by Stephanie Zantingh
As IB educators, we continually seek curricula that support our mission to cultivate self-awareness and empathy in students, developing attributes such as care for others, open-mindedness, reflective thinking, risk-taking, and the pursuit of balance. These attributes of the IB Learner Profile, developed in students through the explicit teaching of skills, are essential in nurturing globally-minded individuals committed to creating a more peaceful and equitable world.
Recently, I had the privilege of observing a highly innovative and transformative Social-Emotional Leadership (SEL) framework in action with a group of middle school students. What I witnessed in a short period of time was an extraordinary level of engagement, dialogue, and self-reflection among the students in ways I have not previously encountered. The concept sparked a level of self-awareness and vulnerability and openness around how students are bringing themselves to their peers, the classroom, and life and it resonated very deeply with me.
IB Educators strive to find ways to teach these skills to students, but it often presents a significant challenge. How do we teach a classroom of teenagers to positively manage their emotions? How do we encourage mind-body connection in our classrooms from an early age? How do we enable students to bring their best selves forward? Despite the importance of these ATL skills, the practical application of them to classroom teaching continues to be a struggle for many educators; a struggle to find effective methods and language to explicitly teach these skills. Captains & Poets addresses this gap by offering a clear, accessible methodology that empowers educators to encourage ongoing student growth in self-awareness, well-being, and a sense of agency in how they are showing up in the world.
Co-founded by Jennifer Johnson and Jan Frolic, Captains & Poets grew out of a desire to encourage young people to embrace their authentic identity while developing self-leadership and a true sense of agency in all that they do. During the student workshop I observed, the core concept of identifying the unique “Captain” and “Poet” within each individual to be remarkably effective. Students readily engaged with this duality, exploring how these aspects manifest themselves in each of our lives. They demonstrated enthusiasm in recognizing and discussing these traits within themselves, their peers, and their teachers, building a sense of unity through the celebration of individuality and diversity.
During the workshop, students engaged in conversation and dialogue about community, belonging and acceptance of self and others. I was struck by the openness to the possibility of a learning community where everyone has a voice and feels seen and heard. Imagine what our schools could look like if this were the norm?
Captains & Poets offers a novel approach to bringing the IB Learner Profile and ATL skill competencies to life in students with significant potential to complement and enhance the IB’s educational framework. By enabling students to feel seen and to take ownership of who they are being at any given moment, it directly supports the IB’s Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills framework – a cornerstone of the IB continuum that articulates the essential skills students need for success in academic and life contexts.
The curriculum, along with its associated student workshops and professional development sessions, equips schools with simple yet powerful tools to integrate SEL seamlessly into their practices. The program’s focus aligns perfectly with the IB’s vision, mission and pedagogical goals. For IB educators and administrators, Captains & Poets represents a valuable opportunity to enrich your school’s practices and empower your students in exponential ways in 2025.
I encourage you to explore this groundbreaking program and consider how its principles can transform your educational environment in profound and meaningful ways. As an IB Consultant with Captains & Poets I would like to offer you a complimentary consultation to assess key areas of need and opportunities for creating a transformational impact in your school in 2025. Please fill out the form below to request a consult. I look forward to hearing from you.
Stephanie Zantingh has nearly 30 years of global experience as an IB educator and leader and is a strong proponent of inquiry-based teaching and learning, encouraging curiosity as the driver for teaching and learning. She is an IB-trained educator, workshop leader, consultant and site evaluator and has taught and led at IB schools in Canada, Switzerland, Tanzania, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan and Angola.