The Internal Assessment can be one of the most important parts of IB Chemistry. Saving time matters, so whenever possible I help students finish it during the school holiday or soon after the holiday ends.
The images below show several IAs that had recently been completed. There were probably more because some students had already finished theirs before the holiday. By completed, I mean that the full 11 or 12 pages had been written.
I am careful about showing students' exact IA wording, but I push them to develop their writing to this standard. Students appreciate finishing early. Moving too slowly only adds pressure, so the goal is to complete the work efficiently and give them some breathing room.
That period had been exhausting for both students and teachers. Students had many other things to prepare, which meant I needed to work even harder. I wanted to rest, but finding time was difficult.
I had also received offers to teach at schools in a few countries. Part of me wanted to become a school teacher, but I was not ready to make that change. Instead, I uploaded free online lessons so students could continue reviewing Chemistry.
I needed to manage my condition carefully until I could regain my energy. In an individual IA lesson, a student can sometimes complete the work very quickly—even within one intensive day.
A team lesson is much harder because I may need to support four students at once. It feels a little like playing several chess games in rotation: spend a few minutes refining one draft, give the next instruction, then move to another student and repeat.
Finishing each team member's IA is rewarding, but it is also draining. The process can slow down whenever a student reaches a point where they cannot continue independently.
Students posted many questions, and I could not always answer every one immediately. We did, however, cover them properly during lesson time.
After helping so many students complete their IAs, it was time to place more emphasis on AP Chemistry. Enquiries were increasing again, and the next goal was to help another group of students work toward scores of 5.
