PYP Authorization

The last few weeks have been very stressful as ENS got ready for its PYP authorization visit. We've all been very busy getting our classrooms and school ready. The students have been busy reflecting on their work and practicing using the PYP vocabulary to describe what they've been learning to strangers. Lots of build up and lots of stress for all involved.

A bit of background on PYP. PYP is primary years program and it's part of the IB (international baccalaureate) program. The IB is focused on inquiry based learning that is student driven. The main crux of the IB is the transdisciplinary theme; a topic that spans all the disciplines and can be used outside of school in the real world. There is a huge focus on character development through the learner profile and attitudes. Now all this sounds great, but here it's a bit of a challenge because these kids don't think. They don't ask questions and they don't do much of anything independently. We have to do a lot of modeling, prepping, and guiding. But, that's all really beside the point.

So for the past 2 - 3 weeks people have been coming into my classroom to ask the kids questions and to make sure it looks IB. To look IB there has to be authentic student work up, student questions posted, lots of reflection, and connections with the transdisciplinary skills, learner profile traits, and attitudes. I had the questions, student work, and connections with the learner profile and attitudes, just no reflections, answers to questions, or connections with the transdisciplinary skills. So that's what we worked on. As well as getting the students ready to talk about what they've been doing using the language. By the time the visit rolled around, according to our PYP coordinator, my class was IB driven. Thing is, that's only based on what she could see. I can't say for sure if all my instruction was IB driven (mostly because I still don't understand some of it!), but so long as I was doing something IB when the inspectors came in the room it would be fine.

Well, the inspectors were coming on Monday and Tuesday and they would be in the primary school on Monday so I had planned a lot of reflection and cooperative group work for the morning. We were just finishing up our unit of inquiry so it was time to reflect anyway. I didn't really do anything that I wouldn't have done at the end of the unit, so that part wasn't all that stressful for me. The only difference was that I prepped the kids on Sunday so they would be prepared to have good reflections (grade 4 appropriate - sentences, neat, spelling...) on Monday. I was ready. The kids were ready and they knew their stuff. They could talk the talk and they wanted to show off.

We went through our normal morning routine, minus checking math homework since math wasn't until the afternoon, and began filling out the reflections. For the first part the students worked independently, reflecting on their learning about transport and electricity. They have a form to fill out after every unit that goes in their portfolio so that's what they were doing. After everyone was finished we went out in the quad for some group reflections. I had questions written on large paper and the students rotated around and answered the questions about their learning (this is something we've done for the past 2 units so the kids are pretty familiar with the routine). By the time they got all the way around the first 2 periods were done (the 2 periods when the inspectors were doing classroom visits). Did anyone come in my class? Nope. Period 3 and 4 are Arabic and Islamic so I typically leave and get stuff done. Did anyone come in during those periods? Nope. Turns out that Brian and some other guy (not an inspector) stood at the door for like 5 seconds, during Arabic, and then they left. We did some math during period 5 and still no inspectors. Period 6 is break, 7 and 8 are PE, and 9 is another break. So that just left period 10. We did the typical end of the day routine (communication books, packing up, and independent reading), but no visitors. Man was I bummed. We had worked so hard getting everything ready and no one showed up. Frustrating. There was the possibility that they could stop in on Tuesday, but that was the day they were supposed to go to the KG and it's early dismissal and I only teach 3 periods so that doesn't leave a lot of time for someone to come and observe. Tuesday we did the normal routine of math groups in the morning and independent reading before dismissal and we still had no visitors. The kids were upset. They asked why no one came and why the sat with 4C and asked them questions. I didn't have an answer for that other than I had told them that they might come in the class or they might not. That's not a very satisfying answer to a 4th grader who has worked really hard and wanted to show "important people" what they knew. I felt bad for the kids. They waited and they worked really hard and no one came. What a let down.

The inspectors left on Tuesday with an "overwhelmingly positive" report. We should know in anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months if we have passed inspection and become an IB school. If not, we may have to go through this again next year.

In other news...

1.      We have a field trip to Kidzania in Dubai Mall on Wednesday. Check back later for my post about the trip.

2.      Just 5 more weeks of school for the kids and 7 for me!

3.      Summer is here. Temps are back in the 100s with it going to 108 this week. No more rain, artificial (check it out, it's called cloud seeding) or real.

I guess that's about it. Everything else is pretty normal. Can't wait until June 27th! That's when I fly home!!! Now that the stress is over, hopefully it'll fly by!