The IB Learner Profile Classroom Posters

Created by the International Baccalaureate, the IB is a set of attributes that rare essential to being a well rounded student. About 10 years ago I made a set of Learner profile posters for my wife’s classroom. That original set was so popular that I made them available in my Etsy shop, where they have been purchased by hundreds of teachers all over the world. Since then I have created a set of Key Concepts posters, Approaches to Learning posters, and an updated set of Learner Profile posters.

I had so match fun creating all of these posters, so when Dwight IB School in Dubai reached out to create a custom set for the using their lion mascot, it was a dream project. A huge thank you the Dwight School for getting in touch, a thank you to all of the teachers who have purchased these posters over the years.

Library Finds - part 3

If you’ve ever walking into the children’s section of your local library and felt overwhelmed by the seemingly endless shelves of options, I’m here to help. As a children’s author and father of young kids, I spend a lot time looking through the books at the library, and every month or so I like to share some of my favourite finds, including what I liked bout them, why I chose them, and a little bit about the book itself.

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The Circus Ship

written & illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Chris Van Dusen is one the most talented picture book illustrators out there. I picked this book because I selfishly love seeing his illustrations, but also because I know that pretty much any book with animals in it are going to be a hit with my 5 year old. ‘The Circus Ship’ did not disappoint. It’s a cute story about a group of circus animals who get marooned in a friendly community on a small island. When the circus’ mean ring leader come searching for his lost animals, the residents of the island help the animals blend into the surroundings, and they all live happily ever after. It’s a feel good story, and of course the illustrations did not disappoint.

Have You Seen Gordon

written by Adam Jay Epstein, illustrated by Ruth Chan

At a glance this may seem like your typical ‘find Waldo’ type of book, and although it starts off that way, it eventually evolves into a story. My kids and I both had a lot of fun reading this book, as there is a lot to look at, a lot to find, and it’s just plain fun. In the background there are a couple of side stories taking place, including an axolotl trying to steal the spotlight, and a horse that seems to have lost his pants. This is kind of book that you can easily flip through more than once.

What Sound is Morning

by Grant Snider

The subtle illustration on the cover of this book was enough to draw me in, and with a quick flip I could tell that it would be a nice calming poem with beautifully soft illustrations to match; perfect as a second bedtime story before I turn off the light. It would be great wake up early in the morning and take in the sights and sounds as the community wakes up, but life is busy and we don’t always get to see and appreciate these quiet moments. I love books like these take us to these places and moments and remind us to see the beauty around us.

What Do You Do With an Idea

written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom

Picture books have the ability to express so many different ideas in so many different ways, and I love that coming home with a stack of books that cover a spectrum of the human experience. ‘What Do You Do With an Idea’ is a visually stunning book about a young boy who is unsure about a little awkward idea he has, but learns to embrace it’s weirdness. Younger readers might not feel as engaged with the text, but it’s worth checking out.

Socks

written by Elizabeth Lindsay, illustrated by Nick Sharratt

This book is from our personal collection, and it’s one of my favourite books to read. In this story we join two kids as they explore a world of socks, filled with an easy to follow rhyming scheme and lot’s of kid friendly puns. It’s short, cute, and fun, and it’s also a great example of how illustrations don’t have to be overly elaborate to be effective.

IB Learner Profiles Posters

The IB Learner Profiles are a set of ten attributes that are universally make up well rounded people. These are values that the international baccalaureate fosters in their students.

Years ago I drew a series of posters for my wife’s classroom, back when she was a teacher, based on the IB Learner Profiles. A few weeks later I put the posters on my online store as printable downloads so that other teachers could print their own copies. Many years later, and now my posters are in IB classrooms in schools around the world.

That first set was made so long ago that I decided to create a new set, so here is the 2022 Land of Le Beef IB Learner Profile poster series:

Balanced

Life can be a balancing act, and our well-being often depends on our ability to navigate the different aspects of the world that affects us.

Inquirers

Let’s research, let’s ask questions, let’s explore, and let’s learn. Let’s be curious, and let’s wonder.

Knowledgeable

It’s so easy to skip across the surface of knowledge, but if we take the time to explore concepts and ideas of issues that are significant to us, we acquire a deeper understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Reflective

With thoughtful consideration we are able to understand our strengths and weaknesses, and support our personal development.

Principled

When we act with integrity and respect for ourselves and the people around us, we create a better world.

Communicators

Clear, concise, and reaching to the heart of the subject; good communication is essential to a positive exchange of ideas.

Open-Minded

Being ‘open minded’ means considering other perspectives, cultures, and beliefs, and allows ourselves to grow from them.

Risk-Takers

Taking risks is essential for moving beyond our comfort zones, gaining new insight, and foster courage.

Thinkers

With thoughtful consideration and creative thinking, we can approach complex problems and make reasonable and ethical decisions.

Caring

By being respectful, compassionate, and empathetic, we can have a positive effect on the world and the people around us.

If you’re an IB teacher and would love to print a set of these posters for your classroom, these and other posters can be found here - IB Learner Profile Posters

Library Finds - part 2

Picture books can take you on a journey. They can make you laugh, they can make you cry. They can show you something about the world around you, or help you discover something  beautifully simple in a complex world.

As a picture book author, an illustrator, and a father of two young kids, I’m constantly coming home with stacks of books from my local library, and I would love to share with you some of my recent finds.

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Magic Candy

written by Helena Baek, illustrated by Sophia Bowman

Magic Candy was recommended by a fellow parent. This one is a great example of how weird and wonderful picture books can be - a young boy buys a bag of mysterious candy from a store, and discovers that each candy he eats allows him to hear the hidden language of things around him, whether it’s a pet, an inanimate object, or a voice from the past. The claymation illustrations are undeniably striking, adding to the strangeness of the book’s concept, and making it all the more memorable.

Windows

written by Julia Denos, illustrated by  E. B. Goodale

If you ever glance at lit up windows on a quiet evenings and wonder about the stories taking place inside of them, then this book is for you. Windows takes place in the final hours of the day, as we follow a boy taking his dog on a contemplative walk around his neighborhood. The illustrations beautifully compliment the character’s thoughtful journey.

Love, Z

written and illustrated by Jessie Sima

This is another book that is fun to read and fun to look at. After discovering a long forgotten message in a bottle, a young robot named Z sets off on a journey to learn what love is. He quickly meets a helpful kitty, and the two sail off together. The book is filled with fun little details, like the letters of Z’s family, and the sailor cat settling into a new home. As an added bonus, to this day my daughter affectionately clanks head with me every night when I tuck her in.

Nothing Happens in This Book

written by Judy Ann Sadler, illustrated by Vigg

You can’t help but be pulled into this book. It self admittedly starts off pretty boring, but we join the main character as he starts ti suspect that something (spoiler alert), does indeed happen in this book. This book is yet another example of wonderful variety of great illustrations and story structures that can be found in picture books.

My Words Flew Away Like Birds

written by Debora Pearson, illustrated by Shrija Jain

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book about a young girl who has recently moved to another country. We see her perspective as she explores her surroundings, but struggles with language barrier of her new home. It’s a wonderful and whimsical look into a child’s perspective.

Wet

written and illustrated by Carey Sookocheff

I love that pictures don’t always have to have a deep moral lesson, sometimes they can just explore a topic that younger kids are still becoming familiar with. This book explores the simple concept of ‘wet’, brought to life with adorably simple illustrations (I especially like the cover).

Chimpanzees For Tea

written and illustrated by Jo Empson

A boy’s trip to the market becomes increasingly absurd as he misremembers the items that his mother asked him to pick up. With the playful rhymes, fast paced text, and expressive illustrations, Chimpanzees For Tea is fun to read.

What Every Artist Website Should Include

I’m in the process of updating my artist website, so I did something that I rarely do; researched.

I do different things as an artist, such as writing books, illustrating, and doing photography, and though I could have a different website for each of these (which is what I did before), it is simply too much to manage. I still have my professional photography website (www.housestoriescanada.com), but I wanted my personal artist website to an online where all of my other work can live.

After scouring the internet for tips and advice, I’ve curated a list of everything that I think applies to me.

But First: Why Have a Website

Why does an artist even need a website? If you create art as a hobby, then having a website may not be important, but there are dozens of reasons why having one can be necessary to getting your work infant of an audience.

1. To have a presence - he first thing every artist needs to do before having an audience is to exist. 

2. To have an online home for your art - a website can be a great place for the things you do can come together with images, words, and context.

3. To be reachable - because no one owns a phonebook anymore

4. To be relevant - we are constantly growing as artists, and a website is place where that should reflect that

5. To show credibility - because every professional needs a website

General Guidelines

Throughout my research, there are a few general principles for artist websites that came up again and again:

1. It should be clear and concise

2. Visitors should immediately have an idea who you are and what your art looks like

3. It should be easy to navigate

Art is subjective, its creation is often messy, and an artist’s mind is often in strange places, but having a central understanding of what you do and why it’s worth seeing is a great start at communicating your work to an audience in a clear and effective way. That doesn’t have to mean that you peel the mystery off of your art, you just need to present the gist of it in a cohesive way.

Menu Options

As mentioned, an artist’s website should be easy to navigate, which means the menu options should be minimal and intuitive. There are a few must-have pages:

Home page - this is the face of your website. Most likely it’s the first page that people will see, and it’s the place that they will form their first impression of you and your work, or at least be intrigued enough to dig a bit deeper. Like the rest of your website, it should be clean, and to the point, containing a title, an image, and your website's menu.

Work/Portfolio - this is where you get to show off your best work. It may be tempting to showcase everything you’ve ever done, especially if you’re just starting out, but this is an opportunity to curate your art and show off your best self. Generally your work should be organized into series of related themes. In any gallery, a good number of pieces to shoot for is 10-30. A brief description of each series will give context to your audience. For myself I have a separate page for photography, illustrations, and book, each divided into smaller, unified galleries.

About Page - let people get to know you. If you’re like me, this is the hardest thing to write. You’ll have to say nice things about yourself in a modest, but flattering way. You will probably want to mention some of your credentials, some of your achievements, but also make sure that your personality shines through. You might also want to include an ‘artist statement’ (a little blurb about your work), and you’ll definitely want to include a cool looking picture of yourself.

Contact Page - assuming you want to people to contact you, this is essential

Blog - this is my favourite part of a website. You can share information, show recent work, share some behind-the-scenes, or whatever tickles your fancy. There are an endless number if things that you can blog about that shows off your work, expertise, and personality. I’m so excited about blogs that I might write a separate blog post about them. 

Social Media Links - whether you’re on Instagram, Twitter, FlipFlop, or Glurb, let people know where they can follow you.

Bonus Pages

Press Page - you can build on your credibility by showing all of the great things that has said about you in the media9

Store - obviously if you sell things this is the place to do it, whether you do it through your website or if it links to a serrate online shop.

Newsletter Opt-In - I love seeing examples of good newsletter. If you have a newsletter, let me know where I can opt-in

In Conclusion

Above all, your website should be reflection of you. It is an extension of your work, or at the very least, it is the package in which you and your work are presented to the world. It doesn’t have to be flashy, but it should be nice enough to make people want to stay.

By the time you are reading this, hopefully I will have finished updating my website, and it will be a gorgeous example of what a good artist website looks like. If you have any advice of your own, I would love to hear from you.