Meet the Head of Middle School

Tico Oms

Tico Oms believes the role of middle school educators is to set students up for success for the rest of their lives. “We have to help them develop their belief in themselves and a feeling of confidence,” he says. “We have to give them a sense of independence, some agency over the world around them, and some choice in their life.”

Tico’s experience in middle school education includes leadership roles at the International School Basel in Switzerland, International School Bangkok, and Singapore American School. He has also taught in Germany, Japan, and the U.S. Of his work with students across multiple continents and cultures, he sees commonalities in the way children learn and develop; “Kids are kids everywhere,” he says. Read more about Tico’s experience as an educator and administrator.

“There are layers to what we want to teach middle school kids,” Tico says. “Content knowledge is important, but also skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. We also want dispositions, such as empathy, determination, and integrity. But first and foremost, we’re trying to create good human beings. We want to graduate caring global citizens who in the future have both the skills and the desire to make the world a better place.”