This year has been stressful for all students and having IB tests these past few weeks exacerbated these feelings, according to junior Sophia Earle. 

“It has been hard to find time to dedicate to writing my IAs. Especially with COVID last year, the chemistry IA was really hard because it was challenging to remember what I learned,” Earle said. “The amount of material that we didn’t learn last year made it hard to collectively write that into an essay.”

IB history teacher Jillian Merkle said there are ways for students to seek assistance with their IAs.

“(I’ve been) giving a lot of one on one time. Jane Dorn in the media center is really helpful to students as well with asking questions about IAs,” Merkle said. “I’ve also had other history teachers help find resources for students, which has been really great.”

Earle said there are support systems, such as teachers, that have helped her with completing her IAs. 

“Support systems have helped me by giving me an outline of when deadlines are due, what is included in the IAs (and) how I can make them the best they can be for IB,” Earle said. “Communicating with the teachers really works because you can get different perspectives.

IB English teacher Cristopher Nordmark said  there are a lot of support systems for students, but those resources hinder  what instructors can do. 

“When we watch some past students do them like that. In my experience, students are like, oh, great, that was awesome to see somebody actually do it. That’s more like an example of a  support system, but it limits a little bit of what we as instructors can do,” Nordmark said. “They want all of the thoughts and the creation to be put onto the students, which is good because it’s kind of the nature of what students are doing, showing where they are at that moment.”

Merkle said that teachers can learn ways to adapt their own teaching methods from student struggles. 

“Teachers can learn how to change things. I think that with IB there tends to be a set curriculum and a set way things are done,” Merkle said. “I think teachers can take struggles from this year to make it better and make it more inclusive.”