CPD
Think-Ins (continuous professional development courses hosted by InThinking)
"Every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better."
- Professor Dylan Wiliam (b. 1955), Welsh international educationalist
"If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”
- Zig Ziglar (1926 - 2012), American author and motivational speaker
InThinking has over 20 years’ experience delivering high-quality IB-approved workshops, both face-to-face and online, each lasting 2½ days. Its team of more than 120 expert leaders, consultants, and authors bring specialist knowledge and practical insights to each workshop.
InThinking also runs Think-Ins. These are non-IB certified virtual seminars (lasting between 3 to 6 hours over 1 or 2 days) that encourage in-depth discussions and complement official IB training.
During the last academic year, more than 400 Business Management teachers from all IB regions completed upskilling training through our virtual Think-In courses and IB-approved InThinking workshops.
Read testimonials from participants at official IB Business Management Workshops hosted by InThinking here.
Testimonials from IB BM Workshop participants
Paul is amazing and inspiring. Well presented with passion and skills that makes me curious about things and encouraged to work better and more effective. It was an inspiring workshop! Everything we did was so amazing and relevant. You are the best!
Magdalena Krakowska - Liceum Ogolnoksztolcace Wroclaw, Poland
Super smart and experienced. Lots of useful advice, great guide through this jungle (it is a lot for newbies like me), great answers to all questions.
Ben Thannesberger - SALIS Salzburg International School, Austria
It was really good having someone who not only is familiar and an expert in the material and way of IB, but also someone who is a classroom teacher so 'real' understanding of what teachers need.
Molly Brown - American School of Barcelona, Spain
Excellent communication skills. Excellent knowledge of our needs. Excellent quality of the information given and totally open to questions.
Pako Gradaille Vilar - Frederic Mistral Tècnic Eulàlia, Spain
Awesome!! Like learning from a master: explanations of key concepts, IA's, exams, was very easy to follow. The resources he shared will be invaluable to me as a teacher.
Faraz Mirza - International School of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Paul provided a detailed agenda and instructions for preparation ahead of time, so that I knew what to expect and how to prepare best. His materials were well prepared and helpful. Moreover, he adjusted the materials during the workshop to meet the needs of the participants. Paul created a safe and welcoming learning environment where participants felt that they belong and felt safe to ask questions, despite drastic differences in the years of experience, and despite the large group of the participants.
Nadezhda Evtushenko - Dresden International School, Germany
Paul is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. He is also very encouraging and personable. His advice will be so beneficial in my teaching practice, and as I help my students with their IAs.
Petra Fairweather - South Island School, Hong Kong
I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to you for conducting the CAT 3 workshop on Internal Assessment for Business Management. The session was incredibly informative, collaborative, and engaging. Your ability to explain the IB requirements with clarity and simplicity made the complex process much easier to understand. I truly appreciate how patiently you addressed every question raised by the participants, ensuring that we left the workshop with a solid grasp of the key concepts. Your guidance has been invaluable in helping me refine my understanding of IA report writing, and I feel more confident in supporting my students with their assessments. It has always been a pleasure to attend your workshops, as they offer not just theoretical insights but also practical takeaways that are immediately applicable in the classroom.
Swetapadma Patnaik - One World International School, Singapore
Thank you once again for offering these upskilling workshops for Business Management. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into running these sessions and they are always incredibly useful. Thanks again for leading this initiative, it’s greatly appreciated.
Luke Newton - Elian’s British School of La Nucía, Alicante, Spain
I am grateful for the opportunity granted to me by the school to enroll and participate in the three-day virtual IB Business Management Category 1 Workshop. It has equipped me with much confidence in guiding the students in meeting their IB BM Course requirements. We are all fortunate to have you as our workshop leader.
I appreciate it a lot that you were able to maximize the use of our workshop time by making sure that you are able to give us tips on the essential aspects of the course. Sitting for the workshop all throughout the 6-hour session per day for three days was certainly engaging.
Thank you very much.
June Tunque - Taoyuan Municipal Daoyuan International Senior High School, Taiwan
I am more than grateful to God for an inspiring, educational, and truly unforgettable weekend. I learned so much, and I now feel better equipped to support and guide my students throughout their DP journey.
Paul Hoang is incredibly gifted, we learned so much from him, and he provided us with more than 100 resources to help prepare our students for the exam.
I am genuinely enthusiastic. I love my job, and I love the International School Breda. Thank you ISB, for this wonderful opportunity.
Marjola Trinidad - International School Breda, The Netherlands
We all agreed we had rarely learned so much in a 2-day workshop! I wish all PD days were as packed with engaged teaching and learning, practical activities to try with our students, time to reflect and pure motivation to carry on with our job as educators. Thanks, Paul Hoang!
Suzanne Drouet - Institut Florimont, Genève, Switzerland
Details of Think-Ins and workshops for the 2026-27 academic year are added and updated on this site page throughout the year.
Spaces on these courses are limited, so please book early to secure your place. For each workshop, comprehensive training materials and supporting resources are shared with participants.
I hope to see you at one of these events!
Overview
The workshop will cover the new guide (first assessment 2027).
Working collaboratively, participants will:
• Consider the centrality of the IB learner profile and approaches to teaching and learning in the EE process.
• Understand the nature, purpose and requirements of the EE.
• Understand the EE supervisor’s role and responsibilities, and the roles and responsibilities of other EE stakeholders.
• Examine the policies and procedures schools and supervisors need to implement to develop an effective pedagogical and administrative framework that effectively supports students during their entire EE experience.
• Help students to own, learn from, and enjoy the researching and writing of their EEs.
• Understand the research pathways open to students: subject-focused and interdisciplinary.
• Help supervisors support students as they make important decisions, and research and write independently and ethically.
• Consider the assessment criteria to inform the creation of an EE.
Recommended for
This workshop is designed for new educators in authorized IB Schools and/ or educators new to the requirements or supervision of the extended essay who wish to gain an understanding of the special nature and specific requirements of the extended essay, its role in the Diploma Programme and how they can support students in the extended essay process in a manner that aligns with the IB mission statement and philosophy.
Workshop benefits:
- Courses delivered by approved and experienced IB workshop leaders.
- 12 hours of live/real-time instruction plus 3 hours of asynchronous/offline work across three-days. Delegates are required to attend and participate in all scheduled sessions in order to receive their IB certificate.
- Opportunities to meet participants from a range of schools, both within the UK and internationally.
"Education is a constant reorganization, reconstruction, and transformation of experience."
- John Dewey (1859 - 1952), American philosopher and educational reformer
"Schools can't become the best places for students to learn and grow unless we make them the best places for teachers to work and grow."
- Dr. Julie Hasson, Educational researcher, consultant, and author
Our Think-In courses are dynamic, creative, and personal. These Think-In courses last 3 hours, from 2PM-5:15PM Spain time, with a short 15-minutes break.
Click on the relevant hyperlink in the table below for registration details.
| Dates | Think-In upskilling course |
| Wed 30th Sept 2026 | The new Business Management Extended Essay (first assessment 2027) Nearly full! This Think-In for Business Management teachers focuses on the new Extended Essay (first teaching 2025). The training is designed for teachers who wish to understand the key changes introduced in the revised EE guide (first assessment 2027). The Think-In will provide practical strategies for managing the EE process and for effectively guiding and supervising students. Session 1 Unpacking the new EE guide step by step: what’s in, what’s out, and what’s changed? Formulating effective Business Management EE research questions. Managing the EE process effectively. Understanding the new assessment criteria. Subject-specific guidance. Artificial intelligence and the EE. Effective citation and referencing in the new EE. Session 2 Effective strategies for the new reflection sessions and check-in meetings. Essential skills for student success. Marking exercise (time permitting). Writing evaluative and well-substantiated conclusions. Essay-writing frameworks. The new interdisciplinary EE with Business Management. Resource sharing and Q&A. All participants will receive an updated pack of ready-made resources for the new BM EE, including a comprehensive EE Checklist, for immediate classroom use. "On behalf of our team, I wanted to send our sincere thanks. We learned a lot (about the Business Management and Economics Extended Essays), and your input was greatly appreciated. In my experience, "training" tends to get a negative connotation, especially as it is built on top of our already hectic schedules. Team members tend to grumble as we walk away from a training normally. This was not the case this time, and in fact exactly the opposite. Every member mentioned the value that it added for them." Benjamin Hansen - Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School 🇨🇳 |
| Thur 1st Oct 2026 | IB Economics Internal Assessment The Economics Internal Assessment (IA) is a compulsory component of the course. This Think-In will explore all aspects of the common IA for SL and HL students, with opportunities for participants to have their individual questions addressed. Session 1 Overview of the IA. A step-by-step approach to what makes a strong Economics IA. Focus on the prescribed key concepts. Discussion about the use of suitable news media articles. Focus on the importance of application and diagrams in the Economics IA. Session 2 Interpreting the assessment criteria. Focus on academic integrity in the IA, including the use of AI. Marking exercise of sample IA (time pending). This Think-In includes updates from the M26 and N25 exams, as well as ready-made resources for the IA, which can be used with your students. All participants will receive an updated pack of ready-made resources for the IA, including student-friendly IA posters and an updated IA Checklist, for immediate classroom use. |
| Fri 2nd Oct 2026 | IB Business Management Internal Assessment The Business Management Internal Assessment (IA) is a compulsory component of the course. This Think-In will explore all aspects of the common IA for SL and HL students, with opportunities for participants to have their individual questions addressed. Session 1 Overview of the IA. A step-by-step approach to what makes a strong Business Management IA. Focus on the prescribed key concepts. Discussion about the use of suitable Supporting Documents. Comparison of primary and secondary research in the IA. Session 2 Interpreting the assessment criteria. Focus on academic integrity in the IA, including the use of AI. Marking exercise of sample IA (time pending). This Think-In includes updates from the M26 and N25 exams, as well as ready-made resources for the IA, which can be used with your students. All participants will receive an updated pack of ready-made resources for the IA, including student-friendly IA posters and an updated IA Checklist, for immediate classroom use. “Thank you very much for the Internal Assessment workshop. It was well organized, engaging, and very beneficial. I especially appreciated the clear guidance, practical examples, and valuable insights shared throughout the session.” Mona Baker - GEMS International School Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬 “I would like to sincerely thank you for the Internal Assessment workshop. It was extremely clear, practical, and very helpful in better understanding IB expectations and the best practices to pass on to students. Thank you again for the outstanding training.” Thomas Avril - Dallas International School, Texas, USA 🇺🇸 |
| Mon 5th Oct 2026 | IB Business Management Paper 2 - Teaching challenging quantitative topics The IB DP Business Management course (first assessment 2024) includes a wide range of quantitative tools and techniques that SL and HL students are expected to master. This Think-In focuses on the quantitative demands of the course, including those within the Business Management Toolkit (BMT), with specific focus on Paper 2 assessments. Session 1
Session 2
All participants will receive a bumper pack of comprehensive resources, for immediate classroom use with your students. “Thank you so much for today’s Paper 2 Think-In session. It was fabulous. I always learn new tips and strategies and have so many takeaways.” Deborah Kelly - Lincoln School Costa Rica 🇨🇷 |
| Tues 6th Oct 2026 | Business Management Paper 3: Focus on social enterprises The IB DP Business Management course (first assessment 2024) introduced Paper 3 for HL students, based on a social enterprise. This Think-In focuses on all aspects of the Paper 3 assessment and the key skills required for exam success. Session 1
Session 2
This Think-In includes updates from the M26 and N25 exams, as well as ready-made resources for Paper 3, which can be used with your students. "I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your guidance during the Paper 3 workshop. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me. The workshop clarified many of the doubts I had regarding the expectations of the paper, and it gave me the confidence to guide my students much more effectively. I am delighted to share that my students performed exceptionally well in Paper 3, with the highest score in the cohort being 23 out of 25. I genuinely believe your workshop played a significant role in helping me prepare them for this assessment." - Dr. G. Dharakeswari, IBDP Business Management Facilitator & MYP Coordinator, Hiranandani Upscale School, Chennai, India 🇮🇳 |
Click the icon here to read testimonials from participants who have attended our Think-In workshops.
Good pace - didn't rush through the material and took time to answer any questions we had. I like the courses aimed at individual papers - P1, P2 and P3. IA courses are also very useful.
James Messer - EF Academy, Oxford, UK
Thank you very much for the workshop, it was most certainly worth the late night!
Carmen Love - Canberra Grammar School, Australia
A straightforward and knowledgeable attitude that favours every participant, even if you are doing this after a full day of classes.
Andre Henriques - The KAUST School, Saudi Arabia
Great workshop. Paul Hoang is excellent. Practical, clear and concise advice. One of the best presenters in my opinion.
Elizabeth Young - H Farm International, Vicenza, Italy
Excellent InThinking workshops. Enjoyed them both and learned so much. Thanks to Paul's management of the workshop and engagement time flew by very quickly.
Joensuun Lyseon lukio
"Amazing. I learned so much again today. Valuable and Insightful as usual. Thank you for your time."
David Francis - Shanghai Shangde Experimental School
Thank you very much for the workshop. It is a real pleasure to learn from you.
Laura Mecchia - Colegio Tarbut, Argentina
I have just finished attending your Paper 3 session. It was truly an eye-opening session, with detailed explanations and clear clarification of all my doubts. I’m confident this will help me guide my students more effectively and support them in scoring higher. Thank you so much for such an insightful and valuable session.
Dharakeswari G. - Hiranandani Upscale School, India
Paul always provides the best CPD, always so informative and worth every minute! So informative and Paul is always so generous sharing resources. Thank you for a productive 3 hours which isn't always easy after a full day at work.
Fiona McCarthy - Jumeirah English Speaking School, Dubai, UAE
Class-act and knowledgeable. Does well to address questions, while not letting them interrupt his flow and the overall content of his presentation.
Ian Horsewood - Australian International school HCMC, Vietnam
Paul - as always is a fantastic bank of knowledge and top tips!
Mita Villegier-Dhokia - Institut Florimont, Geneva, Switzerland
Paul was very organised, personable, knowledgeable and clear. He was flexible in his approach to covering the content and addressed our questions as and when they arose rather than make us wait until it came up in his plan. The resources are high quality too. Thank you for hosting it!
Corinne Jennings - Queensland Academies Creative Industries (QACI), Australia
Paul is so knowledgeable, both from the perspective of a classroom teacher working with students and from the point of view of understanding the workings of the IB.
Susan Brownsword - South Lakes High School, Reston, Virginia, USA
Paul is so patient and like the way he breaks things down step by step.
Melissa Kauffeldt - Dr. G.W. Williams, Canada
Excellent. Really enjoyed it. I feel significantly more informed and prepared.
Luke Laubhan - Troy High School, California, USA
Very informative. On point. Precise and clear.
Emmanuel V. Ehina - Mentari Intercultural School Bintaro, Indonesia
The Think-ins have always served as terrific guide and re-assurance. Thank you Paul and the whole IB BM community!
Dana Ramadan - Amman Academy, Jordan
Thank you very much for your engaging instruction and for the illuminating resources. You were succinct, to the point, with truly helpful examples, techniques, tips, and insights. Moreover, it was refreshing to hear candid, well-justified, and constructive critique regarding scope for improvement for IBDP BM itself.
Dimitris Makris - Athens College, Greece
Paul has excellent knowledge, and it was great that he teaches the subject as well, it added meaningful insight to the workshop.
Rene Bradford - International School of Uganda
All participants receive an updated and comprehensive resource pack tailored to each Think-In upskilling course, along with an InThinking certificate of participation for their professional development records.
