One thing that I’ve learned being an IB Age 3 teacher is it’s difficult to introduce the IB Learner Profiles, Attitudes, Concepts, Skills, and Action Cycle to the students. However, I believe it is possible and you can work them all in during Circle Time!
We first begin our day my choosing our Learner Profile for the day. The students come up one at a time and choose the Learner Profile they would like to work on for the day. I ask, “What Learner Profile will you Choose, Act and Reflect on today?” (Notice I also threw in the Action Cycle!) I ask this question to every student as they make their choice. The student then chooses and says, “I choose to be a (learner profile) and (a description of what the Learner Profile means).” Here is an example, “I choose to be a risk-taker and try new things. I choose to be principled and make the correct choices.” At first you will need to model this for the students. It may take several weeks for the students to be comfortable with all the Learner Profiles. It is important that you record everyday the student’s choice. This makes sure the student learns all the Learner Profiles and not just one. Here is a picture of our interactive Learner Profile Daily Choice Wall. I placed adhesive magnet strips on the wall and the student name. You do need strong magnets for this to work.
We then transition into choosing Our Responsibilities. They are normally called helpers but in an our IB Classroom we like to call them Our Responsibilities. I ask, “What will you be responsible for today?” The students respond with, “I will be responsible for the (Helper).” For example, “I will be responsible for being the lights helper/door holder/line leader.” Most importantly we are bringing in the IB Concept Responsibility.
Here is a picture of our circle time bulletin board. You’ll notice it includes the calendar (including yesterday, today and tomorrow sticks below the days), the Question of the Day folder and the I Wonder folder. Everyday we explore a new question, which always begins with I Wonder. The question is related to the day’s lesson, the Central Idea, or a Line of Inquiry. The I Wonder folder contains post its and pens. After our discussion about the question of the day I ask the students if they have any I Wonders. If they do, I write the students I Wonder on the post it including his/her name and the date. The student will then place his/her I Wonder on the Wonder Wall.
Here is a picture of our Wonder Wall. Every few weeks the students take their I Wonders off the Wonder Wall and put them in their portfolios. At the end of the year it’s amazing to see how their I Wonder’s have developed!
Also, during our circle time, on either Mondays or Fridays we complete a self assessment on the current Line of Inquiry we are focusing on. At the beginning of the year I ask the students questions about the current Line of Inquiry. We then discuss together what Level of Knowledge they are at. The students move their picture up as the grasp more Knowledge of the Line of Inquiry. (Look we are using more IB vocabulary, Knowledgable!) Here is a picture of how the students self assess themselves. (I snagged these adorable self assessment posters from Teachers Pay Teachers.)
We then transition into the weather and discussing/reviewing our curriculum goals. I currently use Caterpillars by Carson-Dellusa Publishing.
We also discuss as a class what IB Skills we will focus on. We discuss each skill as a group and choose two we will focus on. Two students then move the globes to the IB Skills we will use for the day. Of course you know we will use all the IB Skills throughout the day, but the goal is to have the students become aware of the IB Skills.
We then discuss our schedule, the various activities and specials we have planned. I use a picture schedule I purchased from Discount School Supply. I use a few pictures of the students and teachers, as well as, the pictures that came with the schedule. (I love this schedule!!)
To conclude our circle time we briefly discuss the various IB Attitude badges the students can earn throughout the day. Throughout the day if I or the students notice someone using an IB Attitude that student will receive the appropriate IB Attitude Badge to wear throughout the day. This encourages other students and teachers around the school at ask them how they earned the Badge. The students then choose centers.
IB Attitude Badges
Center Board (Science Center, Art Center, Library Center, Table Toys, Sand/Water Center, Dramatic Play, Listening Center, and iPad Center) Only 4 Centers are open at a time. The Centers that are open change daily. The students “choose” a center, “act”/play at the center, and then we “reflect” on what the students did in each center.
Ms. Twist's Classroom 