The Teacher Award Scheme

—a new professional development initiative

The IB is currently developing two teacher awards— an IB practitioner award and an IB associate award. Their purpose is to formally recognize the achievement and commitment of IB teachers to their own professional learning while implementing the three IB programmes. The teacher award scheme has been developed in conjunction with a new and innovative IB professional development opportunity. This centers on the establishment of university postgraduate courses focusing on building understanding of the three IB programmes and their role in international education.

The IB is very pleased to announce that the first of these courses, a postgraduate certificate of educational studies, developed by the University of Melbourne in partnership with Wesley College, is currently being piloted by a cohort of teachers. The course, focusing on the IB primary years programme (PYP), offers participants the opportunity to critically engage with the educational principles and practices upon which the PYP is founded. It is envisaged that this will be the first of many such IB recognized postgraduate courses offered by universities worldwide.

The University of Melbourne’s postgraduate certificate will lead to qualification for an IB practitioner award. Such courses have a stronger focus on developing practical understanding of the three IB programmes incorporating a strong critical reflection component. Whereas the IB associate award has been designed to recognize the accomplishment of teachers who undertake research at master’s level or above into issues relating to IB education.