Strelitz teachers have been teaching in a different way this year. As an International Baccalaureate Candidate school, teachers have reframed their learning goals for the year to fit into one of the
six transdisciplinary themes
established by the IB.
The first theme that our teachers incorporated into their classroom is:
‘Who We Are’.
The IB defines this theme as: ‘An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships, including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.’ All age levels, from infants through Year 5 inquired into this theme in their own way:
Strelitz infants
focused on how trust can cultivate growth and independence.
Strelitz toddlers
inquired into learning about themselves.
EY2's
focused on how self-awareness facilitates growth.
EY3's
explored what it meant to be part of a classroom community.
EY4's
are learning about each other through ‘family of the week.’
Kindergarten
delved into the relationships we make through our culture and traditions.
Year 1
students focused on the connections we make with one another.
Year 2
students learned about how location and values shape our lives.
Year 3
inquired into our growth at home, school and as Jews.
Year 4
inquired into how groups of people change over time.
Year 5
focused on our rights and responsibilities as members of a community.
Each year level builds upon the previous year to culminate in a deep understanding of who we are.
This new teaching approach has been both challenging and invigorating for teachers (or
advisors
in the IB terminology) and students. Teachers have given our students more choice and say in what they would like to learn. They have also taken a different role from being the holder of knowledge to a facilitator in finding knowledge. Our goal with this teaching approach, in addition to incorporation of the
ten learner profile attributes
, is to cultivate life-long learners who can comfortably navigate an ever changing global society.
