Brad Cartwright

Organized, Disciplined, and Willing to Listen. 
June 20th, 2025

As we wrap up the year, I’ve been reflecting on something a colleague said to me years ago—and how true it’s continued to be over time.

About six years ago, Kurt Supplee, a colleague and good friend, stopped me in the hallway. We were getting ready to present the IB Diploma Programme to a group of 10th grade parents—one of those quick transitions between classes, hallway conversation moments.

And he asked me, “Hey Brad, what do you think makes an IB student successful?”

For some reason, I didn’t think too long about it. I just said

“The most successful IB students I’ve had weren’t always the straight-A students. They weren’t necessarily the ‘high flyers.’ The students who succeed in the IB are the ones who are organized and disciplined.”

That answer has stayed with me.

And the more I’ve thought about it over the years, the more I’ve realized how true it really is.

IB students deal with a level of workload that’s unlike anything they’ve done before. The transition from 10th grade into Year 1 of the Diploma Programme is a major shift—not necessarily in the difficulty of the content, but in the amount of work required.

It’s not just one subject. 

It’s six.

It’s not just essays and quizzes. It’s Internal Assessments, Extended Essays, CAS projects, Theory of Knowledge exhibitions, presentations, essays... the list goes on.

So the students who manage this well? They all tend to share two things:

• They’re organized - They figure out how to manage their time, how to keep track of what’s due when, and how to approach the chaos of the IB with a plan.
• They’re disciplined - They actually follow the plan they create. They show up. They do the work, even when it’s not fun, even when it’s not convenient. They don’t just have the tools—they use them.

Over the years, I’ve come back to this time and time again when supporting students through the program.

But then, the other night over dinner, Sofia said something that made me sit back mid-bite and nod in agreement.

She teaches IB Theatre and Theory of Knowledge, and she said:

“You know what? I think there’s a third characteristic that might be the most important of all. The best IB students are the ones who listen.”

And that was it. 

She was absolutely right.

The Third—and Maybe Most Important—Trait

Because even if students are organized…

Even if they’re disciplined…

If they don’t listen—really listen—to the feedback we’re giving them, they won’t grow nor do well in the IB.

And by listening, I don’t just mean hearing the words. I mean actually taking in the advice. Being open to the idea that the structure you gave them for their Paper 1 might be better than what they came up with. 

Being willing to revise their EE based on your suggestions. 

Trusting the feedback on their TOK essay, even when it’s hard to hear.

The students who do that?

The ones who take our feedback and actually apply it?

Those are the students who soar in the IB.

Something to Think About

So, as you close out the year, take a moment to think about your students.

Who stood out?

Who surprised you?

Who grew the most?

I’m willing to bet they were the ones who were organized, disciplined, and—thanks to Sofia’s insight—willing to listen.

And I think that’s one of the things I love most about the IB.

It positions us, the teachers, as guides, as these old dogs who got some good stuff to say—that will make them more successful on their IB task.

It allows us to give structure and direction to students who are motivated to do something big—something rigorous—and who want to do it well.

And when they listen to us, when they implement what we’ve taught them—not just the content, but the strategies to implement it—they’re not only more successful, they become stronger learners, stronger thinkers, and more confident people.  In the IB, for sure, but beyond as well.

That’s pretty cool.

We’ll see you next week.