Community · Podcast
Confessions of a PYP Teacher.
The name says PYP. The heart says every teacher who has ever wanted to do better for the learners in front of them. Whether you work in an IB school or not, whether you teach kindergarten or high school, whether you are three weeks in or thirty years in, if you are trying to make a difference in your practice, this podcast was made for you.
Good teaching is not a framework. It is a disposition. And that belongs to everyone.
17 series. Hundreds of episodes. All of it made with educators in mind.
New here? Start with these three.
Episode 1 · 944 downloads
Start here. This is where the thinking begins.
The episode that introduces what thinkchat is really about and why it exists.
Episode 2 · 770 downloads
Where the culture conversation begins.
Why culture is the first condition for everything else to work in a school.
Episode 3 · 645 downloads
The one about agency that changes how you see learners.
What genuine agency looks like and why most schools only have the appearance of it.
Browse by series
You do not have to be a PYP teacher to find something here. Pick the topic that is alive in your practice right now.
Most recent episodes
Select a series above to browse by topic, or browse the full archive on Buzzsprout.
Inquiry — Episodes C1 to C6
The series that started it all. Six episodes unpacking what inquiry really means in a PYP classroom and how to bring it to life without overwhelm.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Agency — Episodes C7 to C13
What does it mean to hand learning back to the learner? Seven episodes exploring student and teacher agency from every angle.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Action — Episodes C14 to C18
Action is at the heart of PYP. Five episodes unpacking what authentic, student-driven action looks and feels like across all age groups.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Learner Profile — Episodes C19 to C26
Beyond posters and bulletin boards. Eight episodes on what it actually means to live the learner profile attributes every single day.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗International Mindedness — Episodes C27 to C31
What does it really mean to be internationally minded? Five episodes moving beyond surface-level cultural celebrations into genuine global citizenship.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Application — Episodes C32 to C34
Three episodes putting the preceding concepts directly into classroom practice.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Transdisciplinary — Episodes C35 to C45
One of the most powerful and most misunderstood concepts in PYP. Eleven episodes unpacking transdisciplinary learning in all its complexity and possibility.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Approaches to Learning — Episodes C46 to C65
Twenty episodes devoted to the five ATL skill clusters: thinking, research, communication, social, and self-management. The most expansive series in the podcast.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Identity — Episode C66
A standalone episode exploring identity as a lens for learning and a foundation for the whole child.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Learning Environment — Episodes C67 to C72
Space speaks. Six episodes on how the physical and emotional environment shapes what is possible for learners and teachers alike.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗□ Play and Playfulness — Episodes C73 to C76
Play is not a reward. It is how children make meaning. Four episodes on bringing genuine playfulness back into the learning space.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Design Thinking — Episodes C77 to C87
Eleven episodes exploring how design thinking can become a living practice in the PYP classroom, not just a unit add-on.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Application — Episodes C88 to C90
Three episodes putting ATL, play, and the environment into direct classroom application.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Book Club — Episodes C91 to C100
Ten episodes working through The Power of Personal Inquiry together, section by section, idea by idea.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗□ Local and Global Inquiry — Episodes C101 to C109
Nine episodes on connecting the classroom to the wider world, because our learners are not just local citizens. They are global ones.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Book Club — Episodes C110 to C114
Five episodes working through The Expert Effect, moving from laying the foundation to teaching others as experts.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗□ The PYP Classroom — Episodes C115 to C122
Eight episodes zooming into the everyday realities of the PYP classroom and what it actually looks and feels like when this all comes together.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Application — Episodes C123 to C127
Five episodes putting classroom practice into direct focus: ChatGPT, local and global inquiry, personal inquiry, lessons from The Expert Effect, and the full PYP journey.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Book Club — Episodes C128 to C137
Ten episodes working through Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond, page by page and practice by practice.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗□ Specialist and Supporting Teachers — Episodes C138 to C151
Fourteen episodes made for the PE teacher, the librarian, the inclusion specialist, and every educator who holds the school together from outside the homeroom. You belong in this conversation.
Browse all 14 episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Well-Being — Episodes C152 to C166
If you are exhausted, this is the series for you. Fifteen episodes on worry, fear, panic, anxiety, stress, burnout, boreout, and trauma, for teachers and learners alike. You are not alone in this, and you are not broken.
Browse all 15 episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Book Club — Episodes C167 onwards
The newest book club series. New episodes appear here automatically as they are published.
Browse all episodes on Buzzsprout ↗Share Your Takeaways
Add your reflections.
This is a shared wall for the podcast community. Post a quote from an episode that stuck with you, a question it raised, or something you tried because of it. Browse what others have shared too.
The educator's earphones
Podcasts worth your time
A short list of podcasts that have shaped how I think about learning, teaching, and the bigger picture of education.
Shape what comes next
Got an idea for a future episode?
Every series in this podcast started as a question someone was sitting with. A PYP teacher in Singapore, a homeroom teacher in Brazil, a PE specialist in New Zealand. If something is on your mind, share it here. Your question might become the next conversation.
Keep exploring.
The podcast connects to everything else happening in the community.
Connect Portal Blog Shout-Outs