From Posters to Practice: Cultivating PYP Classrooms
As I walk through the halls of a school building, I am always looking for evidence of the culture and beliefs of the learning that takes place there. When I open a classroom door and peek my head inside, there is a lot of data: the furniture arrangement, where the teacher’s desk is (or isn’t), the classroom “decorations” and signs that thinking is taking place, and whether posters/charts on the wall are fixed or ever-changing, as well as who is creating the “decorations” in the classroom. The whiteboard is actually one of the most telling places in a classroom. It often includes the schedule and topics for that day, as well as the teaching points in a lesson. Sometimes I see student names on the whiteboard, and it makes me wonder why they are on there.
As a coordinator that was new to my school, these walks made me question where we were as a school in terms of our implementation of the program. You see, I remember in my early days of being a PYP practitioner, my PYP coordinator insisted that I had the Learner Profile on display as well as the Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry. One of my new-to-the-PYP colleagues HATED this and thought it cluttered up her classroom wall space, encroaching upon her word wall and anchor charts. I personally never resented this ask and always enjoyed finding fresh ways to display unit of inquiry work, but this debate about prioritizing our framework in our classroom environment has left an indelible mark. Should we, as pedagogical leaders, insist on having the framework on display?
I’ve sat on this question all year long. Carefully observing classrooms and reflecting on whether or not elements of our program are being showcased in our learning areas, and whether or not that translated into better practice. To be honest, my view is still mixed.
Is it a POSTER or a PRACTICE?
Display posters from Teacher Pay Teacher or Twinkle can just be a static fixture to appease the “PYP Gods”, as one teacher liked to refer them. But when I twisted his arm to post the Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry during the unit, his practices with concept-based inquiry improved. He referred more to our elements and started to use these teacher-centric materials as manipulatives. It could have been an odd coincidence, but I would like to believe that because it was in his eyesight, it was a reminder to ratchet up his inquiry approaches and refer more to our learner profile and approaches to learning as well. However, I had another teacher who had beautiful displays of the PYP jargon but never shifted from a very teacher-centered learning environment. Student agency?-that was only for students who were “good listeners” and “respectful”. So displays are hardly a telling sign of the quality of the practices.
Why am I reflecting on this, you might ask? Why do I give a hoot about classroom displays? Well, anyone who has recently gone through or will be embracing an onsite IB evaluation visit understands why I am contemplating this. The environment of our schools provides an essential clue into our classroom practices and the overall “strength” of our PYP program.
What are the telling signs of a constructivist classroom? As a PYP coordinator, making edicts on how our classrooms “should” look like I think would miss the goal of developing our skills as PYP practitioners. Instead, I think if teachers carefully examined the Life Long Learning Strand of the 2020 Standards and Practices, they can begin to think about what this could look like in the classroom environment. Here is a little brainstorming I have done as I think about what might be on “display” in our learning environments.
Lifelong learners 1: Students actively develop thinking, research, communication, social, and self-management skills. (0402-01)
This standard is about our Approaches to Learning–how are students learning how to be lifelong learners. Some examples of “artifacts” in a learning environment might include:
- Students’ responses to Visible Thinking routines such as See, Think, Wonder, Creative questions, Feelings and Options.
- Research questions posted
- Anchor chart with peer feedback sentence starters
- Student examples of solving math problems in different ways.
- Compliment jars or boxes.
- Interactive displays that support emotional regulation, decision-making, or collaboration skills.
Lifelong learners 2: Students demonstrate and reflect on their continued development of the IB learner profile attributes. (0402-02)
This standard is about living the learner profile. Some examples of “artifacts” in a learning environment might include:
- Student responses to Visible Thinking routines such as Step Inside, Red Light, Yellow Light, or Imagine If.
From @kjinquiry - Split-screen learning objectives. (The “what” we are learning + the “who” we are becoming through the “how” we are learning).
- Anchor charts with co-constructed success criteria or checklists.
- Student-designed learning goals.
Approaches to teaching 1: Teachers use inquiry, action, and reflection to develop natural curiosity in students. (0403-01)
This standard is about our approaches to inquiry. Some examples of “artifacts” in a learning environment might include:
- A “Wonder Wall” or an area that captures the curiosities bubbling up as students inquire.
- Documenting the “Action Cycle”
- Student responses to Visible Thinking Routines such as I used to think, but now I think , Compass Points, or Circles of Action
- Evidence of the process of inquiry that documents some of the learnings within the inquiry cycle.
Approaches to teaching 2: Teachers focus on conceptual understanding to support students in developing their ideas. (0403-02)
- Students’ thinking that emerged when “unpacking” the Central Idea or Lines of Inquiry.
- Daily/weekly guiding questions are posted on the whiteboard.
- Unit of Inquiry “Word Walls” that display the big ideas and key vocabulary.
- Using the Key Concepts as opportunities to solicit student thinking and questions.
- Student examples of work math prompt
- Concept maps, which can be as simple as a mind-map, Frayer model, or more complex like a Visible Thinking Routine like Color, Symbol, Image.
These ideas are hardly an exhaustive list. Moreover, any simple search on Pinterest will provide LOTS of visual examples of these ideas, and I love heading over to Sharing the PYP blog to see great models of practice. But I think what we really need to keep in mind is that these elements of our PYP program are not just classroom decorations, but living documentation of the robust learning that is taking place within its walls. Steeping our walls in the artifacts of learning shouldn’t be viewed as a chore, but a joy to curate all the wonderful moments we create in our learning communities by putting our PYP principles into practice.
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.
2 Replies to “From Posters to Practice: Cultivating PYP Classrooms”
I had an admin give me grief about my lack of anchor charts etc on walls. Having taught in schools with limited wall space due to lack of interior classroom walls, I much prefer interactive digital spaces and print outs right in front of kids. I find being rooms full of posters and visual clutter distracting and there is research to suggest for some learners that is true.
The admin said but I have no idea what’s going in your class because you don’t put anything up on the walls. To me it sounded like compliance request. I’d rather admin just drop in talk to the students – ask them questions about their learning. Talk to me. Have a wander through digital spaces. I think environment is about more than walls and spaces aren’t just physical.
Hi Stephanie–what a great point you raise about clutter. I had assumed people would consider curating learning with that in mind, but I’m glad you brought that up. Thanks–we shouldn’t overlook it! I’ve been reading a book called Smart but Scattered and learning a lot about executive functioning. If a student has visual processing issues, even the way you design a graphic organizer can be overwhelming to their senses. We need to keep our neurodiverse leaders in mind in our classroom design, for sure!
But what I appreciate even more about the comment is that you raise an even broader issue about using technology in the classroom. Even before the pandemic, 1:1 classrooms wouldn’t necessarily have a lot of physical posters or student work displayed but now with so many educators globally having become adept at using digital spaces for learning, a lot of learning is “in the cloud”. I’ve seen some great use of QR codes though, not only in the classroom but also in hallway displays to share their learning with the broader community. Maybe something like this could benefit those educators who like to keep things minimal while still showcasing practices for whoever–the learning community, admin, or even school evaluators.
And sorry, one more remark here. Asking students about their learning is the most telling sign. From an evaluator’s point of view, I think that is what they enjoy the most.
Thanks for your contribution. You have really given me and other readers a lot to consider!