This afternoon offered a terrific opportunity for staff to connect between divisions through a professional development workshop. Ostensibly it focussed on teaching the IB Primary Years Program, but in reality a variety of grade divisions were represented from Junior Kindergarten through to grade 12. PYP workshop leaders led the entire staff of the Lower School (JK-8), plus select members of the Upper School (9-12), expertly in the foundations of the IB PYP program, its purpose, design, and application.
Like the IB itself, the exercises focussed on planning and collaboration amongst teachers. It is not always easy to get teachers together to plan, so this session was designed as a compromise. Teachers came in to school on a Sunday afternoon to get the workshops started for day 1, while the sessions will continue throughout Monday as the students stay home. This was considered the best way to approach the need for planning time, and the imperative of teachers getting together to do so. With the end-of-term fast approaching along with the accompanying need to complete reports, the trade-off of giving up a Sunday for a Monday without students, was quite well-received.
Tapping into the expertise of primary teachers more familiar with the program, the junior, intermediate, and senior staff enthusiastically co-mingled with one another and took their lead from the helpful workshops leaders who shared their expertise in all matters related to IB. Setting clear objectives from the start, the workshop leaders presented a number of activities that helped to unpack the complexities and nuances of IB in an enjoyable yet thought-provoking manner. The first day proceeded at a steady pace, and the appetite was whet for more. Fitting given that we ended as the dinner hour approached.
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