An interview with Justine O’Grady, Director of Curriculum at Maple Bear Global Schools. This interview was conducted by the largest economic media outlet in Bulgaria as part of their annual education edition.
The children sitting in classrooms today will enter a workforce shaped by artificial intelligence, global collaboration, and entirely new industries. Preparing them for that future requires a different kind of education — one that develops not only knowledge, but also creativity, adaptability, and resilience. This vision sits at the heart of Maple Bear’s updated global curriculum, launched in 2025.
Maple Bear schools follow the national educational curriculum while also implementing innovative Canadian teaching methods and bilingual education — through the national curriculum requirements, as well as in English, following Maple Bear’s Canadian educational program. Students graduate with two diplomas: their national credential and a Canadian qualification.
To better understand the philosophy behind this approach, we spoke with Justine O’Grady, Director of Curriculum at Maple Bear Global Schools.
Key Takeaways:
- Maple Bear’s updated curriculum (2025) was developed by a team of over 30 curriculum experts, grounded in Canadian provincial frameworks and the latest international educational research
- The balance between direct instruction and inquiry-based learning is central to effective teaching — supported by John Hattie’s Visible Learning, a synthesis of over 1,500 meta-analyses
Maple Bear’s approach to mathematics builds deep understanding, not memorised procedures — students explain their reasoning, compare strategies, and connect maths to real-world contexts - The MYMapleBear platform bridges school and home — digital and printed materials support learning both in the classroom and beyond
- The OSSD diploma is recognised by leading universities worldwide on a par with IB and A-Levels — and 70% of the final grade is based on continuous assessment, not a single exam
- “Future-readiness” means specific competencies: curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, and resilience — developed from the earliest years of schooling
Q: Maple Bear recently launched an updated global curriculum. What inspired this update?
Education is constantly evolving, just like the world our students are growing up in. Maple Bear now serves more than 72,000 students across 39 countries in 500 schools, and with such a diverse global community, it is essential that our curriculum reflects both strong academic standards and the realities of multilingual, multicultural learning environments.
The updated curriculum builds on decades of Canadian educational best practices alongside the latest pedagogical research. Our goal was to strengthen academic rigour while ensuring that students develop the competencies needed for the future — curiosity, adaptability, collaboration, and critical thinking.
At the same time, the curriculum was designed to remain flexible enough to support students with different levels of English proficiency, as well as teachers with diverse professional backgrounds across our global network — ensuring that high-quality learning can happen in every Maple Bear classroom around the world.
Q: How was the updated curriculum developed, and what key principles guided its design?
The development process was very intentional and research-driven. Maple Bear’s curriculum team of more than 30 curriculum writers drew on Canadian provincial frameworks, international educational research, and decades of classroom experience from Canadian educators working within the Maple Bear network.
One of the most important principles in the design was balancing two complementary instructional approaches: direct instruction and inquiry-based learning. Different subjects require different instructional strategies:
• Mathematics and Science integrate inquiry-based learning throughout the programme, encouraging students to investigate concepts, test ideas, and develop problem-solving skills
• English Language Arts (ELA) uses more direct instruction in the early years to build foundational literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and writing — with inquiry introduced gradually, once students have the linguistic tools to engage with it successfully
Research increasingly shows that direct instruction and inquiry-based learning are most effective when used together — with explicit teaching providing the scaffolding that enables students to engage in deeper inquiry.
Q: What does inquiry-based learning look like in practice in Maple Bear classrooms?
Inquiry-based learning exists on a spectrum. At one end, there is structured inquiry, where the teacher guides the investigation. At the other end, there is open inquiry, where students independently design and explore questions.
In Maple Bear classrooms — particularly in Grades 1 to 3 — teachers intentionally use structured inquiry. In practice, this means that teachers carefully design learning experiences where students investigate ideas, ask questions, and test their thinking, while still receiving clear guidance and support. This approach is informed by large-scale educational research, including John Hattie’s Visible Learning, which synthesises more than 1,500 meta-studies on effective teaching practices.
As students gain stronger language and cognitive skills, teachers gradually introduce more open and independent forms of inquiry.
Q: Mathematics is often taught very traditionally in many schools. What makes the Maple Bear approach different?
In many traditional programmes, students are expected to memorise procedures and apply formulas without always understanding the underlying concepts. At Maple Bear, our approach is different. We focus on helping students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts rather than simply learning steps to solve problems.
In practice, this means:
• Students explore mathematical ideas through discussion, problem-solving, hands-on activities, and real-world connections
• Teachers guide students to explain their reasoning, compare strategies, and reflect on their thinking
• Students learn to represent mathematical ideas in multiple ways — using models, visual representations, symbols, and words — building flexible problem-solving skills
Our goal is not only for students to learn mathematics, but to think mathematically — to approach problems with curiosity, persistence, and the confidence that they can find solutions.
Q: What does a typical learning experience look like in a Maple Bear classroom — and beyond?
A typical learning experience combines storytelling, discussion, collaborative work, movement, and hands-on exploration. Students are actively involved in the learning process rather than passively receiving information. This approach supports both academic learning and broader developmental goals such as confidence, collaboration, creativity, and communication.
A key element that supports student learning beyond the classroom is the MYMapleBear platform, which provides both digital and printed learning resources. Teachers use these materials in the classroom, and families can access them at home.
Regular reading in English at home plays a critical role in language acquisition. Even a short period of daily reading can significantly accelerate a child’s development in an immersion environment. The digital resources available through MYMapleBear make it easier for families to support this daily reading habit and strengthen the connection between school and home.
Q: You mentioned the MYMapleBear platform — could you tell us more about how it supports students over time?
The Maple Bear learning journey is designed as a continuous academic pathway — from early childhood through to secondary school — that ultimately prepares students for their post-secondary destinations.
From the earliest years, the Maple Bear curriculum builds the core competencies that are essential for long-term success:
• Strong literacy and numeracy foundations
• Inquiry-based thinking and critical analysis
• Collaboration and independent learning
The MYMapleBear platform supports this journey through a digital ecosystem connecting students, teachers, and families to the learning process. Together with the Student Learning Materials (SLM) used in classrooms, it creates a coherent learning pathway — gradually preparing students for the academic expectations, responsibility, and independent learning required for lifelong success.
Q: Maple Bear high schools offer a dual diploma — the local diploma and the OSSD. What is the OSSD and what does it offer students?
OSSD stands for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma — the official secondary school diploma issued in Ontario, Canada. It is among the most internationally respected academic qualifications in the world.
Although the OSSD is not widely known among the general public in Central and Eastern Europe, it is highly respected by universities worldwide and is recognised and accepted by top institutions on a par with other well-known qualifications such as the IB and A-Levels. Maple Bear students are officially registered within the Ontario education system as Canadian high school students, meaning their academic programme follows Ontario curriculum standards.
Key features of the OSSD:
• 70% of the final grade is based on continuous assessment — assignments, projects, presentations, and class observations — not a single high-stakes exam
• Students can apply to universities using completed credits, rather than relying on predicted grades
• Flexible, student-centred structure — students select courses aligned with their strengths, interests, and future goals, while meeting rigorous academic requirements
• The diploma reflects the same educational philosophy that underpins the Maple Bear approach: critical thinking, inquiry-based learning, and the development of well-rounded, independent learners
Q: The term “future-ready learners” is often used in education. What does it mean in the Maple Bear context?
Being future-ready does not mean accelerating academic content or pushing students beyond their developmental stage. It means developing the skills that allow students to adapt, think critically, and solve problems in a complex and rapidly changing world.
At Maple Bear, we focus on building specific competencies:
• Curiosity and inquiry — students learn to ask meaningful questions and explore ideas
• Creativity and problem-solving — testing ideas and finding original solutions
• Communication and collaboration — working effectively with others and expressing ideas clearly
• Adaptability and resilience — approaching challenges with confidence
These capabilities begin developing in the earliest years and continue to grow throughout a student’s learning journey — preparing students not only for academic success, but to navigate new challenges and opportunities in the future, whatever form they take.
Q: What message would you like to share with schools and families joining the Maple Bear community?
At Maple Bear, our focus is on student success and well-being. Our trainers and academic coaches regularly visit schools around the world, providing on-site support, mentoring, and guidance to teaching teams. The Maple Bear Academy offers teachers continuous access to professional learning resources, allowing them to further develop their practice at any time.
For families, Maple Bear offers the reassurance that their children are part of a globally connected education network built on Canadian best practices. Parents can feel confident that their children are receiving a balanced education that supports both strong academic foundations and the development of essential life skills: critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience.
Our mission is simple: we want every student to leave a Maple Bear classroom being knowledgeable, confident, curious, and ready to engage with the world. Because preparing students for the future begins with supporting the whole child — today.
Summary
The education of the future is not about covering more content at a faster pace. It is about building the competencies that will allow children to thrive in a world we cannot yet fully imagine.
Maple Bear’s updated 2025 curriculum meets this challenge concretely: it balances direct instruction with inquiry-based learning, teaches mathematics as a way of thinking rather than a set of procedures to memorise, connects school and home through the MYMapleBear platform, and offers secondary school students the OSSD diploma — recognised by the world’s leading universities.
This is education built on Canadian pedagogy — tested across 500 schools in 39 countries — and adapted to the local system. One school, two diplomas. Strong academic foundations and skills for life.
Maple Bear in Poland
Maple Bear schools operate in Poland in three cities: Katowice, Wrocław, and Kraków. Each school delivers the Polish national curriculum alongside the Maple Bear Canadian educational programme — in a full English-language immersion environment. This brings concrete benefits for students and families:
• Full language immersion — English is not a subject but the language of everyday learning and communication
• Dual diploma — Polish and Canadian credentials, without leaving either system
• Canadian pedagogy — inquiry-based learning, formative assessment, positive discipline
• Double-verified teachers — every teacher passes both the school’s and Maple Bear’s central recruitment process, followed by training delivered by Canadian trainers
• Small groups, two teachers per classroom — individual attention for every child
• Global expertise, local context — access to the know-how of a 500+ school network, with full respect for the Polish educational system
Maple Bear in Poland is a school that grows with the child — from kindergarten through primary school.
The best of Canadian education for a global future.
About the author
Justine O’Grady is Director of Curriculum at Maple Bear Global Schools. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University. She has over 34 years of experience in education, as a science, biology, and chemistry teacher and school administrator.
Justine holds a Certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation from Conrad Grebel University and a Certificate in Instructional Rounds practices from Harvard University. Her key areas of expertise include curriculum development, school improvement planning, and a deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.