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The Ultimate Guide to Managing Academics and Extracurriculars in an IB Curriculum
Introduction:
IB Curriculum, or the International Baccalaureate curriculum, is a global board of education recognised by several countries worldwide. The IB curriculum is known for its high educational standards that equip students of ages 4-19 with theoretical, practical, and applicational knowledge that helps them understand and solve real-world problems.
The rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum involves students learning the nuances of various subjects through inquiry-based learning, assignments, group projects, and case studies. We at One World International School Understand the busy schedules of our students when it comes to their academics, which is why we prefer adding extracurricular activities to their schedule for their holistic development. One World International School Is one of the best international schools in Bangalore, and we encourage our students to be expressive about their mental health, which is crucial for their holistic development.
Studies have time and again shown that extracurricular activities do wonders for the mental health of students, which not only helps them in their academics but also their holistic development. Having an active and fresh mind is extremely important for students, and that is precisely what extracurricular activities help students achieve. The One World International School, as a premium International Baccalaureate curriculum school, follows the guidelines provided by the reputed IB board, which gives extracurricular activities a lot of importance for the overall development of the students. Here are what extracurricular activities we at the One World International School offer our students to choose from –
- Creative Arts
- Model United Nations (MUN)
- Drama
- Robotics
- Music
- Sports
- History Club
- Debate Club
- Math Club and
- Science Olympiad Club!
While we understand that managing academics and extracurricular activities can be challenging for students, here is our comprehensive guide on how to manage both aspects of every student’s school life –
Important Key Points To Manage IB Program Academics & Extracurricular Activities
Here are a few things to keep in mind to find the optimum time to manage the nuances of academics without compromising the fun that extracurricular activities provide for the best school life –
Plan & Prioritise
Planning plays a significant role in achieving goals during a time crunch. By planning, you cannot only complete all your tasks in a limited time but also enjoy the task entirely. Another aspect of managing academics and extracurricular activities is prioritising both activities over other tasks, like spending too much time on social media. Studies have shown that social media has been a distractor for students in over 60% of the cases, demonstrating the importance of prioritising academics and extracurricular activities.
Parents and teachers can help students understand the importance of balancing academics and extracurricular activities by showing them how balancing the two can help them in their holistic development. They can also help students in planning their schedules to reduce stress to a great extent!
Manage Time Efficiently
Time management is vital to every student’s life, given how many tasks they have to perform, especially in the IB curriculum. What extracurricular activities do to students is give them a break from academics and help them reset their focus, relieve stress, instil confidence and more, which is why managing time becomes crucial for students to balance both studies and extracurricular activities for their holistic development and academic success!
Time management helps students in their academics and fully commit to their extracurricular activities, which allows them to become better thinkers, happy, and more focused. In the long run, efficient time management helps students build discipline, perform better in academics, and navigate through multiple tasks! A few time management techniques we vouch for excellent results are – the Eisenhower Matrix ( Proper prioritisation of tasks), the Pomodoro Technique and the Time Blocking Method.
Establishing Realistic Goals
The International Baccalaureate curriculum is a diverse and rigorous program. We at One World International School understand the stress our students experience and give it our all to help them counter stress by introducing them to extracurricular activities, which will help them gain confidence, regain focus and have a clear mind. As responsible teachers, we help our students balance academics and curricular activities by teaching them to focus on realistic goals.
By establishing realistic goals, students can focus on getting better results in the activities they like rather than on multiple tasks that might feel stressful. Having achievable goals boosts the confidence of young minds to a great extent, thereby helping them gain a balance in academics and extracurricular activities with complete dedication.
Focus On Quality Over Number
While muti-tasking might seem efficient, young students should focus on quality over quantity to find the right balance between academics and extracurricular activities.
It is important to remind ourselves what extracurricular activities are supposed to do, is to help our children catch a break from academics, regain focus, think, boost focus, and develop discipline, not to burden them more. As teachers and parents, the onus is to help our children figure out what interests them, what piques their curiosity and what makes them confident. The One World International School helps students choose the right activity and emphasises perfecting a few activities and academics rather than just exploring the surface of many activities.
Clear Communication
The IB Curriculum focuses on many aspects of a student’s life to help them develop holistically. Still, the many assignments, projects and subjects can become overwhelming, leading to stress and lack of mental clarity. It is essential to teach our students to communicate freely with teachers, peers, and parents to express their thoughts. Proper communication can help students set boundaries, manage time, and focus on the quality of the tasks rather than the number of tasks they perform. Adequate communication and extracurricular activities are the key to academic success and professional success in the future, as they help students gain confidence, understand their limitations and perform quality tasks efficiently.
Focus On Self-Care
Self-care is an important aspect of a person’s life, and as responsible teachers and parents, we must teach our children the importance of self-care. The IB curriculum focuses on the holistic development of students, and the cornerstone of this vision is self-care. We understand academics are essential, and extracurricular activities help students relax and focus on other aspects of their interests, but it is important for students to take care of themselves physically and mentally.
At One World International School, we emphasise the importance of self-care and urge our students to communicate their feelings freely to help us help them manage their studies and extracurricular activities in the healthiest way!
Assess Commitments
The IB curriculum can be challenging, given the workload of academics and extracurricular activities. We advise our students to assess their commitments and say ‘ no’ when required to complete the tasks in hand with complete efficiency. Taking many tasks at once or venturing into new fields now and then can lead to a loss of focus and cause stress, which is what extracurricular activities are supposed to counter, making the entire purpose of the extracurricular activities ineffective. Therefore, it is essential to take stock of all the commitments and only fulfil those that are realistically achievable!
The One World International School is one of India’s best IB curriculum schools. It is known for its quality teachers, state-of-the-art campus, extensive resources, and robust facilities.
Our highly experienced teachers ensure that they use innovative teaching methods like inquiry-based learning, research-based learning, student-oriented approach and more! Besides innovative teaching methods, we also leverage technology to give our students every opportunity to become better learners. Apart from academics, we also focus on our students’ holistic development and teach them techniques and tips to balance academics and extracurricular activities for their well-being!
We hope this article has helped you understand how to balance academics and extracurricular activities. For more such articles and more information on our school, click here!
