Is anyone willing to share their thoughts on the value of gaining IB teacher accreditation?
I'd be especially keen on reading whether you think it really does open more doors at higher tier international schools.
IB training
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
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Re: IB training
tinopener,
my advice would be to find an IB school that will train you. That way you have not just the training, but the experience at implementing those concepts in a classroom, assessing against the IB criterions, and delivering a full-fledged IB program of studies at whatever level you teach at. You should also make sure that your personal teaching philosophy is inline with the IB philosophy, because if it isn't and the school you end up at is a gung-ho drank the koolaid IB school, you might not find it as enlightening an experience as you had thought.
Simply paying money to get a certificate shows interest, but if I am at a higher tier international school I expect that teachers will already have training or experience in delivering the IB program at their level, and that they can come in right away and be effective teachers within the context of the program. So would I hire a lot of teachers who took a course, but have never taught within the IB programs, or a teacher who is experienced at teaching within IB? I think you can answer that one yourself.
That is why I say find a lower tier school or a higher tier school in an out of the way place to get the initial training and experience. That's what I did - my school sent me for training, and has continued to provide ongoing training to me. However, even though I wasn't IB trained when I was hired, my teaching philosophy was already very aligned with the IB approach and had been for years, which was a point in my favor as I was able to point out a lot of specifics in my teaching practices that aligned with IB.
That just my two cents. Other's opinions might vary. Good luck!
shad
my advice would be to find an IB school that will train you. That way you have not just the training, but the experience at implementing those concepts in a classroom, assessing against the IB criterions, and delivering a full-fledged IB program of studies at whatever level you teach at. You should also make sure that your personal teaching philosophy is inline with the IB philosophy, because if it isn't and the school you end up at is a gung-ho drank the koolaid IB school, you might not find it as enlightening an experience as you had thought.
Simply paying money to get a certificate shows interest, but if I am at a higher tier international school I expect that teachers will already have training or experience in delivering the IB program at their level, and that they can come in right away and be effective teachers within the context of the program. So would I hire a lot of teachers who took a course, but have never taught within the IB programs, or a teacher who is experienced at teaching within IB? I think you can answer that one yourself.
That is why I say find a lower tier school or a higher tier school in an out of the way place to get the initial training and experience. That's what I did - my school sent me for training, and has continued to provide ongoing training to me. However, even though I wasn't IB trained when I was hired, my teaching philosophy was already very aligned with the IB approach and had been for years, which was a point in my favor as I was able to point out a lot of specifics in my teaching practices that aligned with IB.
That just my two cents. Other's opinions might vary. Good luck!
shad
Re: IB training
Another thing is to find an academic mentor who can actually help you refine your assessment and grading methods, particularly the internal assessment component. No single workshop can accomplish this in 2.5 days.
The trick is how could you meaningfully engage students and challenge them consistently, without compromising on the rigour of your tests and still make your course enjoyable and make sure they get decent grades to go to a college of their first or second choice.
It's an ongoing process and we all make mistakes, but make sure you reflect on your pedagogical methods from time to time.
The trick is how could you meaningfully engage students and challenge them consistently, without compromising on the rigour of your tests and still make your course enjoyable and make sure they get decent grades to go to a college of their first or second choice.
It's an ongoing process and we all make mistakes, but make sure you reflect on your pedagogical methods from time to time.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: IB training
Keep in mind, though, fine dude, that internal assessment is only 2/12 of the IB program. If you are at a world school, the majority of grades do not have internal assessment (although eportfolios are coming. I am on an e-portfolio pilot this year :-)
It would all depend on whether the poster is looking for a DP or an MYP/PYP position.
It would all depend on whether the poster is looking for a DP or an MYP/PYP position.
Re: IB training
Understood, shad; I have been teaching DP for nearly a decade and I meant that teachers new to the IB program should be mindful of the rigour both in terms of instruction and assessment (for learning). It takes good mentorship and strong dedication to get things right when you are new to a program like the IB.
Here is an example: there are DP teachers who give high quality feedback and there are those who give minimal as they themselves don't completely understand the assessment rigour. IA grading, especially the statistical component, in biology is a case in point.
Here is an example: there are DP teachers who give high quality feedback and there are those who give minimal as they themselves don't completely understand the assessment rigour. IA grading, especially the statistical component, in biology is a case in point.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: IB training
Very true. There is a definite learning curve, and at the DP, you need to have a dual level of understanding - the curriculum and the external assessment process (which you should be in tune with - big variations in predicted vs actual grades are not good for you or your students!).
One thing I find at DP is that many instructors do NOT give formative feedback, which IMHO is a shame, because students learn the process of creating the necessary documents for assessment better via use of formative feedback in conjunction with summative feedback. A lot of instructors I know, though, only give summative at the DP level, assuming the students have already figured it out.
This is definitely a hot button topic at my school! LOL
One thing I find at DP is that many instructors do NOT give formative feedback, which IMHO is a shame, because students learn the process of creating the necessary documents for assessment better via use of formative feedback in conjunction with summative feedback. A lot of instructors I know, though, only give summative at the DP level, assuming the students have already figured it out.
This is definitely a hot button topic at my school! LOL