Are teachers supposed to pick your IOP topics for you?

[Rosalina]

Hi,

 

For our IOP, our teacher gave us a list of IOP topics and told us to pick one. I was wondering if we had an option as to if we were allowed to choose if we wanted to  the teacher's or our own topic.

 

I'd also like someone to confirm if it is mandatory to read all the IB books. My seniors have told me you only read the one you present on. Which doesn't sound all that right...

 

Thanks

[Gaby]

You have to read all the books you do in class. They belong to different parts and your proficiency in them will be assessed (some through IOC, some through IOP, some in Paper 2 and some in your WA, or whatever it's called). 

 

I have never heard of a teacher presenting you with a list of IOP topics to choose from, doesn't sound like something IBO would condone. Unless the rules have changed since my exams. I came up with my IOP topic myself, with my teacher's guidance. 

[kw0573]

for IOP books and WA books you don't have to all books in details, because assessment is just minimum 1 each. IOC and P2 works, yeah definitely know them inside and out.

[ShootingStar16]

Hi,

 

For our IOP, our teacher gave us a list of IOP topics and told us to pick one. I was wondering if we had an option as to if we were allowed to choose if we wanted to  the teacher's or our own topic.

 

I'd also like someone to confirm if it is mandatory to read all the IB books. My seniors have told me you only read the one you present on. Which doesn't sound all that right...

 

Thanks

Yeah your teacher should not be picking your topic for you. You are supposed to come up with one yourself with some guidance from your teacher maybe. 

 

Umm you should read all of them to keep doors open for picking your topic, so if you hit a huge wall with yours, you have some alternative. 

[Blackcurrant]

There goes a vital piece of your education ... out the window!!!

 

Your teacher found it simply less hassle to give you ready-made topics.  The benefit is not yours at all.  In fact, it rather defeats one important aspect of the IOP, which is that it offers an opportunity for most students to begin (safely) learning to think up and carefully formulate topics. For many of us it was the first opportunity we had to learn the ropes and do things the "IB-way".   

 

Too bad your teacher doesn't think much of your education. Or the of IB learner profile, for that matter (what happened to "inititative"??).

 

It's worth insisting on your own topic. Better for motivation and learning.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Blackcurrant

[luckymousey]

I find it rather weird that the teacher has given you a list of topics to choose from because that's not the purpose of the IOP and it can disadvantage you if you haven't thought of the topic yourself. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to think of the IOP topic yourself however you can approach the teacher for guidance or if you want them to check whether your topic is feasible etc.

If you can, find your own topic because you will be able to find something you actually like rather than choosing from a random list. 

 

About reading the books, it really depends on what assessment you're doing. I remember for my IOP, we did 4 different types of texts: Stolen by Jane Harrison, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Martin Luther King's letters and Carol Ann Duffy's poems. I actually didn't even read the first text or do anything on MLK because I was already sure I was going to do Things Fall Apart. So no, I didn't really read any of the books except for the one I was sure about. Personally I do recommend reading all of them just incase but you don't need to vigorously make notes on all of them if you know you're definitely not going to do one of them. 

It's different for IOC though where you do have to read all of the texts because you're not too sure which one you will get.