A personal reflection about a professional development on the Primary Years Program

Hello Everyone,

Compliments of this beautiful season. I recently attended a workshop on the Primary Years Program.

Please find my reflections below:

This course has influenced me in a lot of positive ways. However, one thing I will never forget about this program is the new perception I have about what international mindedness truly is. My take home statement is in the words of Singh (1999) in the article Becoming International; “Every aspect of the curriculum focuses on moving students toward becoming people who reflect the characteristics of the international person”. This statement has redefined my teaching philosophy and orientation completely.
In the past, the IB learner profile was just another display in my classroom. I actually stuck them on the wall because the Head teacher made it compulsory to have them displayed in every classroom. As I wrap up this course, the learner profile has moved from the wall to my heart, my lessons, my behavioral standards and expectations for my students and consequently into my students. After the first module, I have constantly asked myself if I am international. How many of the learner profile traits do I possess? How can I develop more open mindedness to other people’s perspectives? These are some of the pertinent questions I have had to ask myself as I reflected on international mindedness.
I now understand the interconnectedness of the PYP curriculum model. The written curriculum links up with the taught and assessed curriculum and through the implementation of the five elements of PYP, students can become internationally minded.
Through this course, I have a better understanding of the purpose of assessment. According to Earl (2003) the onus is on schools to prepare all students for tomorrow’s world and this can only be done when teachers understand that assessment is part of students’ learning. Now I know that we don’t just assess for assessment sake but for the purpose of developing teaching and learning. There is assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning (Earl, 2003). A blend of these three categories will promote students’ development.
Further to this, I have learned that creating an inquiry classroom will help my students find their voice and spot through activities that suits their learning styles. I have since discovered that I am giving my students more room for questioning, researching and thinking outside the box. I am also making better use of the mixed nationality status of my classroom to raise students who are open minded, principled and reflective. I now emphasize more on the need for student collaboration, respect for others’ views and the need to keep digging for more information.
I have had a mind shift from individual planning to collaborative planning and this has been helpful to the faculty in my school. I believe that the PYP supports the development of international mindedness in students through the learner profile when all the elements are put to use. These are my goals for the next school year:
  • Give individual feedback to every student after an assessment
  • Use report of assessment to plan subsequent lessons
  • Integrate the UOI into other subjects
  • Encourage students to practice the attributes of the learner profile and set an example of an internationally minded person for my students to emulate.
I am of the view that if these goals are implemented, my students and I will become truly international.


Now it's your turn; please tell me how you think a school can raise internationally minded students. I look forward to reading your comments.

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