PUBLISHED BY SHABANA JABBAR ACADEMIC DIRECTOR / PYP COORDINATOR RES MARCH 8TH, 2023
INDUCTION for New Teachers: An Orientation for lifelong learning journey!
Making The PYP Happen – I (AY 2022 – 2023)
Published on February 28, 2023
“As Leaders, we are not Mechanics! We are Gardeners creating Conditions for people to Grow” -Steven Covey.
Our Induction
begins with the‘Transmission Stage’for the new staff joining for the academic year. The induction begins with the introductory part, by the management team and the pedagogical leadership team beginning with a warm welcome and shared experiences forming a trusting relationship and creating a sense of belonging among the new staff members.
Inspired by the PYP Theme – Who We Are,
We had the new staff get to know each other through active engagements in team building while knowing about our school profile.
Our induction takes place for a week for the individual staff training getting them to know the essential elements of the school community and environment by interacting with school staff, exploring the policies, handbooks, and written and taught curriculum. Induction continues with the next stage of CPD (Continuous Professional Development Plan): Mentoring and Coaching which is done through the rest of the year for almost 9 months, once the new teachers get through the probationary period.
CPD-SOP Document Link (insert).
Next to, the first week’s Induction-individual training, the new teachers get into learning the MTPYPH as a group.
INDUCTION – MAKING THE PYP HAPPEN – I
We chose the flow of the session for the new staff orientation to explore the MTPYPH in form of the inquiry …………
As part of the extended induction, our new staff inquired into learning about the
- Essential Elements of IB,
- ATT (Approaches to Teaching), and
- ATL (Approaches to Learning).
We began modeling learners’ voice-choice and agency by incorporating them in making the session agreements collaboratively. This activity is done on a purpose for the new teachers to understand how students’ voice results in cultivating a positive culture in the classroom. We applied Kath Mudoch’s inquiry through the learnings of the session so teachers can develop a clear understanding of ‘what it means by inquiry’ while practicing the shared language for instructional practices.
Since all teachers have no teaching background and experience, we didPre-assessmentusing the blob tree to reflect on what it means by ‘Good Teaching and Learning’ to them.
As a provocation, teachers chose grade-level teaching mission statements that were developed by our grade-level teams during the self-study process. They practiced group work, agency, and visible thinking strategies using PIE Chart reflecting on their own KUD (Knowledge, Understanding, and Skill) to make happen the teaching mission statement in the classes.
Teachers explored practicing ATLs while working on the PIE chart as shared on the table.
|
Skills |
Strategies |
Practices |
|
Research Skills Communication Skills Social Skills Thinking Skills |
KUD PIE CHART |
Group / Collaborative Work! Student Voice! Group Collaborative Decision! |
In Finding/ Sorting Out,teachers explored our curriculum through the lens of the key concept ‘Form’ by exploring how it looks like, feels like, and sounds like, articulated through the written documents and student engagements and IB-PYP VideoThe IB Primary Years Programme on Vimeo
Going Further,teachers explored how learners construct meaning through Written-Taught-Assessed curriculum learning about the implementation of these three components at the school. Inquiring into the elements of the curriculum, teachers developed a conceptual understanding of transdisciplinary themes as a knowledge part of the PYP curriculum framework.
We did jigsaw reading MTPYPH document, further exploring‘What is knowledge’and‘What are concepts’in IB-PYP curriculum framework. Teachers shared their understanding of IB-PYP framework defining it aslifelong learning where students become the agents of their own learning through the inquiry process while becoming international-minded pupil.
Making Conclusions & Taking Action
Teachers were asked to make reflections on the following as an online PD for the week of Oct. 24 – 28.
“What do we want our students to learn?”
- What is the Theme?
- What is the Central Idea?
- What is the Line of Inquiry for the week?
- What Key Concepts are you doing for the week?
- What is the Conceptual understanding for the week?
- What stage of inquiry is it?
- What thinking routines have you employed in the classroom?
We continued further learning ofMTPYPHafter the 1st semester for how to developCentral Ideas, Lines of Inquiries and Key Concepts.
Ibo.org.(2020).Making the PYP happen:A curriculum framework for international primary education. Retrieved from:https://resources.ibo.org/data/p_0_pypxx_mph_0912_2_e.pdf
© 2023 INDUCTION – MTPYPH Part 1.