The Other Side of the Diploma: IB Teachers Reveal the Struggles, Joys, and Hidden Truths

The student narrative of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is well-known: a relentless gauntlet of internal assessments, extended essays, and sleepless nights. But what about the dedicated professionals who design the lessons, grade the papers, and provide the steadying hand through the two-year storm?

Within the demanding International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, science courses are often a consistent source of student stress. It is in this challenging context that Mr. Joe Boettcher, current IBDP Physics teacher, brings a unique perspective, having navigated the rigorous, math-based world of Physics and the holistic, systems-thinking realm of Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS). He sees the DP as a landscape that cultivates different kinds of intellect. “They do have some similarities. Obviously, [both sciences] try to make sense of the world around us. They both require higher-level thinking and understanding to make connections,” he notes.

“Where they differ is that Physics requires a lot of mathematical analysis to make those connections,” Mr. Boettcher explains. However, he is quick to dispel the notion that physics is purely about calculation. “That’s not to say there is no place for a non-mathematical understanding.” He recalls his graduate work, focusing on student misconceptions. “None of these misconceptions were math-based, meaning no amount of practice problems was going to help kids work their way out of them.”

For him, the ultimate reward in Physics is that classic moment of clarity. “The biggest reward I can earn while teaching physics is when students get that ‘Ah-ha!’ moment. That moment when some part of the physical world comes into focus and makes physical sense.”

In contrast, ESS offers a different kind of intellectual reward. “Teaching and learning ESS on the other hand, is mostly reading articles and texts as well as using the written word in order to make the necessary connections.” He goes on to describe the subject as “non-linear,” where every topic connects to every other. “In this class, it’s far more beneficial to learn and study by using a mind map to make connections… The rewards are similar but in some respects a little different. Instead of that ‘Ah’ha!’ moment around a particular concept, it’s more of a realization on how the different concepts connect together.”

When asked about the common hurdle students face in the Internal Assessment (IA) (which are coursework projects that make up 20-30% of students’ total grade), his answer is unequivocal: overcomplication. “Students want to break new ground and come up with a new experiment, but that’s not what is expected.” He reframes the goal for his students, emphasizing skill over novelty. “The goal is for students to come up with an experiment that is meaningful to them, accessible with what they already know, and be able to conduct an actual scientific examination… You don’t need a graduate-level research question to score well on this assignment. But whatever you choose needs to be done well.”

With 20 years of experience teaching various curricula, including AP, Mr. Boettcher offers a objective comparison. “I have 20 year’s experience teaching AP level work and I think the IB is more rigorous than the AP overall.” The challenge, he clarifies, is not just depth but the synergistic pressure of multiple components. “The content in the AP Physics C course is very challenging because of its depth of analysis… but the IB has a wider range of content. What makes the IB challenging for the student, I think, is the number of assignments like the IA, the EE (Extended Essay) and classes like TOK (Theory of Knowledge).”

For Ms. Irene Peter, who teaches Math Analysis and Approaches (AA), it is as much about psychology and mentorship as it is about calculus and proofs. Her primary mission is to dismantle the ‘fortress of math anxiety’ that many students bring to her classroom.

“The first step is always unlearning the belief that ‘math ability’ is fixed,” she states. “When errors are treated as information rather than failure, students’ anxiety naturally decreases.” She builds this environment through “opportunities to revise, discuss mistakes, and try again,” coupled with “transparency” in breaking down intimidating topics into manageable parts.

Her strategy is designed to explain abstraction. “One of my core beliefs is that mathematics becomes enjoyable when it feels meaningful and connected to something real. She also upholds a “discussion-based classroom” because “when students explain ideas to one another, they begin to see mathematics as a language rather than a set of rules. That shift alone makes the subject far more approachable.”

Ms. Peter sees the DP as a natural, if significant, progression from the MYP. “The IBDP feels like a natural extension of the MYP, but with greater depth and independence expected of students… The key differences are the level of abstraction and the pace.” She acknowledges the very real struggles students face: “the jump in abstraction,” “the pace, which can feel fast,” and “the need for independence.” Yet, she reframes this struggle not as a flaw, but as a feature of deep learning. “Overall, I think the ‘struggle’ is productive. DP AA pushes students to think like mathematicians, not just do mathematics, and that kind of growth is challenging, but incredibly rewarding.”

Her final verdict on the IB’s value extends far beyond the classroom. “One of the biggest strengths of the IB is that it doesn’t just prepare students for exams, it prepares them for life beyond school.” She points to the programme’s holistic design, stating, “Through CAS, the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and their academic subjects, students learn to ask strong questions, manage complex tasks, and engage with the world thoughtfully.”

Perhaps no teacher in the IB faces a more complex and diverse classroom than Ms. Ping Wang, who navigates students from Chinese Ab Initio to Chinese B. Chinese Ab Initio is a course designed for complete beginners with little to no Chinese background, while Chinese B was designed for students with prior study experience and exposure to Chinese culture. She reveals that the common binary of “beginner” and “advanced” is a dramatic oversimplification.

“In the Ab Initio class, the divide is often between students from character-based backgrounds (like Korea or Japan) and those from non-character backgrounds (like Europe or the Americas),” she explains. For the first group, the challenge is “boredom and impatience,” while for the second, it’s the “‘Alphabet Wall’—a feeling of being overwhelmed.” Her solution is a “’two-track’ engagement plan within the same classroom,” challenging the former with advanced characters and empowering the latter as “explorers” through kinesthetic learning and gamification.

The Chinese B classroom is equally split between students with “acquired proficiency” and “heritage speakers.” The acquired students are “often highly motivated but terrified of failure,” while the heritage students face the challenge of “academic transfer and complacency.” Her approach is differentiated: for the former, “extensive scaffolding” she includes “sentence starters and clear graphic organizers”; for the latter, “intellectualizing the language” through tasks like “deconstructing editorials” and “leading a Socratic seminar.”

Ms. Wang’s favorite tool for bringing the language to life is a deeply relatable cultural concept: parenting philosophies. “While festivals are vibrant, my favorite cultural element to teach is the comparison of Chinese and Western parenting philosophies, often framed by the concepts of ‘虎妈’ (Tiger Mom) and ‘直升机父母’ (Helicopter Parent).” This topic, she finds, is powerfully effective because “it makes abstract culture personal… Students immediately connect these discussions to their own relationships with their parents.”

She uses the language to help students “understand the cultural values behind the behaviors,” moving beyond stereotypes. The goal is to spark “Authentic Debate,” where “they aren’t just using Chinese; they are using it to articulate complex, personal, and critical viewpoints.” For students navigating multiple cultural identities, “this lesson provides a vocabulary and a framework to understand those very pressures.”

Her greatest personal challenge is a direct result of this diversity. “My greatest personal challenge is differentiating instruction to meet the vast range of needs within a single IBDP class.” This challenge, she notes, is born from the subject’s nature, the school’s cohort, and the IB’s rigid curriculum. “My struggle, and my mission, is to design lessons that are simultaneously accessible to the less-literate student and challenging for the near-native speaker.”

When asked if she would recommend Chinese Ab Initio to a complete novice, her answer is an enthusiastic yes. “I would absolutely recommend Chinese Ab Initio to a student with zero background—if they have the right mindset.” She outlines the three non-negotiable requirements: “A genuine curiosity and lack of fear about making mistakes,” “Consistent, daily practice,” and “A willingness to embrace a different way of thinking.” For the right student, she believes, it can be “one of the most fulfilling journeys in their IB Diploma.”

Across physics labs, math classrooms, and language halls, a unified vision of the IB emerges from these teachers. It is a programme that demands immense effort not only from students but from teachers, who must be subject experts, counsellors, and motivational coaches all at once. They acknowledge the pressure and the intensity, yet they champion the outcome: the development of resilient, critical, and globally-minded young adults.