Brad Cartwright

As we wrap up another school year, I simply want to say thank you. Whether you attended one of our workshops, invited me to work with your faculty, enrolled in one of the online courses, replied to one of these newsletters, or simply spent a few minutes reading along each Friday, thank you for being here. I never take that support for granted. Looking back, it has been an incredibly rewarding year. Together, we explored everything from the new Extended Essay guidance from the IB to...

We made it... Welcome to the final installment of our eight-part series exploring what we believe are the Eight Essential Elements of the Theory of Knowledge course. Throughout this series, our goal has been to help non-Theory of Knowledge teachers better understand TOK and feel more confident integrating its ideas and approaches into their own classrooms, just as the IB intends. As you know, this series is based on our upcoming Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop coming up July 23rd and...

And we're back... Here goes part seven of our eight-part series where we are breaking down what we see as the Eight Essential Elements of the Theory of Knowledge course so that non-Theory of Knowledge teachers can feel fully informed about how to integrate Theory of Knowledge into our classroom, as the IB explicitly expects. If you have missed the previous parts of this series, you can catch up here. Okay, this week, we are going to take a look at The TOK Exhibition. The Theory of Knowledge...

Two weeks ago, Sofia forwarded me a really interesting article from TES Magazine. The article discussed a new initiative from the IB called the Systems Transformation Pathway, which is expected to begin with an "early adopter phase" in 2028 before a full rollout in 2030. As I read the article, I found myself intrigued, curious, a little bit nervous, and also reminding myself just how thoughtful the IB tends to be when it comes to developing new educational initiatives. According to the...

In 2022, Sofia and I had the opportunity to drive the Carretera Austral in southern Chile. If you are not familiar with it, the Carretera Austral is one of the most remote roads in the world. It stretches through Patagonia, weaving its way past glaciers, mountains, rivers, forests, and tiny villages that seem to exist at the edge of the earth. For years, I had dreamed of seeing it. As a kid growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Patagonia felt almost mythical. It belonged in the same category as...

Around this time every year, I begin hearing from teachers who are preparing to teach IB Economics for the first time. Some are moving over from History. Some are coming from Business Management. Others may have studied Economics years ago or taught AP or A Level, and suddenly find themselves stepping into an IB classroom in next year. And almost every conversation sounds a little bit the same. Excitement. Curiosity. A little uncertainty. And somewhere in there, usually a quiet thought that...

Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop July 23rd & 24th, 2026 Hey Everyone, A few weeks ago I wrote to let you know that enrollment is open for our Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop this July. I wanted to follow up and share a little more about why Sofia and I created this training in the first place. Over the years, we have both worked with many talented, experienced teachers who were suddenly assigned Theory of Knowledge and told, essentially, you will be great. And they are great...

Before we begin this week, I just want to apologize for not getting my newsletter out last week. My normal rhythms were thrown off as I travelled to Durham, North Carolina to watch my son graduate from Duke University. What an incredible experience! If any of you have watched your own children graduate from university, you know what I'm talking about when I say it was an emotional experience. The joy and excitement and pride (and a bunch of other emotions) of watching your own kid launching...

Enrollment Continues! IB Economics New Teacher Workshop July 25th & 26th, 2026 Hey Everyone, I hope this email finds you well and your second semester coming to well-paced end. As we start thinking about next year, I wanted to let you know that this July I will be hosting my annual IB Economics New Teacher Workshop on July 25th & 26th via Zoom. This workshop is designed specifically for teachers who are new to teaching IB Economics next year, even though they may have many years of teaching...

Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop July 23rd & 24th, 2026 Hey Everyone, I hope this email finds you well and that this stretch of the school year feels steady and productive. As we begin looking ahead to next year, I wanted to let you know that this July, Sofia and I will be hosting our Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop on July 23rd and 24th via Zoom. This workshop is designed specifically for teachers who are new to teaching Theory of Knowledge next year, even if they have many...