Looking back

I look back to my message this time last year. I wrote: "The world is starting to anticipate a time when the worst of COVID has passed and the pandemic becomes an epidemic that we learn to live with, as we have with other epidemics. We are looking forward to a time when we can travel and meet friends. From an IB perspective we are looking forward to visiting schools - in evaluation - to meet each other and share in workshops."

Indeed, in the later half of 2022 we have started to meet each other again and enjoy the international professional friendship we share in the IB ecosystem. I have greatly enjoyed travelling to Lisbon, Vienna, Dusseldorf to lead face-to-face workshops, as well as The Netherlands to Chair a Synchronized visit.

Looking forward

Leadership development: The IB launched its new suite of leadership workshops in August 2022. Learn more about them at: IB Leadership Workshops. I was one of the senior developers of this suite, and have been involved in marketing them in Asia Pacific.

Evaluation visits: The IB have also aligned their five year evaluation process with the 2020 programme standards and practices. I co-developed the training for Chairs of Multi-Programme Visit  and Synchronized Evaluation Visit, as well as for the roles of programme and evaluation leaders. These are all great roles for you to consider: they are a great form of ongoing professional learning as well as an opportunity to work alongside IBEN colleagues.

New ways of thinking for a New Year

At the heart of the IB mission is the concept of nurturing people who are internationally minded. I love this concept, and yet it also presents a challenge to learn from viewpoints that are not naturally our own. I came across this over the holiday period - although I was aware of one of two of the concepts some were new to me. New ways of thinking for a New Year.

Happy New Year to all of you. As a school leader you are doing the most significant work.