[SUIS Gubei] Creating Brilliant Learners through Brilliant Teachers

At SUIS Gubei we believe it is very important to invest in high quality professional development (PD) from authorised sources. All of our teachers are encouraged to sign up for suitable courses that relate to their subject/area of expertise. This is a requirement for an authorised IB DP school and also for running Cambridge Examinations, as well as our other external examinations. In addition, we believe it’s essential to ensure our teachers knowledge is current and is continually developing. This PD can come in different forms..face to face where our teachers travel to meet and train with other teachers in China or beyond usually lasting for 2/3 days, virtual, where teachers interact in live time via zoom or online, which is completed individually over a period of time. Sometimes teachers will complete this at weekends or holidays, and sometimes it’s during school time. If a teacher is absent they may be doing PD.

These are some examples of our teachers PD this year…

—— Vice Principal, Mr Bunting

English Department

Gavin Farrell

The Qingdao Amerasia International School (QAIS) hosted an IB training event in November which I attended. Titled Igniting the IB DP, Amerasia welcomed over 100 IB Diploma Program Teachers from across the Asia Pacific region. I was eager to join this face-to-face training so I could interact with my peers, visit another international school, and enjoy the Friday evening buffet at the Hyatt. I’ve had enough of online education in the last few years and I was keen to finally take some training in a traditional manner. The sessions were engaging and informative. Rooms were organized by subject so I was able to get a full day of sessions devoted to English A. Especially informative was the session on selecting texts for the English curriculum, where we looked at how three time periods need to be included, how works in translation need to be included, and other requirements. I made connections with IB teachers I met from Dulwich College Beijing, Shanghai American School, and Boston International School in Wuxi and I look forward to expanding my network at future training events.

Mathematics Department

Agrix Neri Go

“My Journey to Excellence: Embarking on Xiehe Education Center’s 12th Star Project Training Program”

I decided to take part in the Xiehe Education Center 12th STAR PROJECT Training Program from April to December 2023, wanting to grow as both an educator and leader. Throughout those months, I immersed myself in a program that shaped my skills and knowledge.In this journey, I learned a crucial lesson about adaptability. Like superheroes facing different challenges, I discovered how important it is for educators to be flexible in how they teach, meeting the diverse needs of students.The training also emphasized something equally important: good communication and working together. These skills are like building blocks for being a successful leader and educator.This training significantly influenced my teaching methods, highlighting the importance of active engagement in the learning process. I realized the necessity of being proactive in creating an interactive classroom environment to enhance student learning.

Improving as an educator and mentor is an ongoing journey. The training equipped me with tools to be a more effective mentor to both my students and fellow educators. I learned the significance of empathy and active listening; enabling me to better understand the unique needs and aspirations of those I mentor. As a result, I’ve been able to provide more targeted guidance, ultimately helping my students and colleagues reach their full potential.As the head of my department, I bear the responsibility to lead by example and nurture an environment of growth and innovation. The training equipped me with necessary leadership skills, increasing my awareness of the importance of leading with integrity and vision.My experience from the Xiehe Education Center 12th STAR PROJECT Training Program has been transformative, shaping me as a teacher, an educator, and the head of my department.

Science Department

Gilbert Owusu

Between November 1-3, 2023, I attended a online workshop dubbed “Leading and Managing Teams”. It was organised by Ibicus in cooperation with the IB Global Centre, The Hague, and were lead by experienced practioners of the IB.This workshop was very insightful to me particularly because I had been promoted to a new position which required that I had the needed training and tools to help me lead my team. Different participants from different backgrounds joined the workshop and was a great opportunity to learn from all of the especially the ones who already had an extensive leadership experience. On returning to school or work, I applied and still continueing to appIy most of the things I learned from the workshop. I would recommend this workshop to any leader or potential leader!

Jon Mundy

I undertook an online CPD course in Biology, specific to marking, critiqueing and creating feedback around exams to best support students for when they come to undertake exams themselves. I decided on this specific CPD as a way to better my understanding of the assessments in the iGCSE course, having not taught the curriculum previously. It was a useful endevour that opened up a lot of different avenues that I hadn’t previously thought about and was great for collating ideas from different disciplines and many different teaching locations across the world.

Linda Ferrante

My participation in the recent online course, “Introduction Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) (0970) 2023-2025 Syllabus,” conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Education from October 11th to November 19th. I chose this online course due to its flexibility, which allowed me to engage in learning while managing my responsibilities as a teacher. The course provided an enriching and insightful experience, allowing me to delve deeper into the intricacies of the IGCSE Biology syllabus. One of the highlights was the opportunity to engage with fellow educators from various backgrounds, facilitating invaluable discussions and the exchange of innovative teaching methodologies. Additionally, having access to the course tutor for guidance and advice was immensely beneficial, further enhancing my understanding and confidence in delivering the curriculum effectively. Throughout the course, we discussed various aspects, including what a comprehensive lesson plan should include, how to effectively utilize a scheme of work, and methods for performing specific initial assessments. With a total of 25 credit hours, the course has equipped me with enhanced knowledge and resources to better support the academic growth and success of our students in Biology.

Humanities Department

Cameron Huckabee

February 20th-22nd, I participated in the Virtual IB Geography Category 2 workshop which was led by Evelina Mrcoczkowska. In the past I was advised to participate in a Virtual History Category 2 workshop, due to the interactivity it allowed and the information shared between other IB teachers within the same subject. Therefore, this time I also chose to participate in the virtual training format versus an online training format due to the opportunities virtual training gives to interact with other teachers. Specifically teachers, who either have experience teaching IB Geography or, like me, are new to teaching IB Geography and are facing the same learning curve I am experiencing. I view the connections made and resources shared amongst teachers, at this workshop, as invaluable to my improving as an IB Geography teacher.During the this workshop we covered a huge variety of topics ranging from conceptual learning, contextual learning, and the skills Geography students require, to assessing short answer responses and assessing extended answer responses. The most valuable topics we covered were the Geography EE, mark questions, and the Geography IA. My workshop leader has taught in the IB for many years, is an IB examiner, and an EE coordinator. Therefore, she was able to provide many tips and experienced based examples of how to help students improve their scores in these areas. Therefore I am grateful for the opportunity I received to participate in this workshop.

Visual Arts Department

Allison Cusato

The department chose this PD because none of us has had training in supervising the Extended Essay. We felt it would greatly help us to know a little more about what is expected of the Visual Arts essay in particular as far as content goes, and we hoped to learn helpful hints on what makes a Visual Arts EE exceptional. The course was a self-led professional development that is accessible online through the myib.org website.The modules were easy to navigate and offered very helpful samples with a guided explanation of the marks each sample was given. It was surprising to find out just how much influence the title or guiding question had over the overall mark of the essay. I learnt that a more narrow research topic helped to sculpt a more effective essay allowing students to not get lost in the research. I also was given a good reminder to constantly return to the research topic to make sure that the student is indeed focused on answering the question and isn’t confused or off topic as this will cause a deduction of marks.

Keith Blake

I undertook two workshops during this academic year: ‘Visual Arts (Category 3)’ and ‘Supervising Your Visual Arts Extended Essay’. The ‘Visual Arts (Category 3)’ was by far the best IB Professional Development workshop I have attended thus far. I chose the virtual format for this workshop because it provides me with the opportunity to meet other professionals who have more experience than me and who can share what they have learned and provide me with suggestions on how I can improve my teaching practice. Another advantage is that I can do this from the comfort of my own home! As a visual arts teacher in an IB-affiliated international school, I sometimes find it difficult to devise strategies that effectively implement the IB’s philosophy in my lessons, and I sometimes feel disheartened as a result. Luckily, this workshop was led by a knowledgeable workshop leader who provided me with pragmatic strategies that I have already begun to put into effect. Lately, I feel encouraged to be more innovative in my approach to teaching, and this is the result of interacting with other passionate educators from around the world during the workshop. If I were asked to pinpoint the moments during the workshop that had the most impact, I would undoubtedly say it was when participants shared how they overcame the challenges that they encountered in their teaching practice. I wrote over twelve pages of notes that I still refer to today.The second workshop, ‘Supervising Your Visual Arts Extended Essay’ was online. I really enjoy online workshops. It allows the participants more flexibility, which is especially important during those times of the year when educators are burdened with a huge workload (as I was in December, when I began the workshop). This workshop was very informative, and it helped me better understand the purpose of the Extended Essay. I find that I am more capable of guiding my students and providing them with advice that helps them avoid the pitfalls that I have seen students encounter in the past. I especially enjoyed reading the Visual Arts Extended Essay examples provided.

Natalie Percival

As an educator, I opted for the Visual Arts IBDP Online training to enhance my teaching skills and stay up to date with the latest advancements in the field. Choosing virtual online IB training provided me with the flexibility to learn at my own pace and access resources conveniently. Throughout the training, these positive outcomes emerged that I can incorporate into my teaching. Firstly, I gained a deeper understanding of how to effectively deliver each component of Visual Arts to the students, expanding their creative horizons with effective learning strategies. Secondly, the instructor introduced the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the curriculum, emphasising the most effective approaches to deliver this content to students, enabling them to maximise their authentic engagement with AI. Finally, the training highlighted the significance of fostering interdisciplinary connections. Engaging in insightful discussions with IB Art educators from across the globe proved highly advantageous, as we shared best practices and exchanged ideas on how to cultivate creative thinking within the classroom. Drawing from these enriching conversations, I can seamlessly integrate new perspectives into my lessons, thereby offering my students a more holistic and enhanced learning experience. Overall, the Visual Arts IB Online training was a valuable experience that will undoubtedly enrich my teaching of the IBDP course.

Tina Liao

To enhance our understanding of the Visual Arts Extended Essay, our Head of Department (HoD) enrolled us in an online self-paced training program called ‘Supervising your Visual Arts Extended Essay’. This training program offers flexibility, as it does not have strict deadlines, allowing me to study during my available time, balancing work and study commitments.The workshop was an insightful and comprehensive experience, shedding light on the process of effectively supervising and guiding students through their Visual Arts Extended Essays. By dissecting each criterion specifically for Visual Arts EE and providing concrete EE samples with examiner comments, I gained a clearer understanding of the strong evidence students should provide in their own EEs. This knowledge enables me to assist my Visual Arts students in producing high-quality extended essays that demonstrate their expertise and skills in the field.

Music Department

Hernan Castro

IB DP CATEGORIE 2Training on-site, Hong Kong, Fab 17 to 19, 2024The whole department went for this onsite training for many reasons, among them:to deepen our understanding of the new music program,and to analyze all the components of the new music program.to understand the characteristics of the assessment process for each of the components.During this workshop, the three department members were able to bounce ideas and questions with 25 other music teachers from across the Asian-pacific area, from more than 10 different countries and regions.This kind of interaction was invaluable for the department as a whole, it allowed us to reflect on the methods we have been using and expand our teaching criteria to follow more closely with the latest developments in the still-new music program.

With our coordinator’s help, we could work on each of the music components of the IBDP music program, getting into the smaller details that will facilitate our students’ growth and success in the program. Learning which practices are better suited to our reality.I believe that this experience was enhanced by having all the music department participate, it allowed us to create better teaching processes to be practically used in classrooms school-wide, as fast as possible. This in return will generate better products for each component and, in fact, better marks and better students.

Joanne Tay

The SUIS-GB Music team is grateful for the opportunity to have attended the Music Category II IB workshop in Hong Kong from February 17 to 19th, hosted by the Renaissance College. Although it took up a weekend in the Lunar New Year holidays, we were very quickly immersed in the festivities (they arranged a lion dance) and the liveliness of our colleagues from all over the world.We loved the chance to network amongst like-minded teachers and were relieved that our daily problems were not only our own, but shared by many others. The facilitator was an experienced individual who opened the floor for many honest opinions and debates. It was absolutely useful to have the entire team on board to facilitate discussions, brainstorm, bounce ideas off each other in our context, and most importantly, help in team bonding- we highly recommend this! We have all had online workshops but felt that it was time to do an important one face-to-face. The social chat group set up thereafter also helps us remain relevant and ask questions on the go.Fun fact and takeaway- there are always many complaints about our school’s canteen food but lo and behold, we learned that ours is not bad at all!

Susan Qin

I took part in the IB Asia Pacific Scheduled Event in Hong Kong 17-19 February 2024, this was supported by SUIS Gubei, and my aim is to train myself in order to be a qualified IB music teacher. Before this event, I have attended the category I training a year ago, and was hoping to develop a lot more in this category II.In this training, I learned the importance of the language in IB music learning. In order to finish the project in a good manner, the student needs to go out of their comfort zones. As a teacher, we firstly need to understand the IB language, as the fact that those terms need to be applied in their research paper.During the training, I finally got the chance to understand IB music in depth. It is a lot more helpful than just by reading the IB guide. Especially for the subject of music, it is very different from the other subjects. The examiner has shown us a few examples from previous years, that part was helpful too.Overall, I found that this type of training very helpful for my teaching method, and hopefully I can attend more in the future. It was a fun brainstorm experience after all.

Theatre Department

Rachael Laney

IB Theatre Singapore TrainingI was very fortunate to be able to attend an incredible IB Theatre training held at Dulwich International School, Singapore in October 2023. Here I spent three invaluable days going through the curriculum content, expectations, project examples and exam deadlines and criteria. It was run by a phenomenal IB examiner who went through all of the material with examples and very helpful insight to the course and how in general IB Theater is beneficial to students for their future endeavors. I was able to meet likeminded and passionate teachers from all over Asia to discuss ideas and to make contact with for events, assistance and a continuing friendship. This opportunity was invaluable for me as a teacher and my professional development and allows me to support the incredible talented theatre students here at SUIS Gubei.

Physical Education Department

Andre Pinto

The PE department recently completed a comprehensive online course facilitated by Cambridge International Education, focusing on the new IGCSE PE curriculum offered by SUIS Gubei. During the course, our educators were deeply immersed in the syllabus, honed their understanding of various topics, exchanged insights with other teachers worldwide, and gained valuable knowledge from other professionals. This immersive experience proved highly beneficial for our PE department, providing diverse perspectives and equipping us with new instructional tools to enhance the delivery of the new IGCSE course to our students.Moreover, the course enhanced our pedagogical skills, ensuring that we are equipped with effective teaching strategies tailored to the IGCSE PE curriculum. We also updated our knowledge base, staying level with the latest advancements and methodologies in physical education. The knowledge and skills gained from the course translate into a richer learning experience for our students, as we are better equipped to create engaging lessons and support their overall development in physical education.

TOK

Bryan Tee

Last September 2023, the school signed up two new TOK teachers, Mr. Tee and Mr. Vezin, from the mathematics department to attend Introductory Theory of Knowledge (TOK) workshop online. It was an opportunity that filled them with excitement and curiosity, and they’re thrilled to share their experience with you.They interacted with teachers from different corners of the globe, gathered virtually, exploring TOK. Guided by knowledgeable experts, they explored into thought-provoking discussions centered around the question, “How do we really know what we claim to know?”Even though it was conducted online for 3 days, it came with its own set of challenges as they were required to present their ideas as a group and communicating with other members sometimes is not smooth if done online. There was a strong sense of camaraderie and collaboration and the whole group was united by a shared passion for learning and discovery, and that made all the difference.As new TOK teachers, the workshop left them feeling empowered and confident in their ability to guide students on their intellectual journeys. They gained fresh insights and practical strategies to make learning more engaging and meaningful. They also talked about what they learned with other math teachers at one of their meetings. They all thought of ways to mix TOK ideas into math class, making it about more than just numbers. They wanted students to think hard and explore new ideas while learning.

Looking ahead, they’re thrilled to keep using TOK ideas in their classrooms, encouraging their students to ask questions, think hard, and enjoy learning. A heartfelt thank you to the school for providing them with this incredible opportunity. Let’s keep the spirit of curiosity alive and thriving here at SUIS Gubei!

CAS

AJ Deschaine

As a teacher, I have come to understand the importance of continuous professional development. Fortunately, SUIS Gubei fosters a positive atmosphere that is conducive to teachers developing new skills and knowledge. In the past two years, I have observed and interacted with my colleagues, inside and outside the classroom. I have gained a considerable amount of insight from these informal opportunities. There is always a multitude of things to learn from watching the different methods and strategies of other educators , especially in such a diverse workplace as SUIS Gubei, with teachers from all over the world.

In addition to the informal learning that comes from being immersed within the school, Gubei also hosts an in-house PD workshop over the weekend once a semester. Having attended a few of these now, it’s a great opportunity to hear from colleagues and educators from other SUIS campuses and share and discuss educational topics in great detail.The school also supports teachers to take workshops from the International Baccalaureate program directly. These workshops can be completed virtually or in person. Over the last year, I had the opportunity to take two such workshops – one on Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) and the other on Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Not only did I have the opportunity to learn about the principles and design of these programs, but I also had a chance to meet and discuss best practices with other IB educators from all over the world.

The CAS workshops provide invaluable insight into experiential learning, community engagement, and personal growth, not just for IB teachers and students, but for all life-long learners. I gained insights into the purpose and benefits of CAS, and how it aligns with the IB philosophy. I now feel better prepared to inspire and guide our students in their CAS endeavors.

The TOK workshop served as a forum to discuss the process of critical inquiry, and the interconnectedness of disciplines. I deepened my understanding of the role and purpose of TOK in IB schools and how it aids students in cultivating critical thinking skills. Meeting and discussing with other global TOK educators allowed for brainstorming on how to best integrate TOK, not only into the classroom, but into the school as a whole.Participating in workshops is an investment of time and energy, but has been well worth it. It demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning on the part of teachers and the school. This commitment fosters an atmosphere of excellence in the school community for all teachers, and more importantly for students who then benefit from the insight that teachers have gained. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to continue my PD journey in the upcoming semester.

Mohammed Zawid

Mr. Zawid, our EE Coordinator and Science teacher is a IB Workshop leader. He led two sessions of Professional Development (PD) for teachers of Xiehe Group schools during our internal PD Day, and also led IB Asia Pacific (IBAP) regional workshop for teachers of Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) this past weekend in India for teachers from various schools in IBAP countries. This IBAP workshop that Mr. Zawid led was the first of the series of Subject Specific Seminar (SSS) in the world for ESS subject, where teachers are trained regarding the recently changed ESS curriculum. He will lead another IBAP SSS on ESS this week in Pudong.