The Spanish teacher spent many class hours with uncomfortable activities that I didn't see as helpful to my education, like salsa dancing and yoga ball exercises. I was not accommodated, as a student joining a bit later in the year, and I wasn't moved to a different Spanish class despite my requests.
Overall, I'd say the greatest issue here is that the place lacks structure. I was only here for a short while, so take my words with a grain of salt. It just felt like my teachers were improvising every class. Give the place more time to develop and it might compete with the other public schools, like Santa Fe High (which provides more classes and opportunities). To all parents reading this, do your research!
The design teacher was very welcoming and reasonable, but wasn't equipped to teach. Within a week, we were rearranging tables and repainting the walls to look more design friendly. Apparently that meant flinging random paints onto a wall for a 'creative look'. Needless to say, I learned no new skills.
The math teacher was experienced, but kept flexing his math muscles and putting down poor performing students. Odd, but not wholly damning.
The other faculty, the science and history teachers, were great. But another problem I noticed was bullying, especially among the middle-schoolers. While this alternative, tight nit school sounds harmonious, it turned out to be a different story. I was picked on, although not nearly as badly as some other kids. Smaller schools force interaction between students, and while that can be a good thing, it also puts a greater responsibility on the school to make sure bullying doesn't happen, and that it isn't tolerated. They also need to ensure that students have resources to handle these issues.
I attended this school a few years ago, and I had to leave almost immediately. The IB curriculum seems to excuse this school from the same standards of other schools, and it took its toll on my learning experience.
If you want to succeed and get as much knowledge as possible come to Mandela
My music teacher was one of 'those' teachers. She punished students for so much as breathing. In one practice, I was handed sheet music to read. Then, I was expected to play it while looking at her, having only seen the sheet once. I glanced at it, then looked up. She mistook my mishap for defiance, and sent to me the principal. Very frustrating.
Hate it
Mandela International Magnet School is a US School based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mandela International Magnet School is located at 1604 Agua Fria St, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA.
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