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.