DEFINE

PURPOSE
DEFINING OUR
PURPOSE USING
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

C O N F E S S I O N # 1
S U P P L E M E N T A L
M A T E R I A L
Welcome to Your Inquiry Guide

This guide is a companion to our podcast series Confessions of a PYP Teacher

The activities in this guide have been designed for Confession #1. To listen to
our podcast, you can go here or any podcast providers.

If you are a more visual person we will be having a 5 DAY INQUIRY
CHALLENGE to walk through our guides. Join our Facebook group.

The inquiry series includes:

Confession #1: Using the Golden Circle to define Teacher Purpose

Confession #2: Defining our Focus in Inquiry: engaging, challenging,

relevant, and significant strategies

Confession #3-6: Planning for Inquiry

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Works Cited
Sinek, Simon. "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". Illustrated,
Portfolio, 2011.

Sinek, Simon, et al. "Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your
Team". Illustrated, Portfolio, 2017.

All graphics and fonts in this document have been created using Canva Pro as part of a paid
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 Inquiry Reading
Here are some people who have sparked our love of inquiry-based learning

Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek has written about the way we think. Check out his TED Talk and books.

how

Social Media & Podcast

We're here for you on social media or good ol' email. Contact us!

@thinkchat2020 thinkchat2020 Lu Gerlach

@lugerlach thinkchat thinkchat2020

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Confessions of a PYP Teacher podcast

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Origins of the PYP House
In 2018, I had an a-ha moment when comparing the infrastructure of the PYP to a house during a workshop.
From that moment, this picture has cemented further into my mind as I explain the PYP to teachers new to
the program. We will break it down according to the visual provided.

The Foundation
As we know, the foundation is the most important part of a house. It provides a level surface for the rest to
build upon. The foundation takes the pressure from the rest of the structure when outside forces push upon it
and shake it to the core. As such, the foundational layers need to be items that are deep rooted in the IB
philosophy and reinforce school culture.

The first layer of the foundation consists of the learner profile attributes. The learner profile attributes are
more than terms we use to describe an internationally minded student, they are a disposition of how we look
at the world. They are one of the only elements of the IB program that follow a learner from kindergarten to
graduation. Why is the learner profile so important? They lay the foundation of school culture through
shared language. With the diverse backgrounds of our educators and learners, the learner profile unifies our
purpose and provides a common language that can be used throughout the program continuum.

The second layer of the foundation is international mindedness. We strive to become internationally minded,
because it's the embodiment of the IB mission statement in our school and community. It allows us to look
beyond our perspective of the world and examine how others do things differently. As such, international
mindedness is at the heart of building relationships that can withstand obstacles.
Holding up the Structure
As we set the foundation, we want to build a strong floor that can withstand a lot of wear and tear. This floor
will span the entire house and every nook and cranny. Our flooring takes shape with the transdisciplinary
themes. As we create our strong mindset, we move forward with building a curriculum that is laid in the
frame of the PYP six transdisciplinary themes. These themes center our thinking conceptually and connect all
of our content areas together.

The studs and beams truly hold up a structure. They are what create the rooms and floors in a home.
Concepts hold up the house structure vertically. These are universal ideas that are timeless, universal, and
abstract. They connect all of the ideas in our various content areas and bring them together as a cohesive
unit. Without concepts, our units would be thematic, departmentalized, and unrelated. They truly are the
anchor to everything we do and help students make generalizations about the world around them.

Designing the House

Our house has been designed to have two floors. The main floor has been designed to showcase the
approaches to learning or ATLs. The ATLs are skills that are explicitly taught, so learners can become
independent thinkers. Their aim is to ensure that students understand, can explain, and are able to replicate
processes to new situations. This is learning transfer.

On the second floor, you will find the approaches to teaching or ATTs. These are various teaching and
assessment strategies that teachers employ to ensure that big ideas are understood while delivering
content-driven objectives. They include: inquiry, concepts, collaboration, local and global contexts,
differentiation, and assessment.

Holding it All Together

The attic and roof hold everything intact, so there is no damage to the home. This ensures that habitants
can freely roam with little fear of being exposed to the outside elements. Agency and action act as our
shields in holding the program together. They anchor to each component of the structure to keep
everything balanced and secure.

All of the elements of the PYP house work together to stand tall. It’s not easy, because there will always be
maintenance to ensure no calamity befalls the house. There will be major overhauls over time to be able to
stay abreast of current trends and improvements.

You can easily differentiate between PYP houses. There are some that were crafted over time with care.
The people devoted a lot of themselves into making it the best edifice on the block. Meanwhile down the
road, others did a quick construction job to get something up with little thought of long-term durability. This
is our reality.

Which type of house do you currently live in? What repairs need to be made so your structure can stand
tall?
 THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Why

How

What

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?

WHY: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
HOW: HOW ARE YOU ACHIEVING YOUR WHY?
WHAT: WHAT IS YOUR PROOF?
 THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Why

How

What

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?

WHY: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
HOW: HOW ARE YOU ACHIEVING YOUR WHY?
WHAT: WHAT IS YOUR PROOF?
 Golden Circle

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 Golden Circle

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Congratulations!
YOU'RE FINISHED WITH DEFINING PURPOSE!

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