Category: Uncategorized
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Do you remember when teachers were agitated and dismayed and moaning into our Nescafe in the staffroom about Wikipedia? ‘Unreliable,’ we lamented. Wikipedia’s now become a relatively trusted and frequently visited website. It’s often the first stop for students (university and high school) researching assignments, adults checking a fact, and even journalists refreshing their memories.…
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Dual Processing Theory proposes that our thinking operates through two systems. System 1 is fast, automatic, and intuitive. It relies on gut feelings and mental shortcuts. System 2 is slower, deliberate, and analytical and it requires conscious effort and logical reasoning. System 1 helps us make quick decisions, but it’s also prone to bias and…
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If there is one debate that overshadows every other in education, it is the question of respect for teachers. Once regarded as pillars of the community, teachers today often find themselves dismissed, distrusted, and demoralised. And let’s be honest: some of this is unfair, but some of it is self-inflicted. Start with the basics: salaries.…
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Schools love a fad. Every decade or so, a new “miracle cure” for student stress, distraction, and bad behaviour sweeps through classrooms. Right now, that fad is mindfulness. Teachers dim the lights, tell kids to breathe deeply, and pretend that ten minutes of pseudo-meditation will fix everything from exam anxiety to playground bullying. Let’s be…
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Why is statistical scaling still used? All IB assessments—whether exams, internal assessments, Theory of Knowledge essays, Extended Essays, or CAS—are assessed using clearly defined criteria. These describe what a student must demonstrate to achieve a particular level of performance. For example, a criterion might state: “The student evaluates the implications of cultural dimensions on behaviour.”…
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Many of us in IB classrooms are noticing an increase in students using AI to ‘assist’ wirh their IAs, Extended Essays, and TOK essays. But the question isn’t how do we stop students using AI? The better question is: why are they turning to it in the first place? In most cases, AI use is…
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It’s time we moved beyond the blanket blame game that often paints boys and men as inherently problematic. The phrase “toxic masculinity” has become a catch-all for behaviors and attitudes that are, in many cases, symptoms of deeper social failures — not innate traits of maleness. Rather than pathologizing boys for being boys, we need…
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While much attention has been given to the mental health struggles of teenage girls in the UK — often rightly so — there is growing concern that boys’ mental health needs are being neglected in schools due to a focus on targeted support for girls. Pseudo-reality television programmes like Adolescence do nothing for the mental…
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As a teacher, I’ve seen my share of tense parent-school exchanges. But the recent case in Hertfordshire, England, where two parents were arrested after expressing concerns about their daughter’s school in a private WhatsApp group, is beyond belief. Let’s pause for a moment: this didn’t happen in Myanmar or Russia. This happened in 2025 Britain.…
I think, therefore IB 