For the past six weeks, our Year 6 team have embarked on a journey of collaborative risk-taking, problem-solving and a whole lot of critical and creative thinking. We are piloting a new model for MYP 1 at our College called The Year 6 Learning Community. The focus is on creating a program that nurtures the... Continue Reading →
(A post I composed last year via Medium). This week our College is in mourning. One of our Year 8 students, Tom, tragically passed away on the weekend. The start of the semester has been a painful one for our students and teachers. We have felt the intense loss and injustice of a young life... Continue Reading →
I first read For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, and the Rest of Ya’ll Too by Dr. Christopher Emdin two years ago, and I was just enamored with the #HipHopEd approach to intentionally creating empowering learning experiences that draw on the intersection of youth culture and education. This book has been a constant... Continue Reading →
I have the pleasure of teaching a Language and Literature class of lovely, chatty and very social Year 9 students, 18 males and 6 females, all very curious, perceptive young people who are developing as analytical thinkers and soulful writers. Currently, we are engaging in a unit titled Intertextuality Study through the key concept of... Continue Reading →
Last year I purchased Intention: Critical Creativity in the Classroom by Amy Burvall and Dan Ryder. This book has become a constant in all my planning, teaching and yes, even assessing. Now that I am back in the blissful role as a Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 Language and Literature teacher - having stepped... Continue Reading →
An IB education values the world as the broadest context for learning. Through the conceptual nature of our curriculum set within global contexts, as MYP teachers it is our responsibility and privilege to ensure that all classroom learning is relevant beyond the classroom. A challenge, yes, but crucial to our role as IB educators. A... Continue Reading →
The pedagogical approach to teaching and learning within the MYP is concept-driven and inquiry-based, set within global contexts. Teaching and learning in the MYP involves understanding concepts in context. The global contexts provide a common language across our schools and MYP schools for powerful contextual learning. The global contexts are a way in which the... Continue Reading →
Last year I read For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and the Rest of Y’All Too by Dr. Christopher Emdin. I was captivated by the idea of reality pedagogies, such a simple and yet powerful approach to teaching and learning. I was particularly inspired by Dr. Emdin’s emphasis on creating classrooms as communities... Continue Reading →
I have the pleasure of teaching in a semi-rural T-12 school in the Top End of Australia. Our environmental context is rough and this time of year our weather is either oppressively hot and humid or beautifully monsoonal. A vast number of our students spend their weekends on their quad bikes or motorbikes, traipsing all... Continue Reading →
I stumbled upon this image and quote on the Instagram page of Californian Hip-Hop artist, Propaganda (@prophiphop), several months ago. Unity is not uniform ... I was intrigued by the possibilities of this idea: unity is not uniform. This idea is not just relevant for much needed social movements, but can be transferred to multiple... Continue Reading →
The Heart, Head, and Hands of Learning 