IB's Crisis Response

Full disclosure: I have just moved to the Hague and started a new job at the IB. Future blog posts will probably be flagging up resources the IB have created/shared OR non-IB specific posts (though still with a focus on conceptual understanding, inquiry, visible thinking...and all that good stuff)

Crisis Support Resources

You may have seen the news item 'An open letter from Director General Olli-Pekka Heinonen on Ukraine' on the IB website a few weeks ago. While this letter focuses on Ukraine, there have obviously been other examples of crisis occuring, including the pandemic! The IB have decided to create some resources to support schools going through a crisis or learning about a crisis. This could be anything from a global crisis, like a pandemic or war, or to a crisis happening in an individual school. The idea for this framework and resources are that they are adaptable and can help schools with their own unique situations/context.

From the website:
This approach can be applied to a personal, local, or global situation, such as:

• loss
• conflict
• pandemics
• wars
• natural disasters
• school tragedies
• climate change.

During any crisis it is important to be attentive to:

• the safe spaces we create
• the language we use
• the conversations we have
• the information we share
• and the sensitivities that exist within our learning communities.

We recognize that the impact of crisis on students, their families, and their teachers is not about proximity to crisis, but their connections to it

"The IB has curated resources that support: our well-being, our learning, our action, and our communities."

The resources on the website are arranged by:

• Our wellbeing: This section provides resources that have been curated to support student well-being.
• Our learning: This section provides resources that have been curated to support learning.
• Our action: This section provides resources that address action as a response to crisis.
• Our community: This section provides resources that have been curated to support the school community in times of crisis.

Some of the interesting things you will find when you dig in:

• Using the learner profile to learn through and about crisis.
• Facilitating dialogue in the classroom
• Introduction to source analysis and critical thinking in times of crisis
• Understanding crises through text: how can we speak about, write about, crises?
• Responding to student behaviours during times of crisis: guidance for educators of young children and adolescents
• Taking action: locally and globally — Guiding learner action in response to crises

There have been a team of great people working on these resources behind the scenes. When I joined the IB a few weeks ago, many of these resources were almost complete. The only one that I helped with a little was: ​Adapting MYP units to learn about a crisis — Guidance for educators and schools.

The idea behind this resource is that you can look at your current/upcoming unit's concepts or global context, and then use the questions to make connections. This will help with transfer and and conceptual understanding. It is also a good entry point/tool for starting discussions with your students.

For example, if your unit is using the Global Context of 'Identities and relationships', and/or any of the following key concepts 'Culture / Identity / Relationships / Communities', you could reframe/pivot your unit around the following questions, or simple create space to pause and discuss:
​

• Who do we rely on in times of crisis?
• How are different members of our community impacted by a crisis?
• How can relationships help us through crisis?
• How might a crisis affect people's well-being?
• Is it important to look after ourselves before we look after others?
• Are we stronger together?
• (Action) How can we support our family, friends and community in times of crisis?

The suggested inquiry questions cover factual, conceptual, debatable and a question that could prompt students to take action. These are just suggested questions/examples!

Other resources from other sources: 

• Facing History and Ourselves.  A fantastic website full of free activities, lessons, units, professional development and teaching strategies. The strategy 'class contracting' is useful before beginning conversations on difficult/sensitive topics
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Making Space for Difficult Discussions. This resource was made in response to the Capitol riots, but it still useful/relevant. They also have their 'Making Caring Common' initiative.
• Learning for Justice (previously 'Teaching Tolerance), has many useful resources, including 'Leading Conversations After Crisis' and 'Toolkit for When Bad Things Happen 
• Toddle have various resources for crisis response, including 'What to teach during a crisis' and 'Leading Through and Out of Crisis – A COVID19 Focus' 

Know any other useful resources? Add them in the comments!