I watched a short video of Dylan Wiliam giving a talk to teachers yesterday through Zoe Elder’s blog – see here. I thought the short extract was so good and such a positive way to begin the new year, and the new school term, that I transcribed it in full here: “I think the only […]
Dylan Wiliam: ‘Every Teacher Can Improve’ Read More »
Many a debate is sparked in education about the need for ‘engagement‘ in teaching and learning. Some dismiss ‘engagement‘ as the bastard language of OFSTED to encourage an adventure playground style approach to learning. For me it is something a little more quotidian, a little bit more…well, normal. It captures a buzz symptomatic of students
Mastering Boredom – The Secret to Success Read More »
Looking to improve the organisation of note making? In English lessons I often find myself getting students to make notes on literary texts they are studying: noting the key information, such as contextual factors etc. Such an activity is one of those core aspects of learning across the curriculum. The end-goal for many of our
Triplicate Note Making Read More »
This practical post on a couple of teaching and learning strategies is wholly indebted to an excellent trio of posts from Doug Lemov, of ‘Practice Perfect‘ and ‘Teach Like A Champion‘ fame. His series is based on the concept of ‘disciplined discussion‘. I love this simple phrase as it neatly summarises an essential component of
‘Disciplined Discussion’ – As Easy as ABC Read More »
Most of my posts are about teaching strategies, the curriculum or the odd political rant. I have written very little on the subject of behaviour management. I considered why and decided that as I began my blog, as a teacher of nearly a decade, in a good school, with good behaviour systems (note all
Top Ten Tips for Behaviour Management Read More »
Do teachers and school leaders need to down tools to survive and succeed? Schools are incredibly complex places. We often use analogies that compare schools, and indeed the classroom, to emergency scenarios. Such language captures the sense of stress and struggle; many times have I felt as though I was languishing in a bunker awaiting
Dropping Your Tools and Avoiding Education Gimmicks Read More »
My abiding memory of GCSE Biology is what seemed like a succession of David Attenborough films and graffiti daubed textbooks. I recall only an ugly collage of rat dissections and bodily functions scrawled upon in fading textbooks by bored pre-pubescent boys! Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t enamoured by the subject. There were no eureka moments, nor was
Maximising Learning about the Growing Brain Read More »
