It's All About the Pacing...
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Hi Everyone, Sending you tons of good vibes from my very cool home here in Sofia, Bulgaria. As you know, teaching IB Economics over a two-year cycle can feel like navigating a never and extremely complex decision-making process. The challenge lies in ensuring all content is covered while adapting to your specific teaching structure and students’ needs. So this week I thought I’d share my thoughts on strategically pacing the two-year course to set your students up for success on the IB Exam… ….and to keep you as sane as possible in the process. If you have attended my IB Economics New Teacher Workshop in the past, then you have heard many of these strategies before. Tip 1: Build a Two-Year Roadmap The first step is to create a big-picture plan for your entire course. Start by identifying your teaching structure. Are your Standard Level and High Level students combined in one class, or are they separated? This decision will shape your pacing strategy. In my case, Year 1 always included both Standard Level and High Level students in the same room, which meant teaching at a High Level pace while covering only Standard Level content. While this strategy made me quite nervous the first time around, I actually learned to love it. Then, divide the syllabus into manageable sections. For me, Year 1 focused on Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Obviously, these units lay the foundation for Year 2, where Standard Level students tackle The Global Economy only, and High Level students cover The Global Economy and Market Power. But, more importantly, this sets us on a course to be sure we get through the entire curriculum. To help you, here is a copy of my Two Year Plan. If you like it, take it. Obviously, clear milestones are critical, so you are not in major-panic-mode a month before the IB Exams. Tip 2: Align with Your School’s Schedule This is standard teacher stuff, but every school operates with a unique schedule, so adapt your plan accordingly. Calculate the total number of hours available for teaching by considering the number of classes per week, the length of each class, and the total weeks in the academic year. Don’t forget to factor in holidays, exams, and potential disruptions. A realistic, actionable plan will keep you on track. Never in my teaching career have I needed to stay on a long-term pacing plan like I have when teaching IB Economics. Do it. Yes, actually count the hours. Tip 3: It’s All About Year 1 Content Coverage Year 1 is the most critical part of the two-year course, especially the first semester. In the first semester, be sure to cover the Introduction to Economics and Microeconomics—including demand, supply, elasticity, and market failure. Not only do these concepts provide essential tools for analysis, but finishing Microeconomics in the first semester of the course is critical to your sanity throughout. When I have done this, everything works. When I haven’t, uffff, it’s a brutal two-year game of chasing time. In the second semester, do everything you can to finish Macroeconomics. Obviously while ensuring you include key topics like the Neoclassical and Keynesian models, teach diagrams thoroughly and allow time for review. Additionally, have students complete their first two Internal Assessment commentaries—one on Microeconomics and one on Macroeconomics—if possible. I haven’t always been able to do this, but when I have, it’s been golden. The main goal here is to complete Microeconomics and Macroeconomics by the end of Year 1. If you do this, you’ll be all set for both the High Level and Standard Level students. Tip 4: Adapt to Your Students’ Needs—but not always This is obvious, but regularly assess your students’ progress and adjust your plan as needed. Are they mastering diagrams, calculations, and key concepts? Are they on track with their Internal Assessments? Identify areas where students may need extra time, but ensure the overall pacing remains steady. Yes, yes, yes, but…. The IB train must stay on schedule. The IB train must stay on schedule. Remind yourself that there is always time to review concepts learned lightly before the IB Exam at the end of the two-year run. What isn’t negotiable is covering all of the content. It’s required or you won’t be serving your students. So, stick to the plan. Stick to the plan. Tip 5: Focus on What Matters Most Chant this next line to yourself…. While all content is important, not everything is equally critical for student success on the IB exam. This is a huge point! Focus on teaching the Five Essential Skills:
And don’t forget the Real-Life Examples. Embed relevant examples to bring concepts to life. These priorities ensure students are equipped to tackle the exam’s analysis and evaluation sections confidently. Final Thoughts... As cliche as it is, teaching IB Economics is a marathon, not a sprint. With a thoughtful pacing strategy, you can cover the content, build critical skills, and set your students up for success on the IB Exam—all while maintaining balance in your own life. Or at least as much as you can. I hope this helps you plan your two-year IB Economics course. See you next week. Whenever you are ready, here are three ways I can help: IB Core Professional Development - Reach out and let me know how we can help work together to build a more robust and well-structured IB Programme at your school. We’ve worked with thousands of teachers and IB Coordinators from hundreds of schools around the world. We'd love to collaborate with you. IB Economics On-Demand Teacher Workshops - Join me for my on-demand teacher workshops that cover all aspects of the IB Economics curriculum including the Internal Assessment, Extended Essay, Understanding IB Assessments, and content-based courses on Teaching Macroeconomics, Market Power, and The Global Economy. IB Economics Teacher Collaboration Program - A one-on-one teacher collaboration program where we can share new ideas on lesson plans, new writing strategies for students, and perspectives on teaching the IB Economics curriculum. |