Hey all,
I have been wondering if there is a consensus about when you can say you are IB 'trained' or is there personal interpretation in this?
Is it after working in an IB school? Is it after completing a category 1 workshop? Or category 2 or 3?
I'm currently completing my first year in the IB system and I have been to a category 1 workshop (I hope category 2 next school year). Will it be ok for me to consider myself IB trained when/if I apply to move on at the end of my contract?
Thanks,
The smurf.
When can you say you are IB 'trained'?
Further question
Good question and I have a follow up one I am in a similar position to the OP - end of first year at an IB school. PYP and MYP category 1 workshops done. MYP category 2 one next year. Do I then need to do a DP category 1 or 2 before I am fully trained as an IB specialist teacher?
My current school does not offer DP in my subject but I am thinking of the future.
Thanks IB gurus!
My current school does not offer DP in my subject but I am thinking of the future.
Thanks IB gurus!
You will most likely get multiple answers. I'll give you my personal opinion having worked for over 6 years in IB schools and being actively involved with the IB (I do workshop leading).
I don't think you should call yourself an "IB specialist" unless you've been to several trainings (and by several I mean having completed levels 1, 2 and 3) and also unless these trainings were not only on your subject (say Math) but also on IB related "stuff" (say Interdisciplinary planning or Personal Project for example).
That being said, having at least a category 1 training on your subject is valuable since IB schools are required have at least 1 person per department trained, and have to show the IB evidence of them supporting the implementation of the program, including having people trained. This basically means that hiring a teacher with IB training is not only a matter of them knowing you know how the program works, but also a monetary matter as they will not have any immediate expenses training you...
As a side note: if you are trying to work at MYP level (for example), having had PYP training or DP training is up to a certain point irrelevant. Yes, they are related in some way, but schools want you to have experience in whatever program you will actually teach (and again, there's the requirement they have of having people in specific programs to be trained in those specific programs). Furthermore, a self-granted title like "IB specialist", "IB-expert" or similar will not necessarily be taken seriously unless you have the experience (say having attended an IB Academy or being an IB examiner).
Now, just saying that you have had "official IB training" would probably be fine (but I would be specific and say you have had "official DP" training for example, as again, you need to show you have had training in whatever program you are planning to be part of).
I don't think you should call yourself an "IB specialist" unless you've been to several trainings (and by several I mean having completed levels 1, 2 and 3) and also unless these trainings were not only on your subject (say Math) but also on IB related "stuff" (say Interdisciplinary planning or Personal Project for example).
That being said, having at least a category 1 training on your subject is valuable since IB schools are required have at least 1 person per department trained, and have to show the IB evidence of them supporting the implementation of the program, including having people trained. This basically means that hiring a teacher with IB training is not only a matter of them knowing you know how the program works, but also a monetary matter as they will not have any immediate expenses training you...
As a side note: if you are trying to work at MYP level (for example), having had PYP training or DP training is up to a certain point irrelevant. Yes, they are related in some way, but schools want you to have experience in whatever program you will actually teach (and again, there's the requirement they have of having people in specific programs to be trained in those specific programs). Furthermore, a self-granted title like "IB specialist", "IB-expert" or similar will not necessarily be taken seriously unless you have the experience (say having attended an IB Academy or being an IB examiner).
Now, just saying that you have had "official IB training" would probably be fine (but I would be specific and say you have had "official DP" training for example, as again, you need to show you have had training in whatever program you are planning to be part of).
The IB is clear on this point: You can say you are IB trained after you have completed a category 1 training. It is program-specific. So if you have had a training in the PYP, you cannot say or imply that you are MYP or DP trained. It should go without saying, but somehow it often causes confusion, that the training must be an official one offered by the IB or one of its official training partners. I've known any number of people who had on their CVs that they were IB trained, when in point of fact they had attended a one-hour session on the IB at an ECIS conference or such-like. These do not count.
Also does not count: in-house training provided by your IB Coordinator or other staff member, even if they are actually an official IB workshop leader.
Official IB training results in an official certificate of completion from the IB, and your name will be engraved (ok, recorded) in the IB's annals, so it can actually be checked.
Official IB training generally takes 2-3 days in person, or several weeks on-line. Anything shorter, you probably weren't doing official IB training.
If you have any confusion, go to your IB Coordinator, explain what training you have had, and ask them if it is official in the eyes of the IB. They should know - it is one of their required tasks to keep a list of all staff members and what official IB training they have had. At the time of an authorization or evaluation visit, this official record is very important.
As for calling yourself an IB specialist, that's a completely different kettle of fish. There is no official definition. I'd be careful with it. Even if reasonably true, it could make you sound pompous. As a recruiter, I'd recommend recording your official IB experience (workshops attended, years of experience, what in-school roles you've taken, whether you're an MYP moderator, DP examiner, guide writer, workshop leader, OCC moderator, etc). Then let the recruiter conclude that you're an IB specialist. If you really are one, there's no need to use the phrase, and if you aren't, the phrase won't fool anyone.
Also does not count: in-house training provided by your IB Coordinator or other staff member, even if they are actually an official IB workshop leader.
Official IB training results in an official certificate of completion from the IB, and your name will be engraved (ok, recorded) in the IB's annals, so it can actually be checked.
Official IB training generally takes 2-3 days in person, or several weeks on-line. Anything shorter, you probably weren't doing official IB training.
If you have any confusion, go to your IB Coordinator, explain what training you have had, and ask them if it is official in the eyes of the IB. They should know - it is one of their required tasks to keep a list of all staff members and what official IB training they have had. At the time of an authorization or evaluation visit, this official record is very important.
As for calling yourself an IB specialist, that's a completely different kettle of fish. There is no official definition. I'd be careful with it. Even if reasonably true, it could make you sound pompous. As a recruiter, I'd recommend recording your official IB experience (workshops attended, years of experience, what in-school roles you've taken, whether you're an MYP moderator, DP examiner, guide writer, workshop leader, OCC moderator, etc). Then let the recruiter conclude that you're an IB specialist. If you really are one, there's no need to use the phrase, and if you aren't, the phrase won't fool anyone.
Misunderstanding
Thanks to immortus and sid for your kind replies. I would hate to ever sound pompous in any way and when I wrote IB specialist teacher I was only talking about being a specialist in my subject in PYP for example rather than a general primary teacher. Thanks for bringing it to my notice though..I will take care to avoid misleading terms and language in my applications next year..
I will just add that I got my position as a MYP/DP teacher because of my PYP trainings and experience. I will get the actual MYP and DP training in the fall. I have had levels 1,2 and 3 training, but to be honest, I am not sure that they were that beneficial. Some level 3 training in IB cover all three categories (language policy development, for example). I am certainly grateful for the opportunity to be involved in IB.
Sid, if I may ask since you are a recruiter; regarding sounding "pompous", would that necessarily be bad? The reason I ask is I have been working on my CV using a different "layout" than the traditional one, and I was planning on using a term similar to "MYP specialist" (along with a list of the supporting facts for this including multiple roles regarding specific elements of the MYP curriculum at my school, being a Workshop leader and having done other work directly for the IB). I understand the idea of the school looking at this and concluding I know my stuff, but thought having a title such as "MYP specialist" as one of the headlines in my CV might get recruiters' attention...
To grumpy: some schools do value experience in other IB programs, but many will put you in the "no experience" group if your experience is not in the same IB program of the position you are applying to (which is unfortunate as any prior IB experience can be useful in some level). Regarding levels or categories, unfortunately coordinators can sign up teachers in any level (you are not actually required to have been to a "category 2" training to attend a "category 3" training). This sometimes leads in experienced teachers attending a category 3 training only to find out that most of the attendees are new to IB and the workshop ends up being aimed at these teachers, thus making the training not as useful as it could be.
To grumpy: some schools do value experience in other IB programs, but many will put you in the "no experience" group if your experience is not in the same IB program of the position you are applying to (which is unfortunate as any prior IB experience can be useful in some level). Regarding levels or categories, unfortunately coordinators can sign up teachers in any level (you are not actually required to have been to a "category 2" training to attend a "category 3" training). This sometimes leads in experienced teachers attending a category 3 training only to find out that most of the attendees are new to IB and the workshop ends up being aimed at these teachers, thus making the training not as useful as it could be.
Specialist... I suppose it would depend how you went about using it. It sounds like you have the experience to back it up, so you're in less danger of pomposity.
If it's to be a heading for a section in which you list your IB credentials, it could work. Perhaps the phrase 'Specializing in MYP' would be effective. It implies that you prefer working in the MYP and have purposely grown your knowledge/skills in this area over others.
If it's to be a heading for a section in which you list your IB credentials, it could work. Perhaps the phrase 'Specializing in MYP' would be effective. It implies that you prefer working in the MYP and have purposely grown your knowledge/skills in this area over others.
Reply
Sid is slightly inaccurate. Your considered trained when you complete an IB workshop in your teaching subject. It need not be a level 1 workshop, a level 2 workshop is acceptable, especially if a teacher already has a year of IB experience prior to the training workshop.
The term "specialist" does not exist externally outside of the IB. it is an internally used title only. Even then the term "specialist" is used to simply identify an individual as a member of a particular project/working group. Its essentially the entry level identifier.
I wouldnt use the term "specialist" outside of an Ichiro (Alternate resume), with an Ichiro your goal is to get the recruiters attention and get them talking. A term like specialist might elicit them to ask what that means, which youd have to answer and thats how a discussion starts.
In your traditional formal resume i would not use the term specialist. Admins like to think they know everything and using that term is something you have to explain, and at best just says you dont understand the IB as well as you think you do, since there is no official designation for the term specialist externally. They are likely to think that having 1, 2 and 3 level workshops means youve completed three workshops but that doesnt equal a specialist. At worst they will think you have problems with being honest and maybe misrepresenting yourself. Even if they assumed and thought the best workshop training isnt worth anything compared to experience and 3 workshops and a year of IB experience isnt going to make you a specialist compared to those teachers with more years of experience. Training is an IBO authorization requirment, to admins and schools though no amount of training equals any amount of experience.
Its just not worth the risk for a title that doesnt add any value to your resume.
FYI:
Outside of the IBs QAF (Quality Assurance Framework) the IB only recognises
1) Trained: Youve succesfully completed an official workshop and received a valid certificate.
2) Examiner/Moderator: An individual who has been appointed as an examiner for the DIP program or moderator for the MYP program. Examiners need a major or degree in the subject and one year experience teaching the to students 15 or over. This does not need to be IB teaching experience, or even secondary, university experience would count as well.
Senior Examiner most have specifically taught the IB subject they are examining.
Moderators (MYP) need a degree or major in their subject. Must be currently teaching the subject or have done so in the last two years. Must have taught their subject at MYP 5 level.
3) Workshop Leader: Conduct training and have prior workshop training themselves.
4) Program Field Represenitives: Support workshop leaders and have prior workshop leader experience.
The rest of the positions (consultant, report reviewer, school visit member, and school visit leader) are all QAF positions involved in school authorization.
Se
The term "specialist" does not exist externally outside of the IB. it is an internally used title only. Even then the term "specialist" is used to simply identify an individual as a member of a particular project/working group. Its essentially the entry level identifier.
I wouldnt use the term "specialist" outside of an Ichiro (Alternate resume), with an Ichiro your goal is to get the recruiters attention and get them talking. A term like specialist might elicit them to ask what that means, which youd have to answer and thats how a discussion starts.
In your traditional formal resume i would not use the term specialist. Admins like to think they know everything and using that term is something you have to explain, and at best just says you dont understand the IB as well as you think you do, since there is no official designation for the term specialist externally. They are likely to think that having 1, 2 and 3 level workshops means youve completed three workshops but that doesnt equal a specialist. At worst they will think you have problems with being honest and maybe misrepresenting yourself. Even if they assumed and thought the best workshop training isnt worth anything compared to experience and 3 workshops and a year of IB experience isnt going to make you a specialist compared to those teachers with more years of experience. Training is an IBO authorization requirment, to admins and schools though no amount of training equals any amount of experience.
Its just not worth the risk for a title that doesnt add any value to your resume.
FYI:
Outside of the IBs QAF (Quality Assurance Framework) the IB only recognises
1) Trained: Youve succesfully completed an official workshop and received a valid certificate.
2) Examiner/Moderator: An individual who has been appointed as an examiner for the DIP program or moderator for the MYP program. Examiners need a major or degree in the subject and one year experience teaching the to students 15 or over. This does not need to be IB teaching experience, or even secondary, university experience would count as well.
Senior Examiner most have specifically taught the IB subject they are examining.
Moderators (MYP) need a degree or major in their subject. Must be currently teaching the subject or have done so in the last two years. Must have taught their subject at MYP 5 level.
3) Workshop Leader: Conduct training and have prior workshop training themselves.
4) Program Field Represenitives: Support workshop leaders and have prior workshop leader experience.
The rest of the positions (consultant, report reviewer, school visit member, and school visit leader) are all QAF positions involved in school authorization.
Se
Hi Psyguy,
Hate to disagree with you Psyguy:
Workshop Leader, School visitor and School consultant: they are 3 different roles, but they all receive the same "training" and are part of the same datase which is the IB Educators Network.
As a workshop leader I was trained also to serve as part of a visiting team and also as a school consultant; I have been asked to do school visits and consulting but have not done so simply because of time constraints. So if you are one of them, you are all of them; or at least you can participate in any of those roles... So Workshop Leaders are in the same bag as school visitors and school consultants. It's the same training! It's called the IB Academy if you want to check it out.
Moderators and examiners, that's a different issue; that one I agree with you. They report directly to Cardiff, not to the IB region...
Hate to disagree with you Psyguy:
Workshop Leader, School visitor and School consultant: they are 3 different roles, but they all receive the same "training" and are part of the same datase which is the IB Educators Network.
As a workshop leader I was trained also to serve as part of a visiting team and also as a school consultant; I have been asked to do school visits and consulting but have not done so simply because of time constraints. So if you are one of them, you are all of them; or at least you can participate in any of those roles... So Workshop Leaders are in the same bag as school visitors and school consultants. It's the same training! It's called the IB Academy if you want to check it out.
Moderators and examiners, that's a different issue; that one I agree with you. They report directly to Cardiff, not to the IB region...
Reply
@Smurf
Yes you are "trained" when youve completed a category one (or higher) workshop.
I disagree with Sid, i would use IB trained. When it comes to DIP unless you go to a LOT of workshops, what you really want to confer is that you attended a category 1 workshop in your teaching subject. Either way your school is going to want to see your training certificate.
@inmortus
Liar, no one hates to disagree with me.
The IB educator network is further broken down into School Service Roles (Readers, Consultants, Visits members, and Visits Leaders) all those involved in authorization and Professional Development Roles (Workshop leader, Field Rep, etc). While they all receive the same training (workshop participation), they have very differnt roles and purposes, regardless and ARE part of the QAF (Quality Assurance Framework).
No, your not all of them if your one of them. The various amounts of training and really internally experience are different and do matter. Yes the IB academy does exist, but your - is akin to saying that undergraduates with a BA are the same as professors with a doctorate just because they all go to University. The degree, depth and breadth are very real and significant differences.
Yes you are "trained" when youve completed a category one (or higher) workshop.
I disagree with Sid, i would use IB trained. When it comes to DIP unless you go to a LOT of workshops, what you really want to confer is that you attended a category 1 workshop in your teaching subject. Either way your school is going to want to see your training certificate.
@inmortus
Liar, no one hates to disagree with me.
The IB educator network is further broken down into School Service Roles (Readers, Consultants, Visits members, and Visits Leaders) all those involved in authorization and Professional Development Roles (Workshop leader, Field Rep, etc). While they all receive the same training (workshop participation), they have very differnt roles and purposes, regardless and ARE part of the QAF (Quality Assurance Framework).
No, your not all of them if your one of them. The various amounts of training and really internally experience are different and do matter. Yes the IB academy does exist, but your - is akin to saying that undergraduates with a BA are the same as professors with a doctorate just because they all go to University. The degree, depth and breadth are very real and significant differences.
PsyGuy, of course I do hate to disagree with you! Everyone knows that disagreeing with you will end up in an immediate reply from you saying you are right and anyone who disagrees with you is wrong :-)
BTW, I still think you are wrong :-)
But, sometimes not arguing does not mean you have nothing to say, but simply that some people are not worth arguing with.
BTW, I still think you are wrong :-)
But, sometimes not arguing does not mean you have nothing to say, but simply that some people are not worth arguing with.