Reflection and Reflexivity by Sumit Chopra

2025-05-03 13:54:15 UTC

In our school we have a project called Building Social Justice, which I am the lead of. Every year we organised multiple events and hosted key note speakers from different fields. At some point certain students complained that their voices were not being heard and that we have to start building social justice in our own school before we venture out in the world. They said that they wanted to share their own experiences, have their stories heard and raise awareness for the issues that they were personally struggling with. Some of them chose a topic and created beautiful workshops and all of the students participating were extremely engaged. By looking at what we can do for the school and which boxes we can tick, we forgot to focus on our own students, their voices and their dynamic stories!

2025-05-03 13:56:20 UTC

One moment in my IB journey came during a brainstorming session with the students that initially seemed to be struggling. The group was enthusiastic but unfocused. They were bouncing between ideas, missing meetings and were getting frustrated. As the coordiator, I found myself feeling equally stuck and questioning whether to step in more directly or continue letting them lead.

In one of our guided reflections, a quiet student suddenly spoke up and said "I think we're not listening to each other—we're just trying to do what looks good, not what matters." That moment shifted everything. It wasn’t about productivity—it was about purpose, communication and shared values. I realized that I had been too focused on guiding outcomes and not enough on holding space for authentic process and voice.

2025-05-03 13:56:33 UTC

As a school leader initiating endeavours and programmes which involved student outreach to communities, I began to question my own experiences as a student. Having always considered that my actions were noble and well-intentioned, my experiences in guiding reflections and planning volunteer opportunities brought the awareness of what the power disbalance was, how my past actions as a student were of a more selfish nature than I would care to admit, and how the damage caused by my actions can not be undone. This realisation only came through teaching others, so I made it my life mission to give back to the community in a caring and ethical way, drawing on my mistakes to preempt the same in my students. However, my age, experience and position, as well as my place in the world, give me a perspective that I can only reference, so I cannot guarantee that by storytelling, others will learn from me, because they must go through the journey themselves. My conclusion is that one can only learn reflection and reflexivity through doing, so I must pave the way carefully for my students to do so.

David

das65 — 2025-05-03 13:57:00 UTC

Working with a student with very low self esteem and working with them to create tasks accessible to her and not only seeing her achieve but also watch her confidence grow.

Leading me to be very aware of the needs of all students and |I have become a voice for students like her within the school

2025-05-03 13:59:34 UTC

I experienced some deeper realisation about the context/circumstances of my school as we embarked upon our IB journey. As a smaller regional school in Australia, the experiences of our students, staff and parents have largely been localised and community-focused. The relative disconnect from global concerns and outlook is one reason the IB appeals – it encourages our students (and stakeholders) to consider their contributions beyond our region, to become more globally-minded and develop intercultural understanding. Our students can be complacent and lack some ambition to take risks, move beyond the region etc. I’m keen to encourage students to live out the Learner Profile attributes and not be limited by what may have been the norm for others in the past.

From 'understanding' minds to 'shaping' them :)

2025-05-03 13:59:52 UTC

For me, the transition from being a clinical psychologist to becoming an IB educator has been one such transformative journey. What began as a vocation rooted in understanding minds has evolved into a mission of shaping them.

When I moved into education, I didn’t leave that work behind—I carried it with me. As a teacher, a coordinator, a curriculum designer, IB Examiner, and an Inclusion Specialist, I began to see classrooms not just as spaces of instruction, but as ecosystems of emotion, identity, and growth. My clinical lens helped me see the student behind the grade, the struggle behind the silence, and the brilliance that sometimes hides behind behavioral noise. It taught me to plan with intentionality, assess with compassion, and lead with integrity.

The IB framework gave me the language for what I already believed in—reflection, international-mindedness, inquiry, and above all, the development of the whole child. It has shown me that education is not just about outcomes—it’s about becoming. And being a LIFELONG LEARNER!

Also, I made a promise to myself when I became a teacher - I would be a champion to every chid, just like my favourite teacher, and my mother has been (she's a retired teacher :)

Gitanjali

2025-05-03 14:00:47 UTC

As a IB educator I should be

* listening actively and respond empathetically

*Reflect on how various of my teaching strategies impacted student learning and engagement

*Acknowledge moments when student curiosity led the learning process

*Build up strong relationship with students and collegues