Tim

In the first two years of teaching the new Subject Guide, workshop delegates have often reported that getting through the syllabus is proving difficult. How have your first two years of the new Subject Guide gone?

Emma

When I first drafted teaching sequences for this Guide, I didn't believe the cuts had been sufficient to reduce total content. Yes, we lost quarks, capacitors, diodes, the weak force, thin films, cosmology and polarization... but we gained 'understandings' from relativity, engineering and astrophysics, as well as Compton scattering and Kepler's laws.

Tim

I don’t know for sure but I’m pretty certain those that were involved with the syllabus review genuinely felt they were trying to reduce the time pressure on teachers and students. What’s your view from the chalk face?  

Emma

Having now taught my Standard Level class (and kept in touch with my colleague who has our Higher Level students), I've been pleasantly surprised. To be honest, it's my class that kept me in check; about 10 months ago students were feeling a little uneasy because of a combination of:

• Not being halfway through the 'topics' (even though they could see we were about halfway through the recommended teaching hours)
• Having achieved grades below expectations in the DP1 internal exams
• Being between the draft and final versions of the IA

To overcome this uneasiness, students asked specifically if I could target 'completing the course' in time for mock exams in February DP2 so that we could work together on examination preparation before April DP2. They also asked for more frequent written assessments and worksheets that would remind them of earlier topics.

I'm pleased to say that we 'made it'. As I write, we have a fortnight allocated to mock exams, 'Friluftsveka' (time spent in nature), First Aid, Model United Nations and Project-Based Learning. When we return, we'll have about 6 weeks in the lab before Easter and 'study leave'. I guess this gives us about a week per Theme and perhaps a week for a second mock exam (if there's an appetite for it!).

Tim

So how does this relate to my previous tip about using the whole Guide? Are you following a route through the syllabus that is specific about time dedicated to building inquiry tools and skills or are you winging that bit? Be honest!

Emma

Ha! This is where you might have caught me out. When it comes to time-keeping, we've definitely been more focused on concepts than skills - to the point that I had the (perhaps inevitable) question earlier this month when showing students a typical Paper 1B: "Have we studied this?".

Of course, the answer is yes but I understand why they asked. We've deployed experimental techniques in kinematics, current electricity and oscillations (I could go on!). We used technology in our recent radioactive decay modeling session. Students have explored, designed, considered variables, collected and analysed data, concluded and evaluated in several 'mini IAs' (e.g. circular motion, double-slit interference). And I've kept a gentle eye on the mathematical requirements and tried to incorporate these explicitly.

We haven't had a lot of breathing space this term, but I hope another reflection session with the students will allow us to make a plan for exam preparation that works for everyone.

Tim

Absolutely. The people working hard in your lessons should be the students. Your job is to work hard in the planning to get the scaffold right so that they can construct understandings for themselves.

Emma

Right! To me, the teacher is the person responsible for making a timeline and keeping up (or catching up) as necessary for students to encounter everything in the Guide. This doesn't mean 'lording the board' and explaining every last concept to the point that students do none of the thinking. It means creating the circumstances and providing the instructions that students need to meet every definition in formal wording and understand the meaning of the equations and topic links.

Tim

What if those reading this silent podcast might be starting to panic? Maybe IAs are still underway... or perhaps there's a lot of content still to come. We’re talking about experience, right?

Emma

Definitely experience - and honesty too! If a big final push is needed in the remaining two months, communicate with your class (and IB Coordinator). These are IB Diploma Programme students, after all. They will want to succeed in a positive manner and they might even have suggestions to help you get there. One idea might be setting activities and interactive textbook pages so that students can work at their own pace and you can provide small-group support as needed. We're all in the same boat.

And, of course, you can be adjusting all the time for the next cohort.

Tim

So there you have it! 'Tim's Tip' worthy advice! The people working hard in your lessons should be the students and not you. Your job is to work hard in the planning to get the scaffold right so that they can work hard and construct understandings for themselves.

Emma

Nicely said!