Extended essays

If you teach in the northern hemisphere (or are a ‘May session’ school) you are probably up to your neck in revision with your second year IB students as they have limited time left before their exams start.

Try to remember the extended essays though. The perfect time to start extended essays is when  the second year IB students have left. As scientists, we have a tough time with the EE. A lower percentage of students get the higher grades (just look at the IBO statistical bulletin) plus the students need to carry out lab work (and we need to supervise them!)

But how do you manage the process? Here are some ideas to consider:

1, Try to arrange the rooming of labs at your school so that there is a free lab (there should be more free space once the second year IB students have left). This would allow the lab to become an EE lab. Try to arrange staff timetables so that there is also a member of staff around to supervise students and encourage them to use their free time (as well as after school) to carry out their practical work.

2, Give up a couple of days of your long holiday. Controversial, I know, but in my experience this is the best way of getting students to complete their practical work. If you do this right at the start of the holiday, the students have the rest of it to start writing it up. <That’s the theory anyway! >

If you have any more suggestions on how to manage the process it would be good to read them. Please feel free to post below: