Best PYP workshop or otherwise to take?

[DomeVet]

For someone who has a few years of PYP teaching experience as well as having completed some PYP workshops is there a best workshop PYP or otherwise I can take to make myself the most marketable as a teacher, not a coordinator to PYP schools?

[PsyGuy]

MTPYPH is the gold standard workshop. None of the workshops are going to really improve your marketability, do you meet the PD requirements for authorization, thats about it. If i had to make a recommendation, the CAT 2 Exhibition workshop wouldnt be a total loss if you were moving into the year/grade that provided exhibition and you as the IT wanted to move into that role and had no other experience with exhibition.

[Illiane_Blues]

PsyGuy wrote:
> MTPYPH is the gold standard workshop. None of the workshops are going to
> really improve your marketability

I've heard different stories, from recruiters & colleagues.

[PsyGuy]

@Illiane_Blues

Its selection bias, 17 hours of seminar (F2F) doesnt change anything about an ITs capabilities, there is no "OMG you did X workshop, we have to jump on this IT, or were going to miss out".

[Illiane_Blues]

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Illiane_Blues
>
> Its selection bias, 17 hours of seminar (F2F) doesnt change anything about
> an ITs capabilities, there is no "OMG you did X workshop, we have to
> jump on this IT, or were going to miss out".

Agree that it shouldn't make much of a difference and doesn't make you a better IT over the course of a weekend, however it does make a difference to recruiters, in my experience at least. Other workshops attended have similar effect I think, although I've only had positive remarks about the IB ones during interviews.

[PsyGuy]

@Illiane_Blues

No they dont, what do you expect them to say if theyre an IB IS that the training is a colossal waste of time and resources. CAT1 workshops are mostly for non western trained chalk and talk drill and kill ITs and a review of the lexicon.
Its not even this huge savings of coin, quality ISs are going to train you in something, if its IB training, and they dont send you to one workshop they will send you to another. Even in the ISs where having IB PD training means they save some coin from the training budget its not the training they value, its the savings. No one thinks of an IB workshop certificate like its a VIP card.

[Illiane_Blues]

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Illiane_Blues
>
> No they don't

Yes they do. Some of them do, in my personal experience. I'm not saying all, but some do for sure.
Either way, under your 'Additional qualifications & professional development' heading on your CV, having some workshop listed there will look better than having zero workshops listed there.

[Heliotrope]

@Illiane_Blues
Take your own advice! ;-)

[PsyGuy]

@Illiane_Blues

No they dont, I have never once had any IB leadership who had a couple fingers of single malt and a brew chaser ever, ever say IB workshops are valuable.

Sure, if your resume needs that heading, and you think someones going to get to the bottom of your resume, its better than white space, but then any certificate or attendance at any PD event fills that white space doesnt impart any additional value solely because that PD has IB in it.

Your position is that something is better than nothing, okay, water is also wet.

[Illiane_Blues]

You mean that it's your experience they don't.
Because in my experience that they do.
Yes, water is also wet, unsure a bad - furthers your point.
Does it you mean that you agree it's good to have Professional Development on your CV?
Or is it your opinion that teacher's shouldn't list them?
It's a very standard header in my experience and from the CV's I've proofread only new teachers that haven't done any PD yet didn't list it.
But then again your experience might differ.

And what's your explanation for why schools send their teachers to these workshops even when not requested by teachers and even to those that aren't not necessary for IB accreditation? They cost lots of money and you've stated IB leadership doesn't think IB workshops are valuable.

[Heliotrope]

> And what's your explanation for why schools send their teachers to these
> workshops even when not requested by teachers and even to those that aren't
> not necessary for IB accreditation? They cost lots of money and you've
> stated IB leadership doesn't think IB workshops are valuable.

I've attended a few useful and informative IB workshops myself, and they're definitely on my CV.
I personally think most schools will see them as useful, but –just playing devil's advocate here– perhaps they also think that it's simply expected of a good international school, both by teachers and by accrediting bodies. Also, in some if not all US states teachers need to do regular PD to keep their teaching license.

[PsyGuy]

@Illiane_Blues

We have different experiences, that I can not reconcile.

The phrase "water is also wet" is intended to identify a trivial relationship, such as "something is better than nothing".

I think it depends on the CV and how its listed, meaningful PD I typically include as PD experiences as part of a bullet point with the professional experience it was related too, assuming it was quality PD. Ive done enough PD in my professional career that I dont list poor/bad PD anymore, but were I too for some reason I would put it at the end of the resume under a separate heading, only if I had to or as part of my CV. Recruiters and leadership know that as part of the Job Description ITs will attend in-house PD meetings on various topics. Listing them doesnt have a lot of utility. PD is one of those factors youre just supposed to be doing as part of the job (much like taking attendance, marking/grading work, administering asst, designing lessons, etc.)
In general the only PD worth listing is that PD thats out of the ordinary (generally coin intensive) or is the type that provides some sort of certificate, which i put under the 'Certifications' header (so that I can keep my application packet lite) as opposed to a 'Professional Development' header.

First, because if you want to swim in the IB pool, you have to drink the IB Koolaid, IB ISs renew their authorization every 5 years, the visits team wants to see PD as part of the binder. Good PD is expensive regardless of its source, and if your going to spend the coin and your an IB IS, it might as well be IB PD. That said, there are IB ISs that dont do anything more than the minimal PD required to maintain authorization. Its not that they dont do IB PD, they just dont do PD.
Second, ITs expect that good ISs will provide PD, its a marketing point for the IS.
Third, leadership generally doesnt get what they dont ask for from ownership, and the PD/training budget is a nice little supplemental/slush fund for the HOS/leadership.

@Heliotrope

This is why ITs are advised to relocate their credential to a state that doesnt require PD.

[Heliotrope]

PsyGuy wrote:
> This is why ITs are advised to relocate their credential to a state that
> doesnt require PD.

Asking for someone else (I'm not American myself):
Can a DC credential be easily relocated to a state that doesn't require PD?
And which state(s) would be best to relocate it to?

[PsyGuy]

@Heliotrope

You dont have to be American to obtain a DC credential.

Easy is relative, but its not onerously difficult. The two primary pathways are the NJ Standard credential and the CA CLEAR credential. NJ offers a lifetime credential, much like QTS that never needs renewal, and thus no PD. CA offers the CLEAR credential which is 5 years, but is renewable and requires no PD to renew. NJ is well NJ, and while the experience requirement is a little more complicated (mainly requiring recent experience). CA is the gold standard in the US NC but its more work, it would require you to obtain an ESOL credential (not difficult) but from a practical position would require getting a Masters.

[Heliotrope]

@PsyGuy

Thanks!