INSIGHTS
Reflections from classrooms, leaders, and learning communities
Putting concepts into context: an interdisciplinary field experience
Last week, I accompanied 52 Grade 9 (MYP 4) students and 5 colleagues on a unique field experience to support an interdisciplinary unit between English and Individuals & Societies. The unit focuses on memorialising conflict, with a link to SDG 16: Peace, Justice…
Using an inductive approach to introduce MYP units
As the new term commenced, many MYP students embarked on new units. For years, my MYP unit introduction lessons followed a pretty standard formula: I would share the statement of inquiry, key and related concepts, and global context with my students. Then we would…
Using the MYP related concepts to develop disciplinary understandings
Just over two weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting at the IB Global Conference in The Hague. It was great to connect with people whose names I recognised from WhatsApp groups and meet in 3-D individuals who had been postage sized through a Zoom lens for the…
Finding some headspace after a hectic year
It’s hard to believe that we have completed the first full school year in three years. What once felt so normal, so routine, now feels like a novelty. Despite some individual hiccups, collectively we made it through three full terms, two parent-teacher conferences,…
Shining the Light
“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me this before? How could I have entered the classroom without knowing all of this? ” My colleague was sitting around my kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand, a cookie in the other, and literally having an aha moment. If you…
The power of global collaboration: introducing three conceptually-driven educators
In October 2020, I embarked on the year-long Erickson and Lanning Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Trainer Certification Institute with Professional Learning International. I had had my eye on this programme for a few years — since I started looking “behind…
Practising affective skills: becoming effective learners by managing state of mind
It’s almost here: the second edition of Personal Project for IB MYP 4 & 5: Skills for Success is in production and scheduled for release on 27 August. I wrote back in February about some of the changes to the Personal Project, but you can check out my latest guest…
Concept-based lesson planning: from intent to implementation
I haven’t written a real lesson plan in years — except when I’ve had to for the sake of inspection or evaluation. After teaching for so many years, lesson plans become brief scribbles in a planner or bullet points on a digital file — or just mental notes about what…
Reimagining IDUs
Earlier this month, the IB released the updated guides to the Personal Project and Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning, and there are some exciting changes coming from September! Two things seem clear in both guides: there is a greater emphasis on student agency…
Process over product: reflecting on changes to the MYP Personal Project
I’ve been re-immersed in the Personal Project for the past couple of months while Laura England and I have been updating our textbook to align with the newly released guide. The two main emphases of this newest iteration of the project are agency and process, and it…
Teacher or writer?
This weekend marked two writing milestones for me: On Friday, this DP English assessment prep book was released in the UK (US release is planned for late February). Today, my co-author Laura England and I submitted the draft manuscript for the second edition of the…
‘Macbeth’ 2.0: upgrading a 2-dimensional unit
I have probably taught Macbeth close to a dozen times over the years. It’s a great work, and I honestly haven’t come across too many students who have actively disliked it. But there are only so many different ways you can teach iambic pentameter. I’ve been working on…