When I started teaching within the IB system in 2009, I remember feeling pretty well out of my depth for at least the first year. A colleague reassured me early on not to worry because "you're still teaching the same content". I'm sure that she was trying to be helpful and supportive as I navigated a new curriculum landscape, but the truth is that IB teaching is different from many other ways of teaching. While many pedagogical practices are not specific to a particular system or framework, others most definitely are.
So what defines IB teaching? Luckily, the IB has developed 6 Approaches to Teaching (ATT) to guide us:
- Teaching is based on inquiry
- Teaching is focused on conceptual understanding
- Teaching is developed in local and global contexts
- Teaching is focused on effective teamwork and collaboration
- Teaching is designed to remove barriers to learning
- Teaching is informed by assessment
IB teachers and schools spend a lot of time on ATL. But how often do we pause and reflect on the ATT -- either individually or as a school community?
After my last post, in which I shared a suggested progression for ATL skills, I wondered if I could create something similar for the ATT. I was inspired by Dr Lynn Erickson and Dr Lois Lanning's rubrics for the developing concept-based teacher. I did consider using the IBEN descriptors of Emerging, Capable, Skilful, and Leading, but three seemed like the magic number so I have used Novice, Emerging and Master instead. In addition to the descriptors for each level, I have included recommended books 📖, podcasts 🎙️ and online courses 💻 to deepen one's understanding of each ATT. Most of these are resources that I have personally used and would endorse, but there are a few that I have not read or listened to myself yet -- they are on my never-ending "to read" or "to listen" to list.
If you are a teacher or a leader in an IB school and you find this reflective tool useful, please comment on the post or send me a private message -- I would love to hear from you!
You can download the free self-reflection tool here.