Self-reflection on Module 1 (IB PD)
- how is my understanding of PYP principles and practices evolving?
From the first day of working in IB school I was lost in professional terms and principles of work. Inquiry-based teaching is something completely different from what I got used to in my 13 years of working as a teacher. New techniques, new professional language, new philosophy of education. It took me quite some time to understand how it all works - the five essential elements of IB (Learner Profiles, Key Concepts, Transdisciplinary themes, IB Attitudes and Transdisciplinary Skills).
Now I can say that I started to see the picture. I started to understand how to work in the framework of IB curriculum.
Every time I teach I rack my brain in order to create atmosphere of inquiry, at the same time keeping in mind to use the IB language and really make all 5 elements work.
- in what ways can I apply learning from this workshop in my own learning and teaching?
At this stage I can only say that reading posts of other participants help me to look at some issues that IB teachers have differently. The forum helps me to connect with my frustrations in teaching and find possible solutions or to get inspired and find new ways by myself with the help of someone else's posts.
- how is agency supported and nurtured through this workshop?
Advice from colleges provide support and better understanding of issues. New ideas and experience of other teachers plays big role.
- how am I developing international-mindedness in my students?
Te fact itself that the school is international helps students to see that there are many students from different cultures, with different backgrounds and languages. It makes them be more caring and better communicators, risk-takers and inquirers. Children are curious by nature and I try to guide them through developing international-mindedness by:
- reading books about different countries and cultures
- teaching them the most interesting things about cultures like celebrations and songs
- organizing parents to take part in trying food from different countries
- learning about nations and different interesting places around the world
- organizing virtual trips to places they have never seen before to show diversity of our world
- how do I get the learning of language to encompass being international minded?
Learning the language gets students to have new points of view on a subject, it makes them compare and come up with new angles on things that surround them in school life, at home and when they go abroad. When students understand the language together it unites them and connects them to such Learner Profile as Communicator.
- how am I embedding the learner profile into learning and teaching?
Every classroom has got posters of LP and other elements of IB philosophy, so I try to connect my activities to this or that LP as I go along with my teaching PSPE. I find it very useful and helpful to refer to LP Attributes in every class as there is always a situation when I can do it during my classes. We also have this ongoing activity at school where we award students with being one of the LP every other week. We give out button pins to encourage students to refer to LP and use the IB language more often and not to forget about the school culture that makes us all better people.
- how am I encouraging students to engage with local and global issues and challenges?
Through Learner Profiles and IB Attitudes. Every question, every act can be connected to LP and Attitudes. If there is an inquiry about saving the environment for example I start with small problems and with time we get to global significance problem so students can see that everything is connected and we should start with getting better from ourselves to grow into people who can make changes on the global scale.