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School visits

If you are interested in Stephanie Lacher, Zena Lawton & Rebecca Pickard visiting your school to work with teachers and/or students, please contact us.

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PPS matters7 December 2022

Looking for new ideas?PPS is an exciting course that is always evolving if you let it. Many CP educators talk about 'embracing the messiness' which can feel somewhat daunting. This page puts a spotlight... more

Personal and Professional Skills 7 December 2022

What is PPS?Personal and Professional Skills is a compulsory component of the CP core: a 90 hour course of personal and professional transferable skills for students to develop over the two years of the... more

Reflective Project 7 December 2022

What is the reflective project?The reflective project is one of the four elements that make up the core programme unique to the CP. Focusing on the process as much as the product, it is an independent... more

Applied Ethics7 December 2022

Applied EthicsApplied Ethics is one of the PPS themes so belongs very much in the company of Personal Development, Effective Communication, Thinking Processes and Intercultural Understanding. However... more

Planning and process management7 December 2022

Planning permissionThe student's planning skills, throughout the reflective project experience, must not to be overlooked. This ensures that the process does not just become about the final piece but... more

Career-related Programme7 December 2022

Welcome to the ThinkIB CP website!Access free teaching ideas, resources and advice on the reflective project. This autumn, the focus is on developing resources for the Personal and Professional Skills... more

Supervising 15 April 2022

Changing The Supervisor-Student DynamicSupervisory sessions can be made more dynamic with user-friendly activities and tools to support discussions. Students can receive up to five hours of supervisory... more

Self assessment25 May 2020

Self assessment and Proofreading: underestimated skillsThe stage between between receiving feedback from their supervisor on their only draft and producing the final piece can often lose momentum, especially... more

Thinking Processes 7 December 2022

Thinking ProcessesStudents need to develop and be able to utilise a wide range of thinking skills to be able to thrive. This page introduces this theme and demonstrates different directions it can be... more

Ethical Thinking 6 July 2022

What is Ethical Thinking?At the heart of ethical thinking is the ability to consider the dynamics of people, actions and consequences in a balanced way. Developing ethical thinking is a complex process... more

Giving feedback6 October 2021

What feedback can you give to students?This is the most asked question when it comes to the drafting stage of the reflective project. Perhaps it should come as a relief to supervisors that they are not... more

Assessing the reflective project: exemplars24 June 2020

How are the students assessed?There are different ways of interacting with the reflective project as explored in Giving feedback and Supervising too. This page will build in additional resources that... more

Effective Communication 7 December 2022

Effective CommunicationBeing an effective communicator is a key capability for the workplaces of the future. This page introduces this theme and demonstrates different directions it can be taken in. New... more

Service learning IRL7 December 2022

What does Service Learning look like in reality?Arguably the biggest selling point of the CP is its flexibility and every school globally creates a programme suited to their context; there is not a one... more

Designing the core programme7 December 2022

Using PPS to join the dotsThe CP core is what makes this programme stand out, made up of unique elements. The Personal and Professional Skills course, to use a favourite analogy, is the mothership of... more

Service Learning activities 5 December 2022

Supporting a flexible process with the learning outcomesStart with the learning outcomes. Some of the learning outcomes are more prominent than others and get visited far more in service learning - this... more

Ethical dimensions, issues and dilemmas. 6 July 2022

Finding the ethical dimension, issue and dilemmaBeore students, can find a suitable ethical issue and dilemma to analyse critically at the centre of the reflective project process, teachers need to feel... more

Structuring the project31 May 2022

Structuring a project to meet the criteriaIt is always a little dangerous suggesting a structure to students to write their reflective project with; hard and fast rules on how they develop points can... more

Starting the project11 August 2021

Getting students startedStudents need to take ownership of their reflective projects; this page is about kickstarting the reflective project and establishing the Researcher's Reflection Space with recognising... more

Personal Development7 December 2022

Personal DevelopmentThe personal development of the student is clearly paramount in the CP. This page introduces the theme for students to find their motivation, vision and 'buy-in' they need for their... more

Start here7 December 2022

A warm welcome to you allThis site contains everything you need to establish and build the IB Career-related Programme in your context. Your one stop shop for all things CP. Teaching Personal and Professional... more

Core overview7 December 2022

Developing core needsThe Career-related Programme core makes the programme unique. It is a substantial course designed to focus on the individual students' needs and personal and professional development.... more

Language learning and intercultural understanding5 December 2022

Why does language learning matter so much?This page takes a step back for students to consider language development, language acquisition and linguistic skills in a broader more conceptual way that links... more

Ethical dimension: Biomedical science4 December 2022

ETHICS: The incredible legacy of Henrietta Lacks2021 marked the centenary of the birth of Henrietta Lacks whose HeLa cells have had the most extraordinary impact on the world and arguably helped save... more

The Process 4 November 2022

The journey and not the destinationIt can be very easy to read the criteria of the Reflective Project and see their main function primarly to mark the end product. However, they indicate the actual process... more

Creating a Research Question15 April 2022

Why does the research question matter so much?Without the right research question, there is a limit to how successful the whole reflective project can be. Yes, students will still have the opportunity... more

Understanding 'Truth'28 February 2022

The nature of 'truth' in 2021Here, we start to chip away at the idea of truth and how finding it in today's world demands highly developed critical thinking tools. Whilst the intention is to provide sources... more

Real world issues and dilemmas7 December 2022

What's making the headlines?It's good to remain flexible throughout the PPS course to incorporate what is going on in the news. This keeps the PPS course dynamic and relevant. You cannot predict when... more

Intercultural Understanding7 December 2022

Intercultural UnderstandingStudents explore the significance of cultural identity and diversity as the ability to understand and appreciate multiple cultural perspectives leads to highly effective and... more

Coordinating the CP7 December 2022

An introduction to the CP Coordinator roleIf you are reading this, chances are you are either considering taking on the role of CP coordinator at your school or are new to the role. There could be a chance... more

Personal and Professional Skills5 December 2022

The course that guides the student experiencePersonal and Professional Skills is a unique course that sets the CP apart from many other pathways. This is a place for a student to develop personal and... more

Starting discussions and debates4 December 2022

Building skills through discussionA key way to develop confidence in personal and professional skills and foster curiosity is through continuous debate and discussion about the world around us. A PPS... more

Reviewing RP results21 November 2022

Building on last year's performanceLike any subject, understanding the reflective project and how it should be delivered needs consistent yearly review. Sometimes it can feel like you've cracked it, only... more

More on Critical Thinking14 July 2022

Expanding your understanding and use of critical thinkingWe all know that critical thinking is an essential part of the reflective project process and mark allocation. Students are brilliant critical... more

Interviews and the ethical employee11 July 2022

Interview skillsThe notion of an interview can be a scary prospect because it symbolises a step into the unknown and very much about risk-taking. At the heart of any interview scenario is being able to... more

The Options20 April 2022

Guiding students to the right option for themIt can be tempting to consider one option easier than the other; what is right for the student must come first and care should be taken to guiden them to make... more

Writing skills 9 JIB Docs (2) Teamary 2022

The writing process can be difficult Irrespective of which option the student chooses to take, they will have to utilise writing skills for the reflective project. This can be daunting to anticipate;... more

Exercises in Empathy17 December 2021

Is empathy a skill we can learn?Understanding empathy can be tricky - least of all differentiating it from sympathy. Through the work of neuro psychologists and academics, we explore its definition and... more

Responding to change 29 JIB Docs (2) Teamary 2021

Responding to change in the worldThe ongoing global pandemic has brought to the forefront of young people's minds that change on a mass scale can happen seemingly overnight. What can we learn from ways... more

Research skills7 December 2022

Research for the FutureThe reflective project is perfect opportunity to establish research practices that will prepare the student for both higher education and future employment. The student must carry... more

CP matters7 December 2022

Relevant CP tips and tricks for coordinators and CP teachersHere you will topical chat and news about all things CP; from detailed tips on what the standards and practices look like in real life to monthly... more

Reflective Project5 December 2022

The Reflective ProjectThe Reflective Project is an extended project akin to the extended essay in the DP where students have an opportunity to explore an ethical dilemma connected to their career-related... more

Critical Thinking14 July 2022

How do you help students access critical thinking?Critical thinking can sound scary and unattainable for students but it is a lot more accessible than they imagine. Returning to the learner profile to... more

Reflective Project Skills 7 December 2022

Developing reflective project skillsThe reflective project demands students develop a number of complex skills. It can be hard to juggle especially with every student's needs different from the next.... more

Language Development5 December 2022

Language DevelopmentMaking up on of the four key core elements, Language Development celebrates the individual's unique lifelong relationship with language learning and intercultural understanding. The... more

Topics: Vaccine mandates & sport23 June 2022

News Story in focus: Novak Djokovic v the Australian GovernmentThe ongoing argument between the number one tennis player and the Australian Government has had been more dramatic than any tense 5 set final... more

Reflective Thinking21 February 2022

Reflection as a ProcessReflection is generally seen as an exercise in looking back on what has been done. The part that is missed out is to use this knowledge to shape what can be done in the future.... more

Topics: Olympics, social media & Free Speech4 December 2022

Opinion: Yes, Kamila Valieva should be skating in BeijingBig sporting events usually see a fair share of controversy - the Winter Olympics held in Beijing was no different. The familiar ethical issue... more

Quick Takeaways: Applied Ethics2 December 2022

Applied Ethics takeaways accessible to all teachersOn this page you will find easily accessible activities for Applied Ethics that get students talking, presenting, debating and creating. These activities... more