How We Work
I wanted to take a moment to share with you some strategies that we have implemented in preparing our students for the IBDP exams, which resulted in their excellent performance in the recent M23 exams.
Topical testing after each sub topic eg Measures of central tendency, or integration by substitution where all possible questions are set from past papers using IB Question bank.
Weekly personalised attention to each student on their areas of improvement. The students book sessions in a Google sheet.
Sharing resources with students through Google spaces, especially pdf notes and ppt slides, prepared by myself.
During every holiday, we could print an assignment booklet to keep students on toes.
We started IAs in DP 2 summers, and tasks were given in chunks and closely supervised with strict deadlines. For example, when to do an introduction, when to talk about data collection and analysis, etc.
Peer teaching and marking in class to allow students to express ideas their own way, especially after covering a topic.
Collaboration with other teachers in planning, implementing, and assessing the syllabus content.
Using a mixture of resources to make slides, eg, save my exams, Christos, maths surgery, Oxford books, Pearson books, Hodder books, Revision Village, etc.
Being an examiner, teaching with the end in mind and hence showing students in each sub topic what the examiner may want.
Constant assurance to the students that everyone will pass, which change their attitude towards the subject and built their confidence.
- Use of past grade boundaries to create an impression that it’s easy to get a 5 and above.
In addition to the strategies mentioned above, here are two more approaches that proved beneficial:
Interactive Online Quizzes: we incorporate interactive online quizzes into our teaching methodology. These quizzes are designed to assess students’ understanding of key concepts and to provide immediate feedback. Platforms like Kahoot, Kognity or Quizizz were used to create engaging quizzes that made learning enjoyable. The quizzes were aligned with the IB syllabus and previous exam papers, enabling students to familiarize themselves with the format of the questions. The competitive nature of the quizzes also fostered a sense of excitement and motivation among the students.
Revision Workshops: As the exam date approached, we organize revision workshops for my students. These sessions are focus on consolidating their knowledge and honing their exam techniques. We provide them with comprehensive revision materials, including summary notes, formula sheets, and practice questions from a variety of sources. During the workshops, we review challenging topics, clarify doubts, and discuss effective strategies for tackling different question types. The workshops not only enhance their content knowledge but also instill confidence in their exam-taking abilities.
I believe that by implementing these strategies, our students are well-prepared and confident when facing the exams.
In summary, the combination of thorough topic testing, personalized attention, resource sharing, assignment booklets, structured IA guidance, peer teaching, collaboration with other teachers, diverse resources, exam-oriented teaching, constant assurance, and past grade boundary analysis, along with interactive online quizzes and revision workshops, contributed to their success.
Feel free to adopt these strategies or adapt them to suit your teaching style and the needs of your students. If you have any questions or need further clarification on any of these strategies, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am more than happy to assist you in any way I can.