Paul Venter is an IB coordinator and math teacher at an IB World School in Norway, with over 20 years of experience in international education. His work primarily focuses on making math accessible and engaging through various areas of rational thinking. Paul fosters a positive math culture and believes that everyone can succeed in math, debunking the myth that some people aren’t good at it. He challenges the belief that poor math skills are passed down through generations or are embedded in our DNA, emphasizing that these notions are untrue.

As a board representative for the Norwegian IB Schools Association, Paul advocates for IB students in Norway and supports schools seeking IB authorization, helping them navigate their evaluations during the five-year review process. He organizes and manages job-alike events for over 40 IB schools in Norway and leads global workshops that share practical strategies for student-centered math instruction.  

Paul is not only a diploma workshop leader but also a cross-continuum workshop leader, which allows him to deliver workshops for all of the programs the IB offers. In 2024, he was honored with an award for his contributions to mathematics education from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and the Nordic Mathematics Association.  

Additionally, Paul is an IB authorized team visitor and member. He helps schools during their candidacy phases and guides them through the process of becoming authorized in the IB programs. He frequently arranges inter-country job-alike events, such as the successful one recently held between Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Sweden.

Paul is currently working on developing AI policies for schools, using the EU framework introduced in 2024, and exploring the responsibilities of EEA countries under the new legislation. He has been involved in the busy rollout of these publications and documentation in recent weeks. Furthermore, he presents his insights at regional and international IB tech conferences, both in-person and virtually.  

He enjoys facilitating discussions about education and how the introduction of artificial intelligence will drastically alter the future of teaching. He works to alleviate people’s fears, helping them understand that AI won’t take over their classrooms—it’s individuals who know how to use AI better than others who will drive this change. His message is that educators must either embrace AI or risk being left behind.  

Paul’s journey started in pedagogy and teaching adolescents, but he has come to love working with adult learners. He finds it fascinating to explore how adults engage with learning, especially in the context of letting go of prior knowledge. While children struggle to release scaffolding, adults often find it more challenging. Paul helps them realize that what they learned years ago might not be as relevant today, though there are always valuable lessons worth keeping.  

Why do you think that we ,teachers, are so afraid of changing things?

I honestly believe that speaking to teachers and working with them, it’s the fear of the unknown. All teachers, it doesn’t matter if they are teachers at heart or they have just jumped into this career because that was the only career available. At the end of the day, they know that there is this responsibility to keep the future of humanity going forward. And we do realize that the amount of pressure on you as an individual to make sure you don’t mess up this child’s future is it’s huge, even though you don’t think about it every day, it’s there in the back of your mind. You at the core of it. Really want to make sure these kids succeed. And if you move out of what is being seen as traditional, successful ways of teaching, you don’t want to be the one that messes up the child’s future. I think the risk of a student not getting into university or not even getting into high school, weighs heavy on your heart, even though you don’t think about it day to day. And I think when we are able to let that go and realize that if we ethically change the way that we are doing our teaching and do it in a systematic manner, no matter the risks we take, the outcomes will still be positive. The kid will still learn. It’s when you are fearful of that change that we sometimes mess up.

Success in school, as well as in life, is closely tied to well-being, a concept that is strongly emphasized in Nordic countries with a clear, well-defined approach within the PYP framework, which continues into larger programs. However, when students transition to the DP, they often encounter significant changes that can lead to emotional stress and other negative effects. Why do you think this happens, particularly in these countries?

I believe Scandinavian countries are unique in their own ways. Take Norway, for instance. With a population of just 5.5 million, only 1.2 million of those are children under the age of 18. Out of this, only 5,000 to 6,000 students are enrolled in IB schools, including PYP and DP programs. These students still have friends attending traditional Norwegian schools, which operate under a different educational system.

The IB system is very focused on student learning and encourages students to take ownership of their education. The ATLs (Approaches to Learning) place the student at the center, with educators acting as guides. After school, these students might engage in activities like handball or football, but when they return to their studies, the focus shifts to assessments, rubrics, and measuring academic progress. In contrast, Norwegian students don’t start this kind of academic pressure until two or three years later.

This disparity in workload is where emotional stress often begins. IB students feel they are working twice as hard, with homework and responsibilities that their Norwegian peers do not have. They are also often unable to participate in extracurricular activities because of these demands, adding to their stress. The cognitive load is significantly higher for IB students compared to those in Norwegian schools, which, although excellent in their own right, don’t provide the same level of academic pressure until later.

One issue I’ve observed with students transitioning from MYP to DP is that they often think they will excel in DP, as they believe the workload will be manageable. However, they are not fully prepared for the rigor of the diploma program. In Norway, diploma programs are typically linked to local high schools, where students can mix with those not enrolled in the program. This creates a stark contrast between IB students, who have a much higher workload, and their peers, who may only need to take one exam in certain subjects, such as math.

The social dynamics can be difficult for IB students, who are often perceived as part of an ‘elite’ group. For example, on Norway’s National Day, all students celebrate in the streets, but IB students are stuck taking exams, missing out on these cultural experiences.

Another cultural aspect in Norway is ‘Rus’, a period after finishing school where students are encouraged to celebrate their freedom, often by partying and drinking. This tradition lasts for about two to three months, but IB students are excluded from this, as they are still required to sit for their exams. This adds additional strain to the students.

These challenges are not just about the transition between PYP and DP. It’s also about the realization that IB students miss out on certain freedoms and cultural experiences. To address this, the IB Association in Norway has worked to help students understand that the diploma program is not just about immediate rewards, but also about long-term goals. Framing the program as a stepping stone to achieving greater future success has helped many students view their education with a more mature mindset. This shift has led to an increase in the number of Norwegian students choosing the IB diploma program.

Do you think other students have the necessary tools to recognize and address situations that directly impact their well-being?

I believe that in the past, there was insufficient attention to mental well-being, and this is evident in the data from Norway’s health system. Unfortunately, Norway ranks among the highest countries in the world for teenage suicide and depression rates. There are many contributing factors, such as a lack of sunlight, which affects vitamin D levels, but a major issue is that students lack the tools to cope with disappointment. Research from schools in Norway shows that many students don’t fully understand the expectations placed upon them, especially when transitioning into new educational programs.

When these programs were first introduced, they were seen as an innovative alternative to traditional education, and both students and parents were eager to embrace them. However, many parents moved their children to different educational systems without consulting them first. As a result, students were thrust into unfamiliar environments with new expectations, and many felt unprepared for the challenges. 

In recent years, efforts have been made to address these issues, such as hosting workshops for parents, where actual diploma students are involved in delivering the sessions. This approach has been more effective because it allows parents to hear directly from the students who are living the experience. We’ve also introduced a buddy system, where senior students mentor younger ones, ensuring that there’s continuous dialogue between students across different years. This initiative has proven successful, although some personality conflicts arise, we’re flexible and work to resolve them.

Another key development has been a focus on “Approaches to Teaching” in addition to “Approaches to Learning.” Teachers have received professional development in this area, as it’s been recognized that improving teaching methods enhances the learning experience. The emphasis on collaboration and communication has become vital in addressing student well-being.

Norway has also passed a law requiring schools to ensure a safe environment for all students. From the janitor to the head of the school, everyone is responsible for the well-being of students. If anyone notices changes in a student’s behavior, it must be addressed immediately. One remarkable initiative is the presence of a school nurse in every school, funded by the government. This nurse provides a confidential space for students to seek help. The legislation now ensures that students, starting from age 12, can speak to a nurse without their parents being informed. At age 16, they can seek medical or psychological help independently, which has significantly reduced suicide and self-harm rates.

Empowering bystanders has been another focus in our school. Teaching students not only to recognize warning signs but also to take action when they notice someone struggling is a crucial aspect of mental health prevention. Early detection and equipping students with the skills to identify issues before they escalate has proven to be an effective approach to improving mental well-being.

I have to admit, I can be quite critical of teachers sometimes. I believe that, on certain issues, we may not know enough—especially about psychology, even in areas that I would consider basic concepts. We share some responsibility for this knowledge gap. I genuinely believe that a better understanding of psychology could make a significant difference in education. While we gain a lot of insights in university about specific content, teaching methodologies, assessments, and other crucial areas, we tend to fall short when it comes to psychology. Personally, I am studying psychology because I feel that having a deeper understanding is essential for dealing with specific situations effectively. Teachers, in general, still have a long way to go in this field. So, here’s the key question: Do you think we are ready to handle these situations on our own, or do we need additional support? Perhaps another person on staff to help us identify and address these situations more effectively?

I honestly believe it’s the leadership team’s responsibility to empower the school community because what you’re addressing now is a clear block, and the only ones who can remove this block are the leaders. But not alone. What we’ve come to realize in the school where I work is that the community is key to addressing this enormous issue. Initially, we sought external experts, but one area we overlooked was our own local community—our parents, our students, and our teaching faculty. We often forget that there’s a wealth of expertise within our own school. When we see a teacher or a parent, we might just view them as a local teacher or an engineer, but we fail to recognize the depth of knowledge and experience they bring to the table. To address this, we’ve decided to create the “Champions” program, where anyone can join and contribute in different fields to help keep improving our school.

By empowering champions from our local community, we have created stakeholders who are passionate about making a difference. We’ve given them the time to have important conversations about student well-being, something that is often overlooked in busy schedules. Teachers can’t do this alone, and while some administrators might think it’s easy to address these concerns on the fly, the reality is that we need dedicated time for these discussions. It’s not just a matter of squeezing it into existing schedules. And you know what? There is time. We once thought we were too busy, but after eliminating some unnecessary steps, we’ve discovered that time is actually available.

Ultimately, the leadership team needs to reflect on how they allocate time and ensure that it aligns with the school’s mission and vision. If the goal is to create lifelong learners, yet students are burning out, then the mission isn’t being fulfilled. That’s not what it means to be a lifelong learner.

As an IB school, we adhere to new principles and practices, and we focus on building a positive culture and environment. To that end, we’ve formed small teams to update policies and assess whether our processes align with our goals. We recently carried out a thorough professional development program that helped us understand how important it is for leadership to be open. On professional development days, when we bring in external speakers to discuss inquiry cycles, it’s also crucial to focus on recognizing struggling students and understanding the process for addressing their needs.

I am part of research led by the IB to better understand the impact of well-being in schools and their communities. Do you think schools really collect data to learn more about well-being, or not? Because I think that sometimes well-being, or this topic in general, isn’t considered as important. I believe that most of us don’t collect this data to plan ahead and address potential issues.

I do think the IB has taken the right step by making well-being a part of the standards and practices, not just for students, but for teachers as well, making it sustainable for the entire community. I believe it’s a step in the right direction. The pilot program they’re running right now is good because it incorporates multiple perspectives, and having these regular meetings—whether annual or bi-monthly—where ideas are shared is fantastic.

However, I do think it’s crucial for those leading these sessions to have recent experience in schools to better understand the issues that schools face nowadays, which change very rapidly.

There are a few schools running similar programs to what you’re describing here in Norway, but I believe the community needs to take more initiative. Sometimes, we expect these changes to come solely from the IB, but what are we doing to drive that change ourselves? Does that make sense? Yes, that makes sense. 

I believe that having a well-being policy should be mandatory for IB schools. Right now, this topic is quite open, and I know of some schools that either lack a well-being policy altogether or have something similar that doesn’t fully address well-being. Do you think that if the IB were to implement a rule requiring a structured well-being policy—one that ensures everyone in the school community, including families, teaching staff, school officials, and students, feels supported—it would have a significant impact on education?”

I think if we look at the mandatory policies currently in place, there is an inclusion policy that is incredibly important. I truly believe that if the inclusion policy is well-structured, it should already be embedded within the policy itself. The reason I’m saying this is because people often think that the inclusion policy only concerns learning diversity, but it’s so much more than that.

When we reviewed the inclusion policy changes in Norway, we realized that it’s taken for granted that every student is treated equally. But we didn’t fully consider that students who perceive themselves as different from others also need to be included. How do we support those students?

In Norway, we no longer discuss LGBTQ issues explicitly because it’s no longer seen as a ‘thing’—it’s just part of society, with everyone enjoying equal rights. However, it has become so normalized that we sometimes forget that these students might need additional support. The local culture is so accepting that we overlook the mental health challenges faced by these students. We don’t talk about the internal crisis they might experience when they feel completely different from their peers. What mechanisms are in place to support those students?

This is where the inclusion policy really needs to evolve. I agree with you: if we make small changes to the policy, people might see it as just another task to deal with. But if we truly focus on making the existing policies work as they were intended, it would be a significant step forward.

Let’s talk now about the Norwegian IB School, the association you are part of. Tell me a little bit about it. What is it, and how did it come about?

The Norwegian IB School Association, which I’m a part of, was created to address the unique challenges faced by IB schools across Norway. The country’s geography is quite distinct, so schools that seem to be close in distance can often be hours apart due to fjords and valleys. This creates challenges in terms of collaboration and resources, especially for smaller schools with limited budgets. For instance, a small school might have only one teacher teaching PYP 1, and another in Oslo teaching the same grade, creating a sense of isolation.

The association originally began in 2007, focusing solely on diploma schools and standardizing assessments. It was an informal network, with people sharing ideas when necessary, where schools would voluntarily contribute. This model continued for nearly 12 years. Over time, however, the association has expanded to involve a broader range of schools, and its purpose has grown beyond just the diploma program to include collaboration across all IB levels, addressing the need for better connection and shared resources among schools in the region.

In December 2020, during the COVID lockdown, when things started to get serious in Norway. We suddenly went into a panic: what were we going to do about online teaching? The community received an email saying, ‘Listen, we need to have a discussion.’ At that point, PYP, MYP, and DP were all included in this email, because the Board, which wasn’t really a board yet—just one person trying to pull things together—said, ‘Hey, we need to work together as a team.’ And from that discussion, we created a policy and procedure document to help each other during this crisis. We held many informal online discussions, just checking in with each other, focusing on mental health without realizing it, and sharing teaching practices. 

That December was the only lockdown we had, and by February, we were told we could mingle again. That’s when we decided to formally create a board. We held elections with nominations from different stakeholders, and I was fortunate to have my name put forward. My response was, ‘Let’s do this properly.’ I suggested we register as an official association with the IB, and at that point, some people were surprised, saying, ‘Can we do that?’ I said, ‘Yes, let’s look at examples. There were private companies doing similar things—why can’t we do it too?’ We were the first to get recognized in Scandinavia, then the Swedish group followed, and now Finland is interested in joining, which is fantastic. 

Once we were authorized, we started reaching out to schools to understand what they needed. One of the biggest needs was for teachers to collaborate more, to simply talk to each other about what they were teaching and the challenges they were facing.

As an association, it was much cheaper for us to reach out to the IB and request to host a workshop, like the one on the Personal Project. When schools book through official IB channels, they pay up to 900 euros per participant, plus travel and accommodation expenses. However, through our association, we were able to secure a much better deal—only 250 euros per participant, which made a huge difference. 

This experience showed the importance of our association. It’s not just about the survival of individual schools, but the longevity of the IB program in Norway. At that point, we only had 30 schools in Norway, but since then, we’ve grown to 50 schools. We charge a small annual fee of 500 Norwegian Krone per school to cover operational costs, such as maintaining our website domain. 

We organize various professional development events, including job-alike sessions. For example, we have one coming up for librarians, as they often get overlooked, even though they play such a crucial role. We also organized a session in Stavanger on February 14th, which we’ve opened up to schools in Sweden, Iceland, and Estonia. We don’t charge them any additional fees; they pay the same as our members. 

Our philosophy is that it’s not about the money—it’s about education. Why should education be such a multi-billion-dollar industry? Now, we’re discussing this at our next board meeting in January, because there are so many consultants popping up, offering workshops on topics like the inquiry cycle, MYP enhancements, or AI integration for teachers. These consultants often charge steep fees, and school leaderships sometimes feel they need to bring them in. However, we believe schools should first look internally at the talent they already have before bringing in an external expert.

What are your association’s current goals?

So, our biggest goal is to ensure that the conversion tables from the diploma program to university are addressed and that they are fair for all students. Currently, the conversion table is seen as fair from the Norwegian education side, but for an IB student, it’s actually very harsh. It’s one of the harshest ones, so we’re working hard on that.

Our second goal is to ensure that education is free or, at the very least, affordable. We don’t mind covering the cost of flights, but we want to emphasize that everyone should have access to education, not just the wealthy.

The third goal we’re focusing on is ensuring that our network continues to grow in a sustainable manner. This means considering how we can accommodate the 50 schools we now have. Do we need to split into different regions and host one big regional workshop? It’s challenging to host everyone when your school only accommodates a few students.

Our fourth goal is to expand. How do we, as an organization, continue sharing our best practices with associations outside of this network? How can we celebrate and share our successes and empower others to do the same? I think once they realize the value of this—first, the financial value, and second, the value of collaboration—every school board will prioritize the budget before anything else. I think that’s crucial for moving forward.

The fifth goal, although it’s number five, is still incredibly important. It’s about empowering school leadership teams to truly embrace the concept of well-being—well-being for students, parents, and teachers. At the end of the day, if well-being isn’t your main focus, how can you ensure the longevity of the program? Teachers who burn out can’t be in classrooms. Students who are overwhelmed can’t learn. And when they do have to take exams, the pressure causes burnout. This creates a vicious cycle that we are working to break. It’s about empowering, not punishing. We want to ensure that everything we do is focused on building, not penalizing someone for not knowing something.

What are your future plans? Where would you like the association to be in 5-10 years?

That’s a really good question. Honestly, in five years, a great goal for us would be to become leaders in this field, not followers. It may sound arrogant, but it’s not about that. It’s about empowerment. I envision DP students returning to the education field and becoming active participants in the IB network. I would love to see Norwegian students becoming part of the IB organization. Ultimately, I hope to step down and say, ‘Here you go, you’ve got this.’ That’s when you can measure success—when you’ve cultivated a culture of learning. In five or ten years, if the organization is still thriving, true to its values, modernized, and ready to be handed over to the next generation, that will be the true measure of our success.

Interesting. Also, have you thought about involving parents and the community? How can you engage them in this situation?

We haven’t really broken through to the parents yet, as it’s still up to each individual school. However, what we’ve done is share resources during parent meetings at different schools. This allows each school to adapt the materials to the specific needs of their community. One of the great things about the Diploma Program—and all of the programs—is its flexibility. We can share best practices, and then each school can take that information and tailor it to fit the context of their parent body. We’ve actually had one successful meeting where we brought all the parents together. That was when the government decided to cut funding for IB schools. We led a protest, and it was highly successful—they ended up increasing funding instead of cutting it.

And to wrap up, just three final questions: Is there something happening in education right now that particularly excites you? Something you’re seeing that makes you think, ‘Wow, I want to learn more about this’ or ‘I wish this would happen more often in teaching’? What’s your take on that?

My second passion is definitely integrating and empowering teachers to use artificial intelligence to enhance teaching and learning. Imagine this: as a teacher, you’re working with one group of students when you’re notified that the next group needs you. You can immediately see where they’re struggling and provide targeted feedback. While you can do this with visual thinking routines, it’s still group learning, not personalized learning. So, how do we gather this data, and can an assistant help interpret it to make your teaching more effective? It’s about removing the repetitive tasks and focusing on what really matters. For example, if AI can handle administrative tasks like attendance, why not let it? Instead of manually ticking attendance, the student logs in, and it syncs automatically with your device. These tools exist. It’s about empowering people to use them. 

I believe that if we use this technology properly, it will give teachers more time and energy to focus on what truly matters. These repetitive tasks may be necessary, but they can be boring. By automating them, teachers can dedicate more of their efforts to the important aspects of teaching.

Absolutely. you’re currently teaching, right? What do you teach?

I teach Spanish Language Acquisition in PYP and MYP.

Okey, now, imagine doing the following as a teacher. You have the kids, and you say, ‘Alright, guys, today we’re going to do something creative. I want you to write a little story about a fantasy character, someone who doesn’t exist. Be creative! Then, I want you to draw your character.’ After they draw it, you say, ‘Now, let’s go to Canva. I want you to describe your character in a prompt. What do you think your character is like? Now, let’s put that prompt into AI, and let’s see it draw your character.’ We both know that the AI-generated picture and their drawing will likely be quite different. Then, you ask them, ‘Let’s compare these two pictures. Why do you think the computer program made these choices? Let’s identify the elements that are different and see how you can adjust your prompt to better represent what you’ve described.’

Exactly. Sometimes we have things in our minds, but we cannot verbalize them, and that’s a big skill. I totally agree. We have great ideas, but if we can’t express them properly—they can’t put them on paper or type them on the computer. This leads to frustration because the machine isn’t giving them what they want, but it’s because they aren’t verbalizing it properly. Exactly. I think this skill—being able to verbalize what’s in our minds, expressing what we know—is key. If we know a lot but can’t express that knowledge, then sorry, but does it have any value? Really, it doesn’t.

Agree. And that’s one of the biggest skills we teach the kids: we’re going to work on these ATL skills, especially critical thinking and transferring critical thinking skills.

It’s time we harness this tool. “I do not tell the program to go write my Spanish essay”. No, “I teach the kids what the appropriate and ethical way of using the program is. Nowadays, we actually have this issue because this tool is available and accessible to everybody. If we don’t teach how these tools should be used, they will be misused. So, we need to say, ‘Look, guys, we have this, and it may be helpful for this, this, and this.’ This will be useful for you now and in the long term. We have a lot of work to do in this area, and I totally agree that it’s not just teachers, but also parents and students—everybody in the community.

That’s the big one, right? And my biggest fear, which you didn’t ask about, is how some people are going to handle it. There’s just so much information out there about artificial intelligence, and schools don’t know where to start. They don’t know where to look. But the answer is simple: Look at the team you already have inside your school. There are surely people there experimenting with these things. Give them the time. Create what I call ‘Champions of Change.’ These champions can be students, parents, or teachers. Start there. Don’t go out and hire experts who charge $30,000 for a session, only to end up demoralizing the teachers in your school. I don’t know how many times I’ve been to a workshop or professional development session where they bring in an ‘expert,’ and all the expert does is organize activities and get teachers to share their existing knowledge. They take the Harvard visible thinking routines, and they make you as a team come up with your own answers anyway.

Sometimes, it’s about finding time to meet, time to discuss, and time to share ideas. I totally agree with that. Two more questions: the last one is, I love reading. What book are you reading right now that you would recommend to teachers or to everyone?

I’m reading When the Adults Change, Everything Changes by Paul Dix. It’s really, really good. The book is about how, when the adults change, everything else changes too. It shares his philosophy and experiences, where, at first, he found things to be off and weird, and he struggled to build the relationships he needed with the kids. However, when the team and the school decided to change their approach as adults, their expectations of the students also changed, and the entire environment transformed. It’s such a cool book to read. It offers practical examples and is really easy to read. It’s one of those books where you think, ‘Yeah, I can identify with this. This is really cool.’

It’s not about punitive. It’s not about labeling the kids as bad and punishing them. It’s about understanding what the kids are experiencing and making informed decisions as a team. Let’s work together to change the culture of the school.

It sounds good, I’ll check it out, thank you! And lastly, could you recommend someone interesting or influential in the field of educational thinking? 

I honestly think that you should talk to a guy called Matt Manfredi. He is a great teacher, but now he finds himself in the role of head of a school. I think it would be really valuable for people to hear about the transition from being a very effective teacher to becoming a very effective leader. His journey is incredibly fascinating. I’ve met him and spoken with him a few times, and he’s one of the school leaders I’ve worked closely with over the past few years. He is truly inspirational—very intelligent and a really nice person.

Thank you very much, Paul, for this insightful conversation.

No, thank you for the opportunity. I think it was lovely to just chat and share some ideas. I’m always open.