If I was to identify one important writing process that is most neglected by pupils, I would pose revising their writing. Why is this vital strategy so commonly neglected? In my ‘Closing the Writing Gap’ book, I propose that ‘revising’ writing is misunderstood and confused with ‘editing’. So, what is the difference between these admittedly […]
Revising writing and why it matters Read More »
I have stolen this catchy title from the eminently likeable Mike Cladingbowl, OFSTED’s Director of Schools. You heard me right – top inspector praised for his sage words about teaching and learning. Here they are for your delectation: “What about teachers’ subject knowledge, the children’s sense of routine, the ability to turn direction mid-sentence, a
Infectious Explanations Read More »
What does the classroom of a great teacher look like and sound like? I imagine there are many answers to that question: from pin-drop silence, as students are abuzz with mental activity, to a symphony of talk, conducted with deft expertise. Many great teachers conduct their classroom with unconscious skill – a tacit knowledge sometimes
Conducting Classroom Talk Read More »
No, this post isn’t a dissection of David Dimbleby’s negotiation of a bent table full of politicking talking heads. I’m sorry if you came looking for political debates! My post is an exploration of one of the simplest, but most fundamental, aspects of how students learn and how students display their learning in lessons: higher
‘Question Time’ and Asking ‘Why’ Read More »
Marking workload getting on top of you? Many schools, and departments, have been reflecting about their marking policies ever since OFSTED declared more than a healthy interest in scrutinising books. Progress over time has rightly been identified as more important than single lesson snap shots – of course, that evidence if best found in ongoing
Make your ‘Marking Policy’ a ‘Feedback Policy’ Read More »
Today there is a great article on the BBC website about the inexorable progress of the Sky cycling team under the expert stewardship of Dave Brailsford – see here. The ‘aggregation of marginal gains approach‘ is now well known and can be easily summarised as identifying those small performance factors that, when aggregated together, can
School Improvement – The Dave Brailsford Model Read More »
If I am continually vexed by any one question in education it is ‘how can we enhance student motivation?‘ Of course, I do not have the answer, and if there is one it is multi-faceted, complex and, frankly, not going to be solved in this blog post. From my position as a classroom teacher, I
Top 10 Group Work Strategies Read More »
