Embody the IB Learner

My school is embarking on becoming an IB school -- International Baccalaureate.  I've been on the parent end of things for the past few years.  My basic reaction initially was, "Huh. Well that will be different."  And of course I was even skeptical.  Anyone who has spent time in education knows that people always have great, big ideas that quickly fade away as soon as the initial impetus is gone.  Even more common, an administration will say they are going to implement a program, but it's really just in name only.  I frequently read school mission  statements to try to suss out the true meaning versus all the happy education buzz words.  I wanna know.  Is the school going to walk the talk?

So to recap, my parent reaction was, "Hmmm. Lets see how it plays out," with a side of "The upside so far is a really cool garden, more resources, and in theory, a high quality of education."

At the end of August, I found myself on the teacher end of things.  My reaction (which needs to be viewed in the fact that I was hired as the school year started) was "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!  O.M.G.  So much work.  Help!  This is hard.  What does global context even mean? I am so overwhelmed.  ATL?  Isn't that the airport code for Atlanta?  I have to do what!?!"

Once I got over the initial shock of working full time, I started to understand things a little bit better. The school hired a consultant who was able to start removing the mystery and make it feel more like the process it is versus some immediate mandate.  I began to learn how I was going to change the way I approach teaching.

I'm fortunate enough to have a principal who is a go big or go home kind of guy.  He is making everyone jump in with both feet.  Luckily, this means he is paying for us to go get trained.  This weekend I flew with two other middle school teachers to LA to attend a content specific workshop.  We arrived late on Friday (We took the new light rail from UW to the airport.  It was so awesome.) and were at the conference ready to start at 7 am.  The days were long, the food was good.

Usually, conferences can get a little boring at times.  Not this one.  I was working hard and engaged all day long, all weekend long.  I learned soooooooo much.  I had my a-ha moment Monday morning as we talked about changing the way we approach assessment and grading.  I felt like I was having an out of body experience.  It was like my brain removed itself from my head, rose above me, and reoriented itself.

I started taking furious notes.  I had disliked part of how my grading was turning out this year. Suddenly, I saw the answer.  I needed to change the way I grade.  There were posters to make, templates to create.  Answers to so many questions were flying at me.  It was exhilarating.

I finally understood.  Teaching in the IB way means less busy work, less emphasis on tests, more focus on demonstration of skills.  Teaching students that the skills they are learning--percents, ratios, electricity--have a real place in the world outside this moment in the classroom.  The global context.  And that global context affects them now, not once they become adults. The content has a place in their communities, their country, and the world.  Woah.

Teaching IB means I not only teach the skills, the content, but help the students take that knowledge and apply to an unfamiliar situation.  Those higher learning skills are a part of everyone's education, not just extra credit for the smart kids.

An added bonus to my weekend was creating a full unit plan.  IB unit plans are no joke.  They encompass every good teaching practice and require the teacher to align everything to what they are assessing.  If one unit plan took over 12 hours to write (and still has some tweaking to go), I know I have a busy summer of unit planning ahead of me.

Despite being in conference all day long, we got to kick back and relax a little bit in the evening.  I couldn't convince Paula and Anton, my coworkers, to go to Disneyland.  Instead we went to Manhattan Beach one night and Santa Monica the other.  After a long day, watching the sunset on the beach isn't half bad.  Paula and Anton were good sports as I dragged them around looking for restaurants that had brussel sprouts.

First morning of the conference.  Nervous and excited.

Manhattan Beach

Principle, Balanced, Risk-taker, Caring.  I embody the IB learner profile.

Sandpipers.  Just like in Finding Dory.

Letting the water renew us.  (Our school theme this year)

Sunset at Manhattan Beach.

Contemplating the end of Route 66.

Rock n Roll Jesus

Sunset at the Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier

The trip was a whirlwind.  I had so much fun bonding with my co-workers.  So many inside jokes now exist between us.  I ate adult food and talked to adults all day long.  I only had to get myself ready in the morning.  When it was time to leave, I simply walked out the door.  Given how hard I was working, my stress level was so incredibly low once 3 kids were taken out of the equation.

The kids had a good time, but missed me.  I've never been away from them for that long before. Daddy bought a drone and that is something way more fun than anything Mama would do.   It was so wonderful to come to the door last night and hear the kids scream my name with glee.  This morning Robin crawled into bed with me for lots of copious snuggling.

I'm such a wash of thoughts and feelings.  I'm exhausted.  I'm excited.  There's so much to do. Change is never easy, but it's the thought that my children are going to get the best education available drives me.  I've already thinking about my next IB conference.