Primary Years Programme Making the PYP happen - ITARI

Making the PYP happen
How can I provide professional development
There is simply not enough opportunity and not enough
encouragement for teachers to work together, learn from each
other, and improve their expertise as a community.
Fullan and Hargreaves, 1992
The PYP is more than a series of written documents. It is a way of thinking, an approach to teaching and
learning, which for some teachers represents a paradigm shift. In order to accommodate this change people
need time and support. Some means of providing this support are offered below.
Guidelines for implementation
! Ascertain where teachers are in relation to the change; let them tell you what support they need.
! Use data gathered from the professional appraisal process to inform discussions with teachers.
! Recognize that inservice training can take place within individual schools, with members of
staff providing their own inservice training. Individual teachers can share successful lessons and
give support to less confident staff by team teaching.
! Send staff to PYP workshops or summer programmes.
! Invite one of the approved PYP trainers into your school.
! Share, with other PYP schools, successful planners, unit banks, videos and books, examples of
good PYP practice and expertise, with visits being made to schools which have a reputation for
good teaching. Communication and sharing of ideas have been simplified and schools can make
use of email and the Internet.
! Provide time when teachers can plan and reflect together. This is the single most effective and
lasting form of professional development.
© IBO 2000 99