Giovanna Crisante on the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate

What is your role in Lemania and how do you see it?

I have been coordinator of the International Baccalaureate since the academic year 2018-2019. I make sure the program runs smoothly. I strive to improve the quality of teaching in the IB Diploma Program in performance, fostering dialogue between students, teachers and parents.

A general feature of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme that you particularly like?

When I think of the IB Diploma Programme, the first word coming into my mind is: open-mindedness! The programme is structured in a way that students understand and appreciate their own cultures, roots and experiences, while remaining receptive to the views, values ​​and traditions of other people and communities. This openness not only affects the cultural and / or community aspect, but also the ability to analyze a specific problem or topic from several points of view.

What is your plan for the IB in Lemania?

I am careful to open the program to long-term collaborations that bring the air of the world into the school. We have started collaboration with Business School Lausanne to make students understand the practical and real aspect of what they are studying in business management and economics. I also intend to establish collaborations with the Red Cross or other associations to develop the empathy and generosity of IB students.

How do you recognize a student (s) made for the IBDP?

All students can choose an IB Diploma program if they are ambitious, curious, consistent and rigorous.

Final exams: the best or the worst part of the program?

Our teachers prepare students for exams to the best of their abilities.
In the second year we try to finish the syllabi at least one month before the start of the official exams, in order to simulate the exams every day so that the students are perfectly prepared. Unfortunately, exams are still every student’s nightmare. I still remember, many years later, my Diploma exams.

What is the added value of the IB in Lemania?

The added value of the IB Diploma Program at Lémania School is given by the teachers: most of them have a doctorate and ten years or more teaching experience.

They attach great importance to remaining available and flexible, to adapt their teaching approach to the needs of each student. At the Lemania School, students are not considered as numbers, but as individuals with their experiences, emotions, desires and needs. Our students’ opinions matter! This is why we have set up a teacher evaluation questionnaire. Our students are free to express their beliefs. We see the student as the main protagonist of the school. In return, we ask them to ensure that they respect their teachers and their classmates.

An additional value of our school is its location, right in the city center. This allows us to do a lot of cultural activities, but also leisure activities like concerts, exhibitions, festivals. We provide our students with the tools to work, but also to have fun.

Why is an interview useful for interested pupils and parents?

Firstly, to get an idea of ​​the student’s personality and to understand whether our program meets their expectations and the expectations of their parents. Secondly, to guide students in choosing the subjects that could be more appropriate to their skills, while respecting the criteria requested by the universities they would like to integrate after graduation.