Great induction workshops: WIAIBE
This June I am training IB workshop leaders in the five foundational IB workshops of What is an IB Education (WIAIBE):
· The Learner Profile
· Approaches to Learning
· Beyond the Disciplines
· Living and Learning Globally
· Investigating Inquiry
Together, these five workshops offer a framework that defines what it means to teach and learn in an IB context. They are a great suite for teachers new to the IB, or as foundational for school induction at the beginning of the year, since they explore the key lietmotifs of an IB education.
One workshop leader wisely captured the challenge for some schools:
“In some cases, the school environment itself is not deeply rooted in IB philosophy. In these contexts, IB may be adopted more as a strategic addition to the school’s profile rather than as a genuine educational commitment.This can lead to a programme delivery that is limited in both scope and meaningfulness."
Another reworded the challenge as:
"Asking “How might we cultivate a culture…” for each learner profile attribute is powerful and aligns with inquiry-based teaching. Instead of aiming to be teachers of inquiry or risk-taking, we focus on creating conditions where students naturally develop these traits."
These foundational workshops offer a chance to realign schools with core IB values, fostering shared understanding and authentic commitment. By engaging deeply with the Learner Profile, mission, and international-mindedness, they empower educators to move beyond surface-level adoption toward meaningful, whole-school implementation rooted in the IB philosophy.
At the core is the Learner Profile—not a checklist, but a set of lived dispositions that guide growth and reflection. These attributes evolve with students, shaping them as thoughtful, principled individuals.
“The IB Learner Profile is at the heart of the IB mission - it underpins everything we do. The IB refers to it as the “mission in action”. For those new to IB the Learner Profile can initially feel abstract or like a peripheral add-on. Too often, its attributes are treated superficially—boxes to tick or buzzwords to insert into reports—rather than embraced as guiding principles.
As Elizabeth Sackson states, “The Learner Profile is not a sign to laminate and post on the wall… It’s something every member of the school community should aspire to be.” It’s not about meeting requirements, but about fostering character, empathy, and global citizenship. It’s about returning to the “why” of education.”
Approaches to Learning provide the “how” of education, cultivating agency and metacognition. When developed intentionally across programmes, ATL skills support a coherent learning journey that builds independence and resilience.
Beyond the Disciplines invites learners to engage with concepts that transcend subject boundaries. It promotes depth, transfer, and relevance—preparing students to apply learning in unfamiliar contexts.
Living and Learning Globally fosters intercultural understanding and ethical responsibility. It embeds global engagement into everyday learning, making international-mindedness authentic and enduring.
Investigating Inquiry reinforces learning as active, student-driven, and meaningful. Inquiry is not just a pedagogical tool—it’s a stance that fosters meaning-making and student ownership (agency).
Learner Profile: IB Learner Profile in 10 slides | IB Learner Profile | Inquiry into the Learner Profile | Learner Profile as 'Our Culture' | Our Learner Profile | Living the IB Learner Profile | Learner Profile in the community | How does the Learner Profile link to learning? | Staff Learner Profile | Leader Profile | Learner Profile Assemblies / Town Halls
Approaches to Learning: IB ATLs | How to engage staff with approaches to learning? | Parent workshop: Approaches to Learning | Establishing an ATL culture | How to create an ATL toolkit | IB Approaches to Learning
Beyond the disciplines: What is an IB Education? | Knowledge - how do we make learning relevant?
Living and learning globally: What is our Global Context? | Global Citizen - what does it mean? | Global Competencies | Be a digital global citizen | Global Issues | Do international schools nurture global citizens? | Global issues resource bank | Global contexts
Investigating inquiry: Teaching is based on inquiry | Mini PD: Teaching based on inquiry | WHAT is inquiry-based learning? | Models of inquiry based learning | HOW do we nurture inquiry? |WHICH inquiry strategies to use - role of questions | Exciting curiosity, creativity and passion