Making PYP Happen - My reflections (Module 4)

 

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, trainings and workshops play a vital role in shaping our understanding, refining our practices, and ultimately enhancing the learning experiences we provide for our students. Attending this program on Primary Years Program – Making PYP Happen – Implementing agency, has been a transformative experience. As I reflect on the workshop, and the three key questions: How has agency been supported and nurtured? How is my understanding of PYP principles and practices evolving? And, most importantly, how can I apply this learning to my own teaching and learning journey?, I feel, I have so much to think and also experience a growth in my own understanding of the concepts of teaching.

Nurturing Agency Through Active Participation

One of the most impactful aspects of the workshop was how it fostered a sense of agency—not just in theory, but in practice. Agency, in the PYP context, is all about empowering students to take ownership of their learning. Throughout the workshop, I found myself actively engaged, not just as a passive recipient of information, but as a co-constructor of knowledge.

Our facilitator, Ms. Shaimaa Karara, encouraged us to voice our thoughts, engage in meaningful discussions, and collaborate with peers. This approach mirrored the very principles we aim to inculcate in our students—choice, voice, and reflection. By allowing us to explore topics of interest and engage in self-directed learning activities, the workshop itself became a model of how agency can be nurtured in the classroom. There was a lot of thinking and looking around my own classroom for reflection, practices and methods to determine what works best to enhance the student learning experience. It reminded me of the importance of creating learning environments where students feel empowered to take risks, ask questions, and drive their own learning journeys.

Evolving Understanding of PYP Principles and Practices 

As educators, we are always on a path of growth, and this workshop significantly deepened my understanding of the PYP's core principles and practices. The PYP framework is built on

inquiry-based learning, transdisciplinary themes, and a commitment to fostering international-mindedness. Through the workshop, these concepts moved from abstract ideas to actionable strategies.

One of the most enlightening aspects was the practical application of these principles. The

workshop provided concrete examples of how to implement inquiry-based learning in the

classroom, from crafting open-ended questions to designing interdisciplinary units that

encourage critical thinking. My perspective on teaching within the PYP framework has

expanded, and I now feel more equipped to create learning experiences that are not only

engaging but also deeply meaningful for my students.

Applying Workshop Insights to My Teaching and Learning

The real test of any professional development experience is how it translates into practice. As I reflect on the program, I see numerous ways to integrate the insights gained into my own teaching.First and foremost, I am inspired to give my students even more ownership of their learning. This means creating opportunities for student choice in projects, encouraging student-led inquiries, and involving students in setting and assessing their own learning goals. By fostering agency, I hope to cultivate a classroom environment where students are motivated, engaged, and confident in their ability to learn.

Furthermore, the opinions and suggestions that came from my cohorts expanded my knowledge about the practices that they follow in different parts of the world. The emphasis on inquiry- based learning has prompted me to rethink how I design my lessons. I plan to incorporate more open-ended questions that challenge students to think critically and explore multiple perspectives. By designing activities that require exploration and reflection, I can help my students develop the skills they need to become lifelong learners.

Finally, the workshop has reinforced the importance of reflective practice. I am committed to making reflection a regular part of my teaching routine—not just for my students, but for myself as well. By continually assessing my own practices and seeking ways to improve, I can ensure that I am providing the best possible learning experiences for my students.

Conclusion

This workshop has been a powerful reminder of the importance of agency, the value of deep

understanding, and the potential for applying learning in transformative ways. As I move

forward, I am excited to implement the strategies and insights gained from this experience. By nurturing agency, embracing inquiry-based learning, and committing to reflective practice, I hope to create a classroom environment where both my students and I can thrive.

The journey of learning and teaching is one of continuous evolution and I am grateful for the opportunities to grow along the way.

Making PYP Happen - Module 2 (My Reflections)

 As we move into the third week of our online training, my understanding of the practices and policies of PYP continues to grow. This module particularly lays emphasis on inquiry, student led agency and shifting the onus on to the learner. Some of the viewpoints shared by my cohorts were also insightful.

I particularly loved the ideas that my cohorts came up with using the dance and music routine to build on student agency and help them become responsible and reach their academic goals as well. What stood out for me was the fact that it challenges my prespective to shift from a traditional teacher-centered approach to one that is more collaborative, where students' ideas and interests shape the learning experiences. This approach not only enhances their critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also builds their confidence and independence, preparing them to be proactive learners and global citizens. However, it requires careful planning, flexibility, and ongoing communication to ensure that students are supported in making meaningful decisions and reflecting on their learning.

The other key takeaway from this module for me, is the value of collaboration—sharing experiences and challenges which allows for richer insights and the development of more effective practices. I also realise that implementing inquiry requires a balance between providing structure and allowing freedom, which can be challenging but ultimately leads to more meaningful learning experiences. The forum underscores the need for continuous reflection and adaptation, both in planning and in response to students' evolving needs and interests. This process empowers students to become active participants in their learning, fostering deeper understanding and the development of lifelong learning skills.

As we moved along to the next stage, I realised that I was totally naive about the use of the planner. Although we have been using it at school but the through this forum discussion, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of thoughtful planning in supporting student agency and inquiry-based learning. The discussions emphasised that the planner is more than just a document—it's a dynamic tool that guides the teaching and learning process, ensuring alignment with the PYP framework while allowing flexibility to adapt to students' needs and interests.

 The collaborative nature of the forum highlighted the value of sharing and reflecting on planning practices with colleagues, which enriches our understanding and leads to more effective and innovative approaches.

Moreover, the forum discussions reinforced the importance of regularly revisiting and revising the planner based on student feedback and emerging learning opportunities. This ongoing process ensures that the planner remains relevant and responsive, ultimately enhancing the learning experience and supporting the development of internationally minded students.

Shipra Jindal

Making PYP Happen - Module 2 - My Reflections

                                    Making PYP Happen - Module 2 - My Reflections

As we move ahead this amazing journey of learning, I realised that there is so much more to becoming a teacher - it needs a lot of patience, diligence, team work and perseverance.  A lot has happened on the work and personal front. As India, my beloved country, celebrated its 78th Independence Day, last week, it was a time for a lot of personal as well as professional reflections. The ongoing IB PYP training is moving smoothly, although, I did have to make certain changes to my schedule to be able to submit the modules on time. Here are some of my thoughts for the second module:

 - Transdisciplinary learning program

The first part of the second module was about transdisciplinary learning and I quite enjoyed doing it. Since being introduced in our school, the IB PYP program has laid significant importance in making and implementing transdisciplinary learning strategies. In my opinion, it starts beautifully with the teacher collaborations and aligning all the concepts to be taught in a particular theme. In the beginning it was a little difficult but over a period of time, it has become easier. The students were initially finding it difficult to understand and make connections but over a period of time, with practice, they are able to make connections across disciplines. It is wonderful to see the students collaborate with their peers, it underscores the importance of flexible, inquiry-based learning where students can explore, question, and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways, thus nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and international-mindedness.

- Concept Driven Curriculum Forum

This part of the training module was indeed a challenge for me. Developing the transdisciplinary theme, which key concepts to choose and how to build lesson plans around it can be a struggle for any beginner and one may feel totally at sea. However, engaging with this forum has deepened my understanding of how concepts like form, function, and systems can guide inquiries that are both broad and deep. It has also highlighted the importance of flexibility in teaching, where the focus is on the development of transferable thinking skills rather than just content delivery. This helps both the educators and the learners to think critically, ask questions and explore ideas in a way that is relevant to their lives and the world in which they live.

- Approaches to Learning Forum

Engaging in approaches to learning forum, I have learned to dwell deeper in the into how the skills like thinking, self management, communication, social engagement and research are the foundation stones of for the success of students. Reading through my cohort's opinions and viewpoints, I also understood, the various challenges that the educators' fraternity faces the world over. Shortage of time and lack of parental support at home are two aspects that stood out in almost every ladder diagram. Going through the discussions in the group, I also advanced my knowledge about how the various approached to learning help in fostering a life long love for learning, acquiring skills that will go with the students for the rest of their lives and help them navigate through the various challenges, with confidence and resilience.

As I was writing this blog and looking at the last week of learning on this forum, I smiled with the knowledge that I moved a step closer at understanding my profession and the commitment towards it.

Making PYP Happen - My reflection

 Reflections on my first week of IB PYP training:

Being an Assistant teacher for the last 5 years, across different grades, gave me a lot of understanding of how the young minds work and how they evolve over a period of time. This academic year, I became a  home room educator for grade 3 in a school in India. Our school moved from the traditional curriculums to IB PYP curriculum in 2021. 

A lot of our learning happened on the job as the new methods of teaching and learning were implemented. All of us had to learn a lot of new things and unlearn a lot of old ideas and methods. There is a saying that "Change is the only constant thing in life" and for a lot of us, the change was both, a welcome one for some and unwelcoming for some others. It gave a fresh opportunities to learn and grow in the present day world where things move fast, and of course learning among the young one is faster while some were still critical about the change and skeptical if it would work. 

The first week of my online IB PYP training has been and eye opener. I realised that there is so much more to learn than what I had imagined. It made me think and realise that there so much more to learning and upgrading my skills as a teacher. 

Here are some of my insights about the Module 1 of the training program:

Developing Global Citizens Through the IB Learner Forum:

The focus on IB learner profiles as means of developing global citizens was indeed enlightening. Each attribute  of the learner profile is thought evoking and takes me back to the classroom where I keep reflecting on how my day was and how I tried to integrate each of the attributes through classroom activities and discussions, where students sometimes struggle to express their ideas and thoughts and sometimes, it comes out in creative aspects. I aim at integrating my new learning in the classroom to help students become more confident and think out of the box.

Embedding International Mindedness:

One of the important cornerstones of IB learning is creating a generation of young people who appreciate other people for who they are - their culture, religion, country of origin and come up with collective solutions to universal problems. As the world around us becomes more complex, understanding our histories and awareness of people from other parts of the world becomes extremely important. In the next decade, these learners will inherit the world we all live in. Therefore, it is important that they learn well to collaborate, understand and learn to make connections to make a better future. From this training, I was able to come with so many different ideas that could be implemented in our schools and collaborations among schools from other countries will be so much more helpful.

The Role of Language:

As an educator in school where 4 different languages are taught and language support is given to students from other countries/ cultures (Special ESL/ Hindi), this part was really exciting for me. It was interesting to read about all my cohorts opinions and learn about some of the practices that are followed in their schools. Languages are more than just for communication. They give us an identity and help us understand other people, cultures and appreciate their perspectives. As a person who studied all her life in India and grew up learning 4 languages (English, Hindi, Punjabi and understandable Spanish), I could relate to so many contexts. The appreciation for languages can open so many doors of an inclusive mindset and opportunities.

This week of learning on this forum as been quite exciting and I am looking forward to add to my existing understanding of the profession that I chose 6 years ago. The insights that I have gained here are have deepened my curiosity and inspired me to think more about implementing good practices among my students. 

Shipra Jindal