Podcasts by Confessions of a PYP Teacher

C74 - Play in the Early Years from 2022-02-06T18:00

Play is central to early years.  We know this.  If you are an early years teacher, this is what you do all day long.  This episode focuses on the role of play in the early years within the PYP. ...

C73: The importance of Play from 2022-01-15T17:00

Since the PYP enhancements in 2018, there has been a lot of talk of play.  It has always existed in early years, because that is how a young learner creates meaning.  In any given learning situa...

C72: The Relationship between the Learning Environment and Play from 2021-12-11T00:00

As I think of the relationship between the learning environment and play, it reminds of the chicken and the egg argument.  Which one came first?  Do we need a well thought out learning space des...

E71: Designing Other School Spaces from 2021-12-05T13:00

This week, I’m excited to report to you from New London, CT.  It’s a beautiful seaside town with a lot of history in its six square miles.  I’m here working with a PYP school to restructure thei...

C70: Designing for the Learner with Disabilities from 2021-11-12T16:00

The practices we have shared in the past two episodes apply to all learners.  Some will be overstimulated, while others will be underwhelmed.  No child fits into one specific category, which was...

C70: Designing for Learners with Disabilities from 2021-11-12T16:00

The practices we have shared in the past two episodes apply to all learners.  Some will be overstimulated, while others will be underwhelmed.  No child fits into one specific category, which was...

E69: Designing for the Gifted Learner from 2021-11-06T07:00

Now that we’ve designed the learning environment for the language learner, let’s talk about the gifted learner.  I don’t like this designation, because I believe that all children are gifted in ...

C68: Designing for the Language Learner from 2021-10-30T07:00

How does our learning space design reflect the needs of your language learners? 

In this episode, we will explore how the learning environment supports or is an obstacle to language ac...

C67: The importance of learning space design from 2021-10-02T16:00

Welcome to our new series on the importance of the learning environment and play to support inquiry.  This has been a labor of love over the past few months as I’ve experienced my own a-ha momen...

C66: What's in a Name? from 2021-09-24T06:00

As we focus on learning environment design and building learning relationships, we must first consider a simple practice that bonds a community together.  Pronouncing the names of our learners c...

C65: Using Split-Screen Teaching to Spark Learning Goals from 2021-09-08T21:00

Once you have a solid understanding and use of split-screen teaching, you will be prepared to turn the ownership to your learners.  Our ultimate goal with the PYP and a part of good teaching pra...

C64: Split-Screen Teaching with ATLs and Learner Profile from 2021-09-06T13:00

You’ve chosen your ATLs and now comes the part of breaking them down into bite-size pieces, so your learners can apply them on a daily basis.  I’m not going to lie, I used to struggle so much wi...

C63: Choosing Sub-Skills for our Units of Inquiry from 2021-09-04T18:00

Now we have gone over in-depth how to use the Approaches to Learning (ATLs), how will we select them for our units of inquiry.  This does not just apply to homeroom teachers, because all special...

C62: Self-Management Skills for Homeroom (1-6), Specialist, & Supporting Teachers from 2021-08-28T20:00

As a child advances in age, it’s assumed that they know how to manage themselves, because they are quiet, sit still, and complete assignments.  There is so much more to self-management than that...

C62: Self-Management Skills for Homeroom (1-6); Specialist & Supporting from 2021-08-28T20:00

As a child advances in age, it’s assumed that they know how to manage themselves, because they are quiet, sit still, and complete assignments.  There is so much more to self-management than that...

C61: Self-Management Skills for Early Years (PK-K) from 2021-08-28T19:00

I believe self-management is one of the hardest ATLs to “teach” in the PYP.  It’s at the root of who you are as a learner, similar to ownership in agency.  There are things you can do to support...

C59: Social Skills for Elementary (1-6) from 2021-07-08T15:00

In this episode, we are trying to examine the social skills that learners need in order to operate in the elementary classroom.

As you enter the elementary age, there seems to be a tre...

C58: Social Skills for Early Years (PK-K) from 2021-07-07T15:00

In this episode, we are trying to examine the social skills that early learners need in order to operate within the world. 

Every time I enter an early years classroom, I feel the same...

C57: Juneteenth (Giving a Voice to the Voiceless) from 2021-06-19T20:00

In our last episodes, we were talking about the ATL Communication Skills.  Communication is about finding our voice and helping others to get more informed about the world around them.  Sometime...

C56: Communication Skills for Specialist&Support from 2021-06-06T05:00

Communication is a complex process, so how do we capture it in a specialist classroom or while receiving additional help with supporting teachers?  Just like a homeroom teacher, it requires cont...

C55: Communication Skills for Elementary (1-6) from 2021-06-05T05:00

In this episode, I am going against the norm and choosing a different ATL than the early years. It spoke more to me as an upper elementary teacher.  One of the things I struggled the most with m...

C54: Communication Skills for Early Years (PK-K) from 2021-06-04T05:00

When I think of communication skills, I can’t help but think of you early years teachers.  Our youngest learners are so curious about the world around them that they want to continuously ask que...

C53: Research Skills for Specialists&Support from 2021-05-08T05:00

In this episode, we will look at elements of traditional research skills and adapt them to our needs as a specialist or supporting teacher.  The process takes intentional planning, but the resul...

C52: Research Skills for Elementary (1-6) from 2021-05-07T05:00

In this episode, we will explore the ways we make research come to life with our elementary/ primary aged learners.  We will delve into our part in setting stage for authentic research to happen...

C51: Research Skills for Early Years (PK-K) from 2021-05-06T05:00

In this episode, we are looking at the unique ways that early years learners research the world around them through play.  It's an exciting time to be alive in this stage and we want to hel...

C50: Thinking Skills for Specialist/Support from 2021-04-26T17:00

Hello to my friends who work with learners in the entire school. You have such a special role in touching many, if not all, of the students in your school.  With that, comes a unique challenge t...

C49: Thinking Skills for Elementary (1-6) from 2021-04-25T17:00

Welcome to this episode my friends who teach primary/elementary aged students.  We are going to take a deep dive today into the thinking skills to help you broaden your understanding and help to...

C48: Thinking Skills for Early Years (PK-K) from 2021-04-24T17:00

Welcome to this episode my early years friends.  I’ve long thought about how to create for you my early years teachers.  I think going forward, we are going to need to adapt the learning for you...

C47: Understanding the ATL structure from 2021-04-09T03:00

For this episode, I thought I would do a deeper dive into the IB documentation to get a better gauge of the ATL structure.  To be honest, I’m still developing my understanding of these valuable ...

C46: Approaches to Learning Overview from 2021-03-31T22:00

Welcome to our new series on the approaches to learning.  My brain is a bit toasty after the transdisciplinary challenge, but don’t you feel pumped?  I really enjoyed going through that experien...

C45: Putting all the Pieces Together from 2021-03-26T00:00

In this episode, we will wrap up our transdisciplinary challenge and provide suggestions  on how to plan for next steps in this school year and beyond. 

For a written blog post and oth...

C44 (Challenge): Performing a SWOT Analysis from 2021-03-19T07:00

Welcome to the fifth and final transdisciplinary challenge!  Wahoo, you made it!

Evaluating Transdisciplinarity
Every process becomes better when we regularly evaluate its ef...

C43 (Intro): Evaluating Transdisciplinary Learning from 2021-03-18T07:00

In this final transdisciplinary challenge, we will focus on evaluating our practice even deeper.

To prepare for that experience, we are going to explore simple steps to evaluate your d...

C42 (Challenge): Transdisciplinary Learning Across the School from 2021-03-13T09:00

Welcome to the fourth transdisciplinary challenge!  Only one more to go!

When we are trying to make transdisciplinary connections, we often leave out the specialist (Art, PE, etc.) and sup...

C41 (Intro): Connecting with Specialist Teachers from 2021-03-13T08:00

Welcome to the fourth transdisciplinary challenge overview!

We can’t chat about transdisciplinary learning without connecting to the specialist (PE, Art, ICT)  and support (EAL, Special ed...

C40 (Challenge): Creating Transdisciplinary Connections with Standards from 2021-03-03T01:00

Welcome to the third transdisciplinary challenge!

In this challenge, we are going to further examine how to make connections with our standards or guidelines by transforming them from subj...

C39 (Intro): Looking at Standards Differently from 2021-03-03T00:00

Welcome to the third transdisciplinary challenge introduction.  

One of the greatest challenges as a PYP educator and coordinator has been making transdisciplinary connections using our st...

C38 (Challenge): Unpacking the Themes in the POI from 2021-02-23T21:00

Welcome to the second transdisciplinary challenge!

In this challenge, we are going to examine the connection between the themes with your program of inquiry (POI).  We will do this by anal...

C37 (Intro): Understanding the Transdisciplinary Theme Descriptors from 2021-02-22T21:00

In this challenge, we are going to explore understanding and unpacking the transdisciplinary theme descriptors.  It took me a long time to realize the importance of them, because my teams never ...

C35 (Intro): Transdisciplinary Learning 101 from 2021-02-17T00:00

Welcome to our new series on transdisciplinary learning!  

Now that we’ve had a chance to look back and apply our thinking, it’s time to challenge ourselves again.  You heard me...we are r...

C34 (Application): Agency and Action from 2021-02-10T06:00

Welcome to the third and final episode of our application series.  If you haven’t had a chance to apply your learning of the learner profile and international mindedness, I’d suggest you do so b...

C33 (Application): International Mindedness from 2021-02-03T00:00

It's time to apply our learning!

In this episode, we will look at our practice of building international mindedness in our classroom and schools and make tangible goals to make the...

C32 (Application): The Learner Profile from 2021-01-27T00:00

Welcome to our application series! What is the application series?  It’s a time to reflect on all of the learning we have shared so far, reflect on our practice, and make concrete goals for the ...

C31: Building Relationships with International Mindedness from 2021-01-20T00:00

This episode, we are going to discuss the deeper connections we make when building relationships founded on international mindedness. 

When we think about building relationships that lead ...

C30: Creating an Internationally Minded School Mission from 2021-01-13T10:00

In this episode, we will explore the power of a school mission statement in creating culture and shaping the learning and teaching.  We will examine the IB mission statement and craft or tweak o...

C29: Connecting Agency with International Mindedness from 2021-01-06T00:00

Now that we’ve received some ways to incorporate international mindedness into our daily practice, how will we use them?  Let’s go back to our agency continuum to gauge where we are in the proce...

C29: Connecting Agency with International Mindedness from 2021-01-06T00:00

Now that we’ve received some ways to incorporate international mindedness into our daily practice, how will we use them?  Let’s go back to our agency continuum to gauge where we are in the proce...

C28: Fostering International Mindedness Daily from 2021-01-01T00:00

The second layer of the foundation in our PYP house is international mindedness. It helps to cement our school culture with building relationships with each other and others around the world.  H...

C27: Connecting the Learner Profile with International Mindedness from 2020-12-25T14:00

Building international mindedness in ourselves and in our learners takes time, because it is a process that can't be rushed. Through multiple years of exposure, students begin to better und...

C26: Using the Learner Profile to Build School Culture from 2020-12-18T00:00

The number one mistake I made as a new coordinator was building the curriculum framework first.  If you are a coordinator, please heed the call.  Do not follow in my footsteps, because it cost m...

C25: Guiding Behavior with the Learner Profile from 2020-12-11T00:00

There is no magical tool to stop undesired behavior, just love for your students.  When you don’t like your students, they know.  

This episode, we will examine ways to guide behavior u...

C24: Embedding the Learner Profile into the Learning and Teaching from 2020-12-04T00:00

Now that we’ve established the learner profile in our school community, we can take the next step of explicitly teaching it in our units of inquiry.  Let’s take a look at how we can wrap the att...

C23: A Time for Giving Thanks from 2020-11-26T11:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and friends.  For many Canadians and Americans around the world, today is a special day we celebrate to honor our past and reflect on our many blessings...

C22: Embedding the Learner Profile into the Learning Space from 2020-11-20T19:00

You’ve unpacked the learner profile attributes, now what?  Do you just use them whenever time permits or can you plan with them in mind?  In my personal observation over the past twelve years, I...

C21: Learner Profile First Steps from 2020-11-03T08:00

The learner profile attributes are one of the tools you can use to get students to make transdisciplinary connections with your content.  In this episode, we will look at the ways to maximize th...

C20: Tackling Learner Profile Misconceptions from 2020-10-30T17:00

The learner profile attributes are sometimes overlooked or misunderstood in our units of inquiry.  Some people look at them as a list of character traits to be a better human.  This is partially...

C19: Framing of the PYP from 2020-10-26T07:00

The PYP curriculum framework can be compared to the structure of a house.  There are many different layers that make it withstand the test of time. 

The layers: 

• the foundati...
  Listen

C18: Assessing Agency and Action from 2020-10-23T09:00

Some people can't imagine assessing agency and action, since they are driven by internal motivation.  Yet, how can students move forward with to their next milestone without goals and succe...

C17: Taking Simple Actions Now from 2020-10-19T07:00

Taking authentic action is difficult and requires a lot of of dialogue with our students.  To help you with this process, this episode is scaling it back between the relationship of level 1 and ...

C16: Putting Action Together with the Golden Circle from 2020-10-13T05:00

Here's my attempt to make action easier, which means its about (MEDIUM) on the easy to hard scale.  I try to break it down, but I tend to get excited and my ideas run away with me. 
Listen

C15: Unlocking Action at its Highest Level from 2020-10-08T21:00

Action has gone through a major upcycle since the days of saving the whales and owning a piece of the rainforest.  Now, it requires us to take a part of the process and put it in our hearts.   Listen

C14: The Road Between Agency and Action from 2020-10-06T21:00

The road between agency and action requires collaboration between the teacher, student, and school community.  The student takes the wheel of navigating the learning, while the teacher guides fr...

C13: Start Agency with 5 Easy Steps from 2020-10-05T20:00

Now that we've explored agency in-depth, it can be difficult to know where to start.  This episode, we will look at five simple steps on how to begin building agentic thinking.  We will dis...

C12: Agency Can Go Deeper with the SDGs from 2020-10-05T19:00

In this episode, we will explore how to bring the three parts of agency (voice, choice, and ownership) together to create a deeper research project.  We will go step-by-step in how to allow for ...

C11: Agency Deepens When We Take Ownership from 2020-09-26T07:00

In this episode, we will break down the complexity of taking ownership in our minds and our hearts.  We will unpack the various stages on the Ownership Continuum, which support student engagemen...

C9: Agency Requires our Unique Voice from 2020-09-22T20:00

Voice is the the means in which students express their ideas, passions, and wonderings.  In this episode, we will explore the different ways that students engage with learning, the power of stud...

C8: Agency Drives Inquiry from 2020-09-14T20:00

Agency and Action are so intertwined that it's difficult to determine where one begins and ends.  This podcast will examine this unique relationship and look at the three elements of agency...

C7: Inquiry is a Process from 2020-09-13T19:00

In this episode, we will discuss multiple considerations when implementing inquiry-based learning in your classroom.  We have created Inquiry Snack videos to support your understanding of the In...

C6 (Challenge): Evidencing the Inquiry from 2020-07-22T14:00

As we are looking to assess student understanding, are we considering the entire journey and not just content objectives?  Things to consider when looking back: 

• Do students understan...
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C5 (Challenge): Guiding the Inquiry from 2020-07-22T12:00

As we gain more understanding of the inquiry and how to ask quesitons, we can then examine the various stages of inquiry.  These are important for self-reflection and making goals for the school...

C4 (Challenge): Asking the Right Questions from 2020-07-22T10:00

The types of questions we ask will determine how deep the thinking goes in your classroom.  Oftentimes, teachers as low-level comprehension questions to assess student understanding of a text.  ...

C3 (Challenge): Inquiry Takes Careful Planning from 2020-07-21T23:00

Now that we have engaged with inquiry thinking through engaging, challenging, relevant, and signficant, it helps us to think about planning on a deeper level.  We will create our unit plan think...

C2 (Challenge): Defining our Focus in Inquiry from 2020-07-02T16:00

In our last episode, we spoke about how to find our focus as teachers, especially when we encounter uncertain times.  One of the things that centers me is the Golden CIrcle by Simon Sinek. As we...

C2 (Challenge): Defining our Focus in Inquiry from 2020-07-02T16:00

In our last episode, we spoke about how to find our focus as teachers, especially when we encounter uncertain times.  One of the things that centers me is the Golden CIrcle by Simon Sinek. As we...

C2 (Challenge): Defining our Focus in Inquiry from 2020-07-02T16:00

In our last episode, we spoke about how to find our focus as teachers, especially when we encounter uncertain times.  One of the things that centers me is the Golden CIrcle by Simon Sinek. As we...

C1 (Challenge): Teaching Requires a Purpose from 2020-05-24T21:00

Welcome to our first confession of a PYP teacher.  in this podcast, we will explore the power of the Golden Circle by Simon Sinek.  Here is the link to his Ted Talk