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The power of networking

Ali Ezzeddine, Academic Advisor, SEK International School Qatar, Doha

Have you thought about joining one of the IB networks or associations? In this article you will learn about how the IB World Schools collaborate through networks in the gulf region.  

When I moved to Dubai (2010) as a PYP coordinator, I had heard that the PYP coordinators in the United Arab Emirates met three times a years to share best practices. I joined this network and found this network a great resource to support me in my new role.

Four years ago, when SEK opened in Doha in August 2013 and I moved there to implement the PYP, two IB PYP World Schools already existed in Qatar. At the beginning of the year, I invited their two PYP coordinators to visit our school; we had a great first meeting to discuss how we can support each other. The coordinators welcomed our teachers to observe how PYP look like in their classrooms. After we completed out first visit and collaboration, we decided to continue meeting and from these informal meetings we came to the following agreements:

  • At the beginning of each school year one school will host a job-alike session, so all teachers who are teaching the same grade level or the same subject can meet to share ideas and best practices
  • Every March four interested teachers from each school will lead a “teachers teach teachers session”
  • Every June, the PYP coordinators will meet to discuss the calendar of the following year and other issues as needed.

At the end of the first year, I discovered that the two schools each had an ‘early leave’ one school on Tuesday and the other school on Wednesday, so we arranged to have early leave on the same day to allow for collaborating planning and meetings and for an exchange of ideas between the teachers.

During the third academic year, a larger collaboration took place around the PYP exhibition. All our grade 4/5 students had a chance to visit the other schools’ exhibitions or to collaborate with other students who were working on the same conceptual understandings.

We have now four IB PYP Authorized Schools in Doha and six PYP candidate schools, all of which have early leave on Tuesday for students and all of them are actively involved in collaboration.

I encourage PYP coordinators to meet, network and collaborate to develop stronger relationships between their schools and to make a powerful impact on the learning communities. Such networking opportunities allows for wider and bigger actions: our voice as PYP schools in the community will be louder and when our students are taking any initiatives, the impact will be faster.

We have close to 60 schools in the gulf region, with some schools in Africa.  All schools are connected via email and whenever we need anything people are ready to support and share their knowledge and expertise. Change will happen once PYP coordinators and PYP schools model the IB philosophy around collaboration and cooperation and we open our doors to grow together. United we are stronger.

Ali Ezzeddine is a trilingual IB educator. Ali’s passion is to start new IB world schools. He started writing and publishing Arabic books and spreading his love for reading and writing in schools around the world.

Are you interested in joining one of the existing IB networks or associations? Contact your programme relationship manger!

No network or association in your region? Why not start one?

5 Responses to The power of networking

  1. ricardo 25 July 2017 at 4:54 pm #

    Great article! I hope we can follow that example in the Americas. Teachers and coordinators must model IB philosophy! IB strong!

  2. Ali Hassan 25 July 2017 at 5:12 pm #

    This is a great article and it resonates well with me! The power of networking with other coordinators is crucial. Ali introduced me to a group in Doha where I now continue to network and collaborate with other MYP/DP coordinators and Heads of Schools. Myself and our teachers really value the learning opportunities and it also gives us a platform for growth. The group is very supportive and we are focused on sharing and learning collectively.

    Thank you Ali Ezzedine!

  3. Nada Hajj 25 July 2017 at 9:45 pm #

    So proud of an internationalist educator, whose only target is living the IB philosophy by implementing its mission locally and nationally, spreading such collaboration spirit to the extent that modifications are considered and actions are taken not only thought of and stated on paper. When school cultures communicate respectfully and openly, same as Mr. Ali mentioned in the article, the scope of culture developement transcends schools’ gates and walls, to hometown culture and surely beyond that.
    Learners are lucky being offered learning environments that overwhelm the place, not only their schools, but also the another’s as well and so on.
    I am sure the process of learning is breathtaking, and wondering if learners and parents of IB schools exchange visits or design for learning engagements collaboratively, same as coordinators are.

  4. Peiyu Hsu 20 August 2017 at 2:24 pm #

    I agree. I will follow that example in my room.

  5. Ashraf 26 January 2022 at 5:50 pm #

    Thank you, this is interesting

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