International Schools Blog

COVID-19 forced governments around the world to introduce nationwide school closures for all but a sliver of students. Now, as the lockdown is loosened, schools in the UK and many other parts of the world fully reopened from September 2020. As children flood back through the school gates, the mental health impact of the pandemic is becoming more and more apparent.

Getting back to school in 2020 has been a bigger challenge than we could ever have predicted. Against the backdrop of the global coronavirus pandemic, the usual preparations for the return of students to classrooms around the world have been overshadowed with social distancing concerns.

Our popular story writing competition is back and this year, we are giving you everything you need to run your very own ‘just-for-fun’ competition within your school.

Monday 5th October is UNESCO World Teachers’ Day. This year, the day celebrates teachers with the theme ‘Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future’. In a year in which global educators have faced so much adversity, uncertainty and challenge, we want to acknowledge all of the wonderful educators in international schools around the world and celebrate the international teachers who continue to shine brightly as beacons of hope for today’s learners.

Kate Edwards, Pearson’s Chief Learning Officer, shares her top tips, techniques, and advice for making the most of online learning.

As decision-makers assess how to safely and effectively reopen schools following the coronavirus pandemic, many international school leaders have turned to the hybrid model, where teachers deliver a blend of in-person and online courses, but how do you choose the right technology for a hybrid classroom and where do you start with the approach?

In many parts of the world, students are setting foot back in the classroom. In April more than 190 countries closed their schools – affecting 90% of learners worldwide. As of mid-September, educational institutions remain closed completely in just 33 countries.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is an important part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme, providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. Here are tips 6-10 in Ric Sim’s top ten tips for teaching TOK in your classroom. Missed tips 1-5? Find them here.

We know that motivation is an important tool in helping students to achieve more. When combined with other self-management abilities like planning and organising work, motivation is a bigger predictor of grades than IQ. So how can you encourage this in your students? Dan Belenky, Director of Learning Science Research at Pearson shares some strategies.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is an important part of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme, providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. In this article, IB expert Ric Sims shares his first five top tips for teaching TOK in your classroom.