Time and Location: 2021; Virtual Conference
During this virtual training, teachers from various parts of the world gathered to learn and share how to teach students more conceptually. Through different break-out sessions, we were able to share our struggles and share our own unique experiences with conceptual teaching and learning. The sessions included ideas such as what conceptual learning is, what it looks like in the IB setting, and modifying our curriculum so it becomes more conceptual for our students.
Through this training, I was able to reflect on my own units and teaching through the specific lenses of "conceptual teaching" and modify my units to allow for more student inquiry and agency.Â
Time and Location: 2019; Incheon, South Korea
During this 3-day training, teachers from different parts of Korea gathered to learn about elements of the PYP. We learned about conceptual learning, how to encourage student inquiry and reflection, and how to support students becoming global learners. This was a training session where we were not only taught how to teach conceptually but also to collaborate and share ideas.
One of the biggest challenges of this training was that there were a significant number of participants who did not speak English while the session leader could only speak English. Therefore, a few participants, including me, spent time translating the sessions. This challenge, however, led to me deepening my understanding of conceptual learning as I had to reflect and share my learning immediately.
Time and Location: 2017; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
During this 3-day training, educators from all over the world gathered to learn and share how to teach a second language to middle school students. Though there were a variety of teachers who all taught different languages (ranging from English as a Second Language, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese), we all gathered for one common goal. Through each sessions, we shared our challenges and questions and analyzed our curriculum to see how MYP has broken down the aspects of learning a second language.
Through this training, I was able to understand the different aspects of learning a new language, such as reading, writing, and speaking/listening, and how to assess students. I was also able to critically analyze the fairness of my rubrics and receive feedback from others.
Time and Location: 2023; Hong Kong
During this 3-day training, Erin Kent and Natashya Hays led various sessions for teachers in Hong Kong on how to engage students in writing and how to model writing. This sessions were tailored for the teachers' needs, where teachers had agency to choose which sessions to attend or to choose sessions that were more suited for their context. Erin Kent and Natashya Hays, being international school teachers themselves, shared ideas as well as provided ideas on how to implement these ideas in our specific international school context.
This training was valuable and inspiring to say the least. Through the training, I was inspired to create anchor charts to help my students with their writing and how to modify my lessons to provide more writing time.
Time and Location: 2023; Hong Kong
I along with another primary school educator led a series of Words Their Way training for the 17 upper primary school teachers. In this training, we introduced Words Their Way, a spelling program that provides room for students to notice patterns in the English language and inquire into the meaning and uses of those patterns in differentiated groups. We showed a series of videos of us piloting the program, modeling, answering teacher questions, and providing space for teachers to practice implementing the program.
Time and Location: 2018; Daejeon, South Korea
This international organization works with various international schools around the world to focus on child protection and safety policies. They provide resources to create policies. They also provide training on how to support student safety in various situations, such as field trips, family situations, and school, through scenarios.
This sobering training was valuable as it brought me awareness to the idea of child safety and how as an educator, I can play a big role in keeping these students safe. This training also provided practical resources and practices that I believe all schools should utilize.