Many of you probably do not know this about me but I myself was an MYP and DP graduate back in the day. I completed the MYP back in 2002 and then took the DP exams in 2005 after a year in South Africa as a high school exchange student. Little did I know at that point that I was going to become a teacher a few years later. Nor did I that I was going to be a part of the system that not only gave me an education but also opened up my eyes and showed me a new way of thinking and learning. How funny life turned out to be! 

As a student, I thrived in the MYP programme as I was allowed to explore areas in the Individuals and Societies course that I enjoyed whilst working on both Approaches to Learning and the Learner Profile in all of my classes. I loved the Personal Project and the creativity it allowed me. There were never any real restrictions beyond my own imagination and I found my teachers to always be supportive and open-minded whenever I asked a question.

Cue completing the DP in 2005. By focusing on my 6 subjects it allowed me a depth and breadth that many other High School diplomas did not. I chose my HL subjects based on what I liked and what I was interested in and that proved to be a smart move as it made me all the more focused. The core elements of the DP (Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Action and Service) gave me a break from the academics and allowed me to try new things and explore new ways of thinking. I loved completing the CAS mainly because it gave me a way to legitimately do school work but not really. I could focus on projects I enjoyed such as working with younger students and teaching them swimming, exploring my creative side in the flower shop down the street and creating an opportunity for all the high school students in my area to come together for sports and socializing in ways they previously had not. I did not see it as a chore but more as an enjoyable challenge. It fit into my schedule without too much adjustment, just the way that CAS is supposed to do! 

Fast-forward to 2009 and the moment I got accepted to the Teacher Training College. From that moment on, there was never a question in terms of where and what I wanted to teach. I set out to complete my teaching degree with the intention of going abroad straight away. I knew I wanted to become a part of the school network that helped me figure out my educational preferences. My first international school, the International School of Milan, gave me exactly what I was craving. The familiarity of the IB philosophy, the Learner Profile, Global Contexts, key concepts, rubrics…I had found my home in the teacher world! Since then, my travels and work have taken me to The Bahamas, Shanghai and now Shenyang. The one constant and the one familiarity throughout these continental moves has always been the IB.

It has now been 11 years since I first got involved with the IB as a teacher and 20(!) years since I first experienced the MYP as a student. Although both the MYP and DP has changed a tremendous amount in the years since, it still oozes a familiarity that I find both comforting and nice. It keeps me grounded in my belief that although that I keep moving countries and changing schools with regular intervals, I still know where to find the up-to-date information and I still know how to teach my subject areas. The IB language has certainly changed in the last 20 years but once again, there is something about the way that it has developed that is both organic and logic to me. It makes sense and I do not need to learn new acronyms or education systems such as AP, Level 1 classes, IGCSEs, O-Levels..! Phew, I am all for being a life-long learner but it is hard learning new programs every couple of years and something I do not wish to do!

The IBO represents an international and transferable education system that is giving opportunities to students and staff alike. I am very happy that my parents insisted on sending me to the international school after moving back to Sweden from England and I am thrilled that I get to be part of a community that has given me so many opportunities to teach all over the world and meet so many fantastic students and teachers. No school is ever going to be the same but by being part of the IB family, it makes the transitions a lot easier and gives you an instant “in” into the workings of a truly international organization as a student, parent and/or teacher! An IB education is a world education, ready to take you where ever you want to go!

Ms. Berg, Diploma Coordinator, Grade 10 and 11 Homeroom Teacher, Individuals and Society Teacher (Sweden).