PYP Exhibition - Judy Imamudeen

Parents-Friends or Foes during the PYP Exhibition? (#PYPX)

By Judy Imamudeen | March 29, 2023 | Comments 0 Comment

I don’t know about you, but school just hasn’t been the same since COVID. There have been numerous accounts of parents overreacting to curriculum and over involvement in school. I don’t quite understand the roots of polemic attitudes towards school, but so many educators face skeptical families who feel like every classroom lesson contains a political statement, every book has a hidden agenda and curriculum is now a festooned act of indoctrination. This strange extremist view is unfamiliar to many of our IB schools, who prize open-mindedness and free thinking, in which in pre-covid times had a lovely community spirit that had a common goal for a better more peaceful world. It’s an unfortunate situation if you find yourself in one of these school communities in which educators are now being vilified.

But I think to recede from working with our families (even the whingers and fault-finders) is a mistake. I think we can’t say that we are living our IB mission without engaging fully with community. This moment, albeit tense, will eventually come back into equilibrium, in which the family-educator bond of trust will be healed. We have to keep the faith and do the work to ensure that a more sane and harmonious time is on the horizon. We owe it to our children’s future to act compassionately, to be a model of our IB Learner Profile.

So it was for this reason why our school invited parents into the process of PYPX. In the past our school had used them as mentors, and they were excellent resources for our students, so making them more involved wasn’t a big stretch for us. In addition to our PYPX Parent Coffee, we host a Family Inquiry day, in which families come in and explore the UN’s Sustainable Goals, brainstorming topics. It is a powerful moment to observe, as parents see their child’s passion shine through and the child experienced how beneficial it can be to consider parent ideas and opportunities for action with them. We feel that including family in the process of helping their children to develop their exhibition topic is a win-win for everyone. I’m really proud of the work that our teachers did to facilitate these conversations, and amazed by how supportive and collaborative our families are. Here are a few scenes from the event:

Needless to say, when you witness such a powerful moment, you want to share it with others. So, if you haven’t considered inviting parents into the process with an event like our Family Inquiry Day, I would like you to consider 3 reasons why you might want to rethink that approach.

Improves student well-being

With the demands of this project, PYPX is by far one of the most stressful events that a child can go through. Of course we know that this inquiry project helps them grow in so many ways as we support their ability to develop emotional resilience and intellectual stamina. But when we add parents into the mix, students feel more supported and confident, realizing that they aren’t alone on this journey–they get to share it with their loved ones. Even if they go through a rough patch during this process, it is a comfort for them to know that not only do they have their teachers and mentors who understand what they are going through, but the families also have a clearer picture and can be of greater help.

Encourages meaningful action

Naturally when students can stay more focused and can self-regulate their stress levels, they can put more of their attention toward generating meaningful action. And parents can get involved with helping them to make connections with organizations and foster relevant service for their local community. So launching the PYPX with parents in tow, is an excellent opportunity to motivate our students to do great work in our communities. I know that last year some of the best student action came from the groups in which parents were well aware of what the student was exploring; in fact some families banded together and worked with the PYPX group to join in the community service as well. The whole family might have volunteered at the animal shelter or worked

Builds relationships with families.

If you are a parent of a teenager, you may recognize the importance of this milestone moment for the student. For many parents, this is their last moment to really be engaged in their child’s learning. Their “baby” is becoming all grown up. We know that once students go to the MYP, there is an expectation that students don’t need any hand-holding. For parents, this can be a painful moment to accept, in which peers become more important and family relationships come in second place. As much as a parent may be eager for them to be independent and mature, it’s hard to stomach that they are becoming their own person, with different opinions and perspectives. Needless to say, giving families this moment to feel connected and involved helps to foster positive relationships that will last into those tumultuous teen years. This is a special moment in the parent-child relationship. Having parents active in the process can really help the student cross the threshold into adolescence.

Learning is a Team Sport

Our school mantra is “it takes a village” and it’s true. When educators and parents work together, it’s the students who win. When students are the center, it’s easy to work together. We want the learning and action developed in the PYPX to be sustainable and long-lastin. I think having parents involved is our insurance policy for our students going on to doing amazing things to improve the quality of life for all.

If you have thought that it was “breaking the rules” to include parents into the process, I would caution you to consider the impact it will have on the students and the wider learning community. Yes, you might have some overbearing parents who might try to micro-manage their child’s exhibition project, but perhaps you should weigh the pros and cons ahead of time. In the past I might have been adverse to this idea, but if we want to change the dynamic of enemy shift to ally, we need our families to go on this learning journey with us and understand the power of an IB education.

Please share in the comments below the ways in which your school involves parents in productive and meaningful ways during the PYPX. Growing our ability for partnership with families is vital for student success.

Judy Imamudeen

Developing learners as leaders is my joy! I am committed and passionate International Baccaluearate (IB) educator who loves cracking jokes, jumping on trampolines and reading books. When I’m not playing Minecraft with my daughter, I work on empowering others in order to create a future that works for everyone.

judyimamudeen.com

#PYP Exhibition: The Role of Mentors

By Judy Imamudeen | April 26, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

We often say that Exhibition is more about the process over the product, but we rarely recognize or value the relationships that the students have as the foundational piece of that process.

In the early weeks of December, we sat down as a team and created an essential agreement about the PYP Exhibition. Two fundamental questions that had to be answered was “Who gets to be a mentor?” and “Who gets to choose the mentor for the students?” Answering these questions became the heart of our philosophy and approach to the PYP Exhibition. That 45-minute discussion has made all the difference.

With the COVID-19 outbreak, schools across the globe are scrambling to prepare students to conduct a virtual PYPx. No matter the online platform, there have been some really lovely guidance given and support in a variety of PLNs. Recently I listened to a webinar that shared the 5P framework as the basis of launching a virtual PYPx.

Source: Toddle, Conducting the PYP Exhibition Virtually

As I studied this, I realized that our conversations about Exhibition mentors mirrored this and have been the hinge point to our students’ success. You see, we challenged the notion that mentors should be assigned, and furthermore, no single person would be eliminated for consideration. Parents, who can be well-meaning but interfering, often are asked to sit out on Exhibition. However, we saw this as a major flaw in our thinking. We wanted these mentor relationships to be authentic, real, and purposeful. So, in February, we had a parent meeting to enlist them as mentors.

But there was a catch.

The students got to determine their mentors based on the needs they have and the expertise that mentors might possess. mentor quote And, no mentor was “fixed”. It was important that students do not see adults as the master of their inquiry but as an advisor. Just like in real life, we turn to those who can provide insight into an issue or problem when and as we need them. We didn’t want students to rely on one person, but to know that there was a multitude of “experts” out there who they could turn to for support.

So, although we had no previous knowledge of this 5P model, we intuitively have followed it by providing complete student agency over the PYP mentors.

Prior to our parent meeting, the team created spread-sheet signup, in which mentors could provide their skill sets so that students could make thoughtful choices. They also created a “Mentor Guide” that laid out the expectations of their role:

The mentor’s primary role is to act as a guide and a resource in the accomplishment of specific tasks during the Exhibition process. A mentor can help students to set and meet their goals in the following ways:
● Be available for meetings with different groups, one at a time, as they request
through email during the Exhibition process;
● Help students set goals;
● Encourage and support the efforts of the students by honoring their ideas, but
pushing them to look deeper at the issue;
● Suggest resources to be used in the inquiry;
● Ask probing questions to help facilitate student inquiry, such as, “Have you
thought about …” and “How does this connect to your learning goal(s)?”;
● Guide students with making phone calls, writing emails, scheduling/conducting
interviews, and collecting any needed materials/resources;
● Help students interpret difficult information;
● Coach students in time management and organization;
● Encourage reflection through discussion and logging progress; and
● Ensure that written consent from parents, teachers and the principal is obtained
for any off-campus visits.

Should students need a mentor, you will receive an email inviting you to the meeting through Google Calendar. You will have the option to agree to or decline the meeting.

As you can see, their role was broad. Flexibility was crucial in their ability to support. If one mentor couldn’t be available, the students could turn to another. In fact, students were encouraged to do so. In this way, the loudest voice in their head would be their own, who would guide the research they conducted and the action they took.

Once this expectation was set, then it became a necessity for students to become skillful in time-management and collaborative digital tools. Google calendar became the cornerstone and the students have become quite masterful at it. When we went online on March 18, we had just launched our school’s Exhibition unit. The ink on the page for their central ideas and lines of inquiry had barely dried. Aside from that, they were trained on GoogleMeets. Now, on May 2nd, the students will be showcasing their learning on Zoom.

Since we have been online, Exhibition has been organic. No one was there to hover over them like we would if we were at school. Every step of the way has been decided by them. They’ve initiated every mentor conversation. They’ve brainstormed their actions and debated which technological tool to use. They’ve given each other feedback and are modifying their presentations as I write this blog. Of course, the teachers provided them with the Exhibition guide and encouraged them through the process. They had class meetings to check-ins where they were in the process. But it is validating to know that emphasizing and clarifying mentor relationships has created a positive and productive PYP Exhibition.

During dress rehearsals and the day of the Exhibtion, mentors were assigned but that was due to Zoom licensing issues and the need for one of us to be the “host” in order to turn the reigns over to them.

It is hard to describe how excited I am for our students. Not because I am amazed and overwhelmed by the depth of their research and knowledge. Yes, there is that. But is who they have become as a result of this process that makes my heart swell. Offline or online, I know that this is the essence of what makes the PYP Exhibition a true rite of passage. Developing proficiency in understanding when I need help and who I can turn to will be an evergreen skill for them. That is true autonomy which will serve them well beyond the memory of this inquiry. And, it is that self-awareness which I admire most in them as they emerge from this experience.

As we reflect on this year’s PYP exhibition, it is my hope that all of us cultivate that level of collaboration and self-reliance in our students through the process. If there was an actual “product” to value–this would be it: Self-knowledge through our relationship with others. This is the role of the mentor.

Judy Imamudeen

judyimamudeen.com