Preparing Globally Minded Teachers through the Incorporation of the International Baccalaureate

Abstract

In this article, we describe the initiative of one university's teacher education program to incorporate the International Baccalaureate Teacher Certificate. Responding to the growing number of public and private International Baccalaureate World Schools in urban and suburban settings in our region, the program aims to prepare teachers to meet the needs of diverse learners within a rigorous and global approach to curriculum and instruction. Writing for teacher educators considering the integration of this internationally minded teaching and learning framework, we explain the redesign of our teacher preparation program that was intended to target and integrate the principles and practices of the International Baccalaureate.

Teaching, Learning, and Leading

“…With all experiences taking place in urban school settings, the module first engages candidates in looking at the range of policies teachers engage on a daily basis and then directs candidates to examine how specific policies manifest within the local context. The specific policy sets include special education, bilingual and EL, and curriculum standards such as CCS and International Baccalaureate (IB; Ryan, Heineke, & Steindam, 2014). In this way, co-teacher-educators partner to support candidates in (a) defining policies, laws, and court cases pertinent to urban education; (b) recognizing how policies are enacted into practice to support students; and (c) making suggestions on ways to improve achievement of diverse students.…”