At International School, teachers work with students continually, throughout the school year. Students receive concrete tasks from their teachers and are engaged in specifically designed educational activities and cooperation with the other students. Each student has a mentor that helps with advice, providing emotional support and academic authority. Teachers pay attention to each student individually, either to discover and nourish their talents or provide support in the learning process. Combining individual, team and mentor approaches to learning has proven to yield best results.

Therefore, the teaching process in the General Education Department within the National Programme is organised in such a way that the professors can get to know each of the students well, devote themselves to each of them, and discover their talents or possible difficulties they may have in the learning process.

International School has opted for a modern approach, recognising digital literacy as a competence sine qua non of the 21st century. Electronic learning over the internet (aka: online learning, e-learning) provides numerous opportunities to students in terms of development of their knowledge and skills, which are adapted to their age and needs. In the modern, fast-paced world, it is important to acquire not only theoretical but also practical knowledge. This understanding has prompted us to adapt our teaching approach to the contemporary learning styles, while insisting on cultural, creative and physical engagement of our students. Thus, with the International School secondary school certificate, our students can further their education at any tertiary education programme, both in Serbia and abroad, fully prepared to face the academic challenges.

Contemporary approach to teaching methodology

• Teaching with state-of-the-art video and audio teaching aids
• Interactive whiteboards and tablets in use daily
• Availability of an online learning option, using our virtual learning environment (VLE) and Android apps
• Interactive approach to teaching
• Problem-solving and interdisciplinary learning
• Critical thinking and research skills
• Progress aligned with the “zone of proximal development”
• Student performance aligned with the academic standards
• Enhanced cooperation among students
• Students are motivated to study self-reliantly through research and fact-finding
• Synchronous and asynchronous communication with teachers and other students
• Electronic diary available both to students and parents
• Three-month progression report cards
• One-to-one parent-teacher meetings

Contemporary approach to teaching material

• Teaching material is organised following a hierarchy based on the curriculum in terms of themes, topics and units
• Teaching material is organised from known to unknown, from theoretical to practical and from easier to more comprehensive
• At the beginning of each theme, learning objectives and outputs are defined clearly along with the activities planned for each unit
• Lesson planning is carried out with the view to applying strategies for grabbing students’ attention and perception
• Materials are adapted to students’ various learning styles and prior knowledge, while being accommodated in the students’ learning context
• At the end of each theme, there is a theme task, which activates students’ knowledge and encourages them to apply personal experiences while developing a problem-solving strategy
• There’s teacher’s feedback on student’s progression after every theme task, which provides an opportunity for self-evaluation and understanding of each student’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as a suggested strategy for improvement
• The learning process is regarded as highly contextual and personal, yet shared with the learning community