Where am I from: I am an Aussie living Washington DC, in the United States.

Contact: (optional) phillip.evans@ibo.org

• share your thoughts and definitions

• propose questions or wonderings

• provide connections to your own context

• apply the strategies to a change challenge that is relevant to you

• share your thoughts and definitions

• propose questions or wonderings

• provide connections to your own context

• apply the strategies to a change challenge that is relevant to you

• share your thoughts and definitions

• propose questions or wonderings

• provide connections to your own context

• apply the strategies to a change challenge that is relevant to you

• share your thoughts and definitions

• propose questions or wonderings

• provide connections to your own context

• apply the strategies to a change challenge that is relevant to you

Give your post a TITLE that categorizes the change challenge so that others can clearly identify with it.

(See the example below)

Now, the DP cohort is declining and student performance across all aspects of the education offered at this school (both IB and non-IB) is quite low.

This change challenge is centered around trying to establish shared value and to increase leadership engagement.

1. What is one new thing you learned today?

2. What resonated with you on a personal level?

3. What is one action you will take as a result of this workshop?

Add your reflection as a comment, below.

Where I am from: Originally from California, USA - however, living and working in the Asia Pacific region (China, Vietnam, Singapore) for the last 19 (!) years

Contact: angela.meikle@ibo.org

Where I am from: I am originally from France, and with my husband, have been overseas for 24 years ( Czech Republic, Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos). Contact: christophed@vislao.com

My work, as the Head of Public IB World Schools, supports authorised IB World Schools with their development and ongoing implementation of IB programmes. The IB World Schools Department is focussed on understanding schools, in their varied contexts and implementation journeys, to better support and advocate for them as they enable students to access and benefit from an IB education.

Where I am from: I am originally from Yorkshire in England but for many years worked in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. Recently, I moved back to Europe.

Contact: stuart.jones@ibo.org

Where am I from: I am British, with a Greek wife, living in The Netherlands.

Where I am from: Melbourne, Australia.

Contact: biernackiem@lauriston.vic.edu.au

Where I am from: Born and bred in Hong Kong!

Contact: dbsyly@dbs.edu.hk

Sharayu Thampi (she/her)

Current Role:

Head of School, Kai EarlyYears

Current City and Country:

Bangalore, India

hos@kaiearlyyears.com

My Role in Education:

As the Head of an Early Years school, I lead our institution to ensure exceptional teaching and learning for young children. My key responsibilities include: 

• Curriculum Leadership: Developing and implementing a curriculum that fosters holistic development.

• Staff Development: Mentoring educators to maintain high teaching standards.

• Student Well-being: Creating a nurturing environment that supports each child’s growth.

• Parental Engagement: Building strong partnerships with parents to enhance the educational experience.

• Operational Management: Overseeing resources and facilities to support our educational goals.

My mission is to lay a solid foundation for lifelong learning in every child.

Currently IB Head of School for DP and CP and hailing from Brisbane, Australia.

Originally an ESS teacher and DPC and looking forward to connecting and learning at this workshop

melli202@eq.edu.au

Where I am from: originally from the UK but I have been in Asia for over 10 years.

Contact: toni.astridge@dulwich.org

Where I am from: Melbourne, Australia

Contact: ella.price@education.vic.gov.au

Where I am from: Originally from Ireland, but I have been living in Hong Kong for 7 years.

Contact: lisa_darby@aishk.edu.hk

Questions

How to begin?

What are the challenges?

How to change the mindset of the teachers?

Questions

How to begin?

What are the challenges?

How to change the mindset of the teachers?

• Define a compelling vision that aligns with the school’s values and long-term goals.

• Ensure all stakeholders understand the why behind the change.

• Set focused priorities rather than spreading efforts too thin.

2. Focusing Direction

• Identify key strategic areas for improvement and innovation.

• Align resources and efforts to sustain engagement over time.

• Build a culture of commitment through ongoing dialogue and reinforcement.

3. Cultivating Collaborative Cultures

• Develop a culture of trust and shared responsibility among staff, students, and parents.

• Encourage professional learning communities for collaborative problem-solving.

• Support teacher leadership and shared decision-making to drive improvement.

4. Deepening Learning

• Promote research-based instructional practices that support deep learning.

• Embed the 6Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Character, Citizenship) into teaching and learning.

• Provide ongoing professional development to ensure effective implementation.

5. Securing Accountability

• Strengthen internal accountability, where individuals and teams take ownership of their roles.

• Balance internal and external accountability to ensure alignment with broader educational policies.

• Use data-driven decision-making to track progress and refine strategies.

6. Leadership for Sustained Coherence

• Leaders act as coherence makers, aligning vision, strategy, and implementation.

• Foster a learning culture, where adaptability and continuous growth are encouraged.

• Build leadership capacity at all levels to sustain momentum and drive long-term success.

Here’s a breakdown of key components, definitions, and possible questions:

1. Focusing Direction

• Definition: Leaders must establish a clear moral purpose and vision for the school or system, ensuring that everyone aligns with this purpose for change.

• Possible Questions:

  • What is the vision for Early Years education in our school as we transition back to IB?

  • How can we ensure that all staff understand and align with this vision?

• Use in your Change Challenge: Establish a strong vision that guides the shift back to IB, ensuring that teachers, parents, and students are engaged with the change.

2. Deepening Learning

• Definition: This focuses on building a clear and common understanding of the learning goals and employing effective pedagogical practices to support deeper learning.

• Possible Questions:

  • How can we develop a shared understanding of the IB philosophy among staff?

  • What practices can be introduced to deepen children's learning in the IB framework?

• Use in your Change Challenge: Strengthen staff's understanding of IB pedagogical approaches and ensure that learning outcomes align with the IB curriculum's goals.

3. Securing Accountability

• Definition: Accountability should be both internal and external. It starts with internal accountability within the school or system, where staff hold themselves and each other responsible.

• Possible Questions:

  • How can we encourage self-reflection and accountability in staff as we transition back to IB?

  • What external measures will ensure we maintain the quality of the IB curriculum?

• Use in your Change Challenge: Foster a culture where teachers are responsible for implementing IB practices effectively and have mechanisms for measuring progress.

4. Cultivating Collaborative Cultures

• Definition: Building a collaborative culture involves creating environments where teachers work together, share expertise, and focus on a collective purpose.

• Possible Questions:

  • How can we foster a collaborative environment to support the transition back to the IB curriculum?

  • What structures can we create to encourage ongoing professional learning and collaboration?

• Use in your Change Challenge: Encourage a collaborative approach where educators can share ideas on implementing IB strategies and support one another during the transition.

5. Leadership

• Definition: Effective leadership is essential in guiding the change process, ensuring that all other components are aligned and working in concert.

• Possible Questions:

  • What leadership strategies will be most effective in supporting this transition?

  • How can we ensure leaders at all levels are equipped to guide the return to the IB curriculum?

• Use in your Change Challenge: Lead by example, ensuring that you and other leaders are well-prepared to support the staff through the changes in curriculum and pedagogy.

By integrating these principles into your change challenge, you can create a coherent, well-supported transition back to the IB curriculum in your Early Years setting.

The YouTube video on shared vision got me thinking. I agree that shared vision may be just a concept . This is deep. Who sets the direction is also debatable.

I’m going to reflect upon the models and analyse whether they are good enough.

The change models

Resonated with me - could follow a model for the whole school change sometime

Action -

Power mapping

2.) Ideas/how change can be initiated.

3.) Plan/Collaborate a direction in which more community alignment and understanding of the PYP and it's philosophies.

One key takeaway from this conference was understanding how to bridge the gaps between implementing new ideas within schools. It resonated with me that many of us face similar challenges. Moving forward, I would like to explore ways to collaborate with other IB schools, supporting each other by sharing strategies, giving feedback, and working together to overcome obstacles.

Lack of Trust

Shared Vision

Collaboration

Superficial

rushed

lacks clear goals

lack of clarity

miscommunication

lack of training

unclear expectations

resistance due to uncertainty

Pilot tests help to reduce risk and build confidence

• Unfreeze - conversation that brings awareness to topics

• Change - Implement via a shared vison

• Refreeze - ongoing framework that works for the school to lock in what works for the school and thier vision

  
  

  
  

Change: Implementing reform: Planning, processes, structural adjustments, PD

Refreeze: Sustaining change: Long term support, feedback, reflection, monitoring