I think, therefore IB

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.”

Carl Gustav Jung

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick update on how I think the roll-out of the new Guide is going.

The more I teach from the New Guide, the more I realise it requires far more careful handling when it comes to classroom communication and student tasks than the old one. It’s not just about changing what we teach, it’s about changing how we talk to students about it and standardizing language.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks I’ve encountered is terminology.

The 3Cs (Content, Concepts, and Contexts) may seem clear to us as teachers, but in practice, they cause confusion, especially with EAL students. This is because each of these words already has familiar meanings and etymologies outside of their specific IB usage. If we’re not intentional with language, students end up blurring these lines and losing precision in their understanding. 

I’ve found it helps to standardise how we use these terms in class:

• Context refers only to the four Context Units. For anything else, I deliberately use the phrase “in the area of…”. I explain the idea of Contexts to students by stating that it is just another word for “Topic” or “Unit”. I wish the IB would go back to old fashioned, basic language rather than co-opt existing words and attempt to recalibrate what they mean. But here we are! 

• Content refers strictly to the knowledge from the three Approaches. For other situations, I use the word “material”.
  
• Concept refers only to the six IB Concepts and their related terms (see posters). For everything else, I use the word “ideas”.
  

This kind of language discipline might seem like a small detail, but it has made a noticeable difference in how clearly students understand the course and how confidently they approach assessment tasks. I now have students pausing before speaking to make sure they get the language right. I don’t like this hesitancy (particularly from my EALs) but this has been caused by the wording of the Guide not by anything we are doing wrong. 

Eventually, it will help reduce unnecessary cognitive load because students will know exactly what I mean when I say “Concept” or “Context.” 

My sense is that, with this Guide, the clarity of teacher language matters more than ever. As we move deeper into the new assessment structure, precision in communication will be as important as precision in content. I am looking more than ever to decorate my classroom with posters which offer basic and clear meanings for the new vocabulary. Find attached the Concept posters. 

---