Beginning Your Journey into Teaching IB Economics Next Year?

May 22nd, 2026

Around this time every year, I begin hearing from teachers who are preparing to teach IB Economics for the first time. Some are moving over from History. Some are coming from Business Management.

Others may have studied Economics years ago or taught AP or A Level, and suddenly find themselves stepping into an IB classroom in next year.

And almost every conversation sounds a little bit the same.

Excitement.

Curiosity.

A little uncertainty.

And somewhere in there, usually a quiet thought that sounds something like this:

"Am I actually ready for this?"

I completely understand.

I remember beginning this journey myself and staring at the curriculum, the diagrams, the assessments, and all of the terminology thinking to myself, "Wait a second...am I supposed to know all of this before the first day of school?"

Teaching IB Economics transformed my educational career in ways I never expected. It challenged me intellectually, forced me to become a better teacher of academic skills, and honestly deepened my relationships with students in ways I had not experienced before.

I absolutely love teaching this course.

But beginning the journey can feel overwhelming.

Here’s why...

  • Lack of familiarity with the overall IB Diploma Programme.
  • Learning the IB Economics content while simultaneously trying to teach it.
  • Trying to understand how to prepare students for assessments you may have never seen before.
  • Feeling uncertain whether your daily lessons are actually preparing students for success on the exam.
  • Teacher isolation because in many schools there is only one IB Economics teacher.
  • Late nights staring at diagrams wondering whether you actually taught them correctly.


Sound familiar?

The good news is that with some thoughtful decisions and the right support, you can avoid much of that stress and enter your first year feeling confident and prepared.

So here are five things I wish someone had pulled me aside and told me when I first began.

#1: Understand the Overall IB Diploma Programme

Before jumping too deeply into Economics content, take some time to understand the larger world your students are living in.

Students are not simply taking Economics. They are taking six IB classes. They are balancing Higher Level and Standard Level courses. They are completing Theory of Knowledge, writing an Extended Essay, and fulfilling Creativity, Activity, and Service requirements, all while navigating normal teenage life.

That matters.

The more I understood the full IB Diploma Programme, the more empathy I had for students and the better teacher I became. Sometimes students are overwhelmed because they truly are overwhelmed.

Understanding the larger picture helps us understand our role within it.

Here are links to a few articles I’ve written about the IB Diploma Programme you may find helpful:


#2: Know the Content of the Course

No shortcuts here.

You do have to know the content.

IB Economics is divided into several major areas of study: Introduction to Economics, Microeconomics, Market Power, Macroeconomics, and The Global Economy.

And if you are moving into Economics from another discipline, your first year can feel like drinking from a firehose.

You are learning content while teaching content.

You are planning tomorrow's lesson while still trying to understand today's lesson.

And honestly, that is normal.

I promise that over time the pieces begin connecting together. The content becomes more familiar. The concepts begin fitting together. It absolutely gets easier.

And also, remember, most likely the kids who will be sitting in front of you will never have taken a class in Economics before. Ha! That was so powerful for me, because even though I was learning as I was going, I did know more actually!

#3: Focus on the Five Essential Skills

This realization changed everything for me.

Early on I thought content was king.

Then I realized skills were. In fact, the entire IB curriculum is based on skills acquisition, not content acquisition. 

The content matters because it provides the opportunity for students to develop the Five Essential Skills:

  1. The Language
  2. The Calculations
  3. The Diagrams
  4. The Analysis
  5. The Evaluation


These skills became my roadmap.

Eventually my planning shifted away from asking, "What content am I teaching today?" and toward asking, "What skill am I building today?"

That shift changed everything.

These skills should guide your daily lessons because they are ultimately what help students thrive.

Here are couple links to articles I’ve written about the Five Essential Skills of IB Economics you may find helpful:


#4: Get Proper Training

This may be the most important thing I can say.

Find training that helps you understand the larger two-year journey.

As new teachers we often believe we need to understand every detail before day one. We think we need mastery of Internal Assessments, Predicted Grades, Mock Exams, and all of the moving pieces before students walk through the door.

You do not.

You simply need enough understanding so that nothing catches you completely by surprise.

I have designed my workshops around exactly what I wished I had known at the beginning. I want teachers to leave feeling empowered and clear about the journey ahead.  Not confused and overwhelmed.  Empowered.

That point matters a lot.

My focus is always on how to teach the course. Like, literally...

  • What do I do on day one? 
  • How do I create an effective lesson plan? 
  • How can I most effectively pace the course? 
  • How am I going to know if I am on track? 
  • What don't I need to know?
  • How do I actually teach the diagrams? 
  • How do I teach effective and strategic writing skills?
  • What are the assessments the students take and how do I work backwards from that? 
  • How do I know I’m doing everything I can to serve these kids?


My IB Economics New Teacher Workshop on July 25th an 26th is built around these questions and, and I am happy to hear, has proven to be a lifesaver for new teachers the last 6 years. It’s a two-day workshop in July with eight hours of instruction geared toward giving you the confidence you need to feel empowered on day one. It includes an annual Teacher Membership, a Microeconomics Teacher Resource eBook, and instant access to a private group of IB Economics teachers via WhatsApp.

Whatever training you choose, make sure it leaves you feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed.

#5: Find a Mentor Teacher

Lastly, find a colleague, a friend, a fellow teaching partner.

Find a mentor.

This is invaluable. Remember, your first run through this course is two, years, long.

Two. Long. Years.

That’s a long time. Having a trusted person to ask the “dumb questions” to is invaluable.

While my Mentoring Program is designed for just that, it doesn’t really matter who the person is, just as long as you trust that person and that they too are an IB Economics teacher.

This is something that I would have loved to have had years ago when I began. The amount of time and frustration saved would be immeasurable.

As one IB teacher said to me in a one-on-one mentoring session:

“Brad, it’s not that the content is ridiculously hard for me to learn, or that teaching the Five Essential Skills is particularly difficult, or that the grading is beyond my grasp of what I’ve done before, but those elements combined with the Internal Assessments, the Extended Essay, and just my general hope that I’m doing a good job, ufffff, it just pushes me over the edge every once in a while.”

That is so true for nearly every IB Economics teacher.

So, if you don’t have an IB Economics teaching partner, reach out and find one.

It’s essential.

So there they are:

Five things I wish someone had told me before I started teaching IB Economics:

  1. Understand the Overall IB Diploma Programme
  2. Know the Content
  3. Focus on the Five Essential Skills
  4. Get Practical Training
  5. Find a Mentor


Starting IB Economics is a challenge. There is no question about that.

But it is also one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever taken as a teacher.

Over time, the content becomes more familiar, the systems become clearer, and your confidence grows.

And one day you will find yourself sitting across from another teacher who is just beginning this journey and sharing the same advice.

Congratulations on taking the leap.

You are going to love it.

See you next week.




Additional Resources to Empower IB Teachers... 

IB Economics New Teacher Training - July 25th & 26th, 2026 - Designed specifically for teachers new to IB Economics, this two-day teacher training program will give you a practical roadmap to begin your IB Economics teaching career feeling confident, prepared, and calm.  Enrollment is now open!

IB Economics On-Demand Teacher Workshops - Learn at your own pace!  The On-Demand IB Economics Teacher Workshops offer practical, curriculum-aligned training at your pace. Each 3-hour course includes video lessons, strategies, and a free 30-min Q & A. Gain actionable tools, confidence, and expertise whenever and wherever you teach IB Economics.

IB Economics Online Courses  - These Online Economics Courses provide IB aligned, self-paced learning across core topics—Introduction, Microeconomics, Market Power, Macroeconomics, and The Global Economy. Each course combines clear video lessons, real-world examples, structured slides, and IB-style practice questions. Trusted by 27,000+ students world wide, these courses help students master concepts, raise grades, and feel confident in your economics journey.

IB Economics Teacher Membership - Empower yourself behind the scenes. Teaching IB Economics can be a rewarding yet challenging journey—balancing content delivery, effective writing strategies, real-world examples, and engaging lessons. This membership is here to support you every step of the way, helping you bring the curriculum to life and inspire your students.

IB Economics School Membership - The School Membership is your all-in-one solution for IB Economics. With 450+ video lessons, 1,000+ pages of materials, exclusive teacher tools, student review resources, professional development, and access for up to 100 users, it empowers teachers, supports students, and connects your school to a global IB Economics community.

IB Economics Teacher Resource eBooks - The IB Economics Teacher eBooks provide over 1,000+ ready-to-teach resources. You’ll get lesson-specific slides, key term glossaries, IB review questions, and exam-style practice. Each eBook (Microeconomics, Market Power, Macroeconomics, and the Global Economy) is sold individually, or get all five in a discounted bundle.




Brad Cartwright 

Educator | Speaker | Workshop Leader | Course Creator 

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