The International Boys’ Schools Coalition presented Pete Bonds, Dean of Faculty and Academics at Blue Ridge School, the 2019 IBSC Action Research Award. Over the course of the 2018-19 school year, teachers from more than 40 IBSC member Schools around the world participated in IBSC’s annual action research program by developing and executing projects related to the theme, “Boys and Stories: Pathways to Learning.” IBSC Executive Director David Armstrong calls Bonds’ project, which reconstructs stories of racial terror in early 1900s Virginia, “innovative” and “an outstanding and rigorous piece of teacher research.”
Mr. Bonds has been a history teacher at Blue Ridge School since 2010. He has been a leader in the school-wide implementation of project-based learning and provides valuable teacher evaluation and feedback to ensure continued excellence in the classroom.
He says, ”It was a thrill to be recognized by IBSC for my action research project. I have always believed that in order to make history instruction relevant for the 21st century, history teachers must make it possible for their students to actually do the kind of work that a historian does, rather than simply memorize and recite information. That’s exactly what my students did in this project, and I was thrilled to watch them develop their critical thinking skills and their ability to question primary sources, and not simply take information at face value. Through their research my students pieced together compelling, and far too often overlooked, stories from Virginia’s past. I knew their work was amazing, and I am glad IBSC thought so too! I am grateful to the IBSC for running this excellent action research program every year to highlight the innovative teaching taking place in boys’ schools across the world. Participating in it was, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding professional experiences I’ve had.”
Blue Ridge School Headmaster Trip Darrin says, “Pete Bonds is a visionary educator who poured himself into this Action Research Project. I congratulate him for winning this well-deserved honor. Pete leads by example, always searching for new ways to get through to students.”
Mr. Bonds earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and his master’s degree from James Madison University. He was presented with the award at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition annual conference in Montreal, Canada, on June 28th.
For more information, visit the IBSC.
