offers a balance between work and play, seriousness and fun, responsibility and the carefree abandon of childhood.

There can be no greater mission in education than that of producing young people with the attributes of ideal IB Learners. However, no one says this arduous journey has to be slavish and joyless.

In a proper PYP learning environment, Love and Laughter and Learning coexists in perfect harmony!