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Secondary Teaching

Our teachers possess the subject matter expertise and passion to inspire and empower their students to reach their full potential.

All secondary courses at BASIS Independent Schools are taught by Subject Expert Teachers (SETs), educators with work experience or advanced degrees in the discipline they teach. Their enthusiasm, depth of knowledge, and real life expertise brings the subject matter to life, inspiring students to embrace challenges, understand practical application of skills and content, and learn at the highest international levels.

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The Curriculum

Our High School curriculum builds off the foundation of content and skills learned in middle school and offers students a diverse course of study that is unmatched in breadth and depth. By the time they reach Grade 9, students are ready for AP courses, a key, required component of the curriculum. Externally measured and validated by the College Board, these courses allow students to study college-level work in high school. AP classes are available starting in Grade 9 at our school, and because of the acceleration of our program, most students complete their AP courses requirements during their first three years in high school.

Subjects covered in our secondary school include sciences (with biology, chemistry, and physics beginning in middle school), mathematics, English, humanities, visual and performing arts, physical education, and college counseling.

Our Teaching Values

Subject Matter Expertise & Passion Are Key

We believe academic degrees or experience in disciplines taught - whether calculus or beginning Mandarin - and passion for that subject are the most important tools for inspiring deep content understanding in students.

While some new faculty members have been teaching for years, other aspiring teachers come from non-traditional backgrounds. However different their route into the classroom may be, expertise and passion are the unmistakable common denominator among all our teachers.

We hire teachers who are committed to sharing their expertise and helping students become the best versions of themselves. All final teaching candidates are invited to conduct a Teacher Demo, where our candidates are given the opportunity to teach a lesson, challenge students, show their subject expertise, as well as show their ability to communicate high-level subject matter to young students.

Good Teachers Learn From & Support One Another

Our teachers’ network of professional support is one of the benefits of teaching at BASIS Independent Schools. New teachers participate in a summer training institute designed to onboard and introduce new hires to the curriculum and culture of BASIS Independent Schools.

Both new and seasoned BASIS Independent teachers have professional training that takes place throughout the school year via a peer-mentoring program and collaboration with Subject Advisors, other experienced teachers, and on-site managers. Subject Advisors in particular share pedagogical best practices, brainstorm ways to optimize their approach and teaching techniques, and inspire new ways to present material that are challenging, fun, and meet learning objectives.

Teacher collaboration, whether done through formal events throughout the year or day-to-day problem solving, is an important ingredient in student success.

Autonomy + Accountability = Our Secret Sauce

The balance between autonomy in the classroom and shared accountability is what maintains academic quality control across all our campuses. We don’t hand a teacher a fully written curriculum for a course, but allow them the flexibility to develop innovative ways to meet (and exceed) our high-level standards.

Our teaching philosophy is rooted in trusting our best-in-class educators and giving them the autonomy and flexibility to do what they do best: teach!