“Real success requires respect for and faithfulness to the highest human values-honesty,integrity, self-discipline, dignity, compassion, humility, courage, personal responsibility, courtesy, and human service.”
– Dr. Michael E. DeBakey
Built from the legacy established by Dr. DeBakey, renowned heart surgeon, we at Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar believe that students can only achieve their fullest potential by taking a whole-child approach to education, where every student succeeds. Without respect and responsibility, knowledge and scholarship are nurtured in vain. To ensure success in the classroom, we focus on engaging student-centered instruction, rigorous and consistent assessment, and a collaborative approach to continuous improvement. This focus is then combined with an emphasis on character development and social responsibility, all of which results in students who are prepared and inspired to compete in a global world.
Teaching
We believe teaching should inspire and engage. Relying on a standards-based curriculum aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), DeBakey-Qatar values and implements engaging instruction that is differentiated by student readiness, ability, and interest. Each class includes a balanced blend of carefully scaffolded lessons that include direct instruction, modeling, guided practice, and independent practice and are centered around students engaging directly with the content and with each other.
Collaboration
Just as we believe that students can learn from each other, we also believe that, as educators, we can all learn from one another. As professional learning communities, teachers and administrators meet regularly to analyze student work, research best practices, and follow through with implementing instructional strategies aligned to the needs of our students.
Measuring Learning
To ensure DeBakey students are prepared academically for post-secondary education, we rigorously assess for success. In addition to administering school-wide semester exams that mirror the scope and tone of college assessments, our courses also include a range of summative and formative assessments to help students and teachers measure learning progress. These are all balanced by a set of external assessments that are both norm referenced and college-preparatory.
Character Development
While respect and responsibility are weaved into regular classroom practice, we also explicitly focus on creating a safe, caring environment through character development and responsibility. We believe in positive reinforcement, rather than punitive measures, and practice a proactive approach to teaching responsibility. All students are required to complete 100 hours of community service and are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities. Students in health science classes are also required to complete “practicals” in clinical settings and advanced health science students must further get hands-on clinical experience through 8-week “rotations”.
DeBakey Values
Dr. DeBakey exemplified the characteristics of hard-work, responsibility and innovation that we also expect our students to have. At DeBakey-Qatar, we strive to grow both the brain and the heart by embodying the DeBakey values that include:
- Trustworthiness
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Compassion
- Citizenship
- Honesty
- Scholarship
- Cooperation
Through this, we expect all students can reach their fullest potential to succeed in a 21st century, global world.