As of beginning of January, I have started at a new practicum school which, excitedly, is in the very first stages of becoming a PYP school. And while I feel like the new kid on the block again – having to learn names, find my way around the school, and work out what the staff room etiquette is – I am particularly grateful for being able to see the IB programme at different stages, and how it works in both a public and an independent setting. What’s more, I get the added bonus of working in a different grade, with 9 more kids than my previous practicum class. In other words, a new (and possibly greater) challenge… which means a more valuable learning experience. Bonus!
Starting a brand new PYP programme from scratch, in a small but established elementary school, without a full-time PYP coordinator, must be quite the challenge. But with such caring and dedicated staff, I am glad I am able to accompany them on part of this journey. This week in our courses, we have been starting to learn about the IB Planners. In most schools, these are already set up, which teachers continuously review and alter based on the year and the needs of the classroom. Yet this got me thinking, where does a school start in transitioning to the PYP programme? Where do you go with a blank planner template?
Once accepted as a candidate school by the IBO, schools have a trial implementation of the programme which can take a couple of years to reach authorization. This includes training staff members and implementing the curriculum, which is the stage my practicum school is currently at. The below image summarizes the full process to gain authorization.
IB Authorization Process. Retrieved from http://www.ibo.org/become-an-ib-school/how-to-become-an-ib-school/
Subsequently, not only are they implementing their first Units of Inquiry, they are also combining this with trialing the new BC curriculum…. AND having teacher candidates they have to mentor?? My hope is that we can help with the process. We will likely be collaborating to help develop the planner for the next U of I, which will be great experience to create it from scratch and reflect on how it is progressing in a real educational setting. I am also hopeful that the knowledge we have gained over the last five months will be helpful during the IB planning meetings we will likely get to attend once we are at the school full-time. The next couple of weeks will be crucial, as we learn more about implementing the planner, and chat further with our SA’s in planning for our extended practicum.
Hi Gemma!
Thank you for sharing your experience at your new practicum school. This is such an exciting learning experience for you. I did not realize your school is in transition to become a PYP school. Will the be PYP Coordinator hired in the near future?
It is great to hear you will be able to collaborate with other teachers to create your planner. You will get first hand experience in starting the PYP planner from the beginning stage.
As well, you will be able to share all your wonderful IB knowledge and inquiry-based learning methods. For myself, I sometimes find it difficult to wrap my head around all the IB terminology and concepts. I think it would be extremely helpful to collaborate with other teachers and talk through the process.
Starting my practicum in a non-IB school, I was interested to see how teachers incorporate inquiry-based learning. My SA has introduced the inquiry process to my Kindergarten and grade one class by creating a wonder wall. So far, they are loving it. My SA and her colleagues collaborate on a weekly basis, always sharing resources and lessons. It helps that my school values inquiry and collaboration. I think I will learn a great deal from my school as well, it is great to see how inquiry can be implemented in a non-IB environment.
I look forward to hearing more about your practicum experience!
Amy
Thanks for your response Amy! My practicum school’s PYP Coordinator is my SA, who I believe is in that role 1-2 days a week while another teacher manages her class. So it will be interesting to see how this plays out down the road, especially when they are going through the authorization.
I think it’s also great that you get to see how inquiry works in a non-IB school… it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences, and if you have a preference by the end of your practicum. Looking forward to hearing more!
Hi Gemma,
In my last practicum school, the teachers were preparing to completely revamp their Units of Inquiry in order to be in line with the new curriculum. What a process! I think your school is lucky to have you on board to help. While I imagine that it is an exciting process to be a part of, I can’t help wondering where teachers find the time for these kind of transitions. Having seen how infrequently the teachers at my last school had scheduled collaborative time, I imagine that the teachers will be using alot of their personal time. It will be interesting to hear about how your school juggles all these new challenges and responsibilities!
Gemma, thank you for embracing change with such enthusiasm, understanding, and flexibility. I believe you can be a wonderful asset to your school advisors and students as you learn and practice IB together. I encourage you to share your PYP knowledge through discussion, collaboration, and modelling. This practicum experience should be reciprocal where you learn from your school environment and they also learn from you. As we have chatted, bring in one essential element at a time in an authentic way and then model over a few classes so that the students and teachers are having an opportunity to make meaning of it.
I am glad you looked at the process the school is going through in order to reach certification. This can be an exciting and yet grueling process for a school. We had the opportunity to host many of your school advisors yesterday as they wanted to come and learn from a school that has been implementing the IB for a while. It was a pleasure to chat with them and also learn about some of the ways that they are approaching inquiry and visible thinking.