(Image sourced form the excellent http://art.zerflin.com) Barack Obama famously wrote about the ‘audacity of hope‘. Unfortunately, such audacity was always likely to be quashed under the crushing weight of partisan politics. Is it so that hope is therefore an impractical approach to the realities of our work-a-day life? Hope is most often associated with naïveté – […]
The Indefatigability of Hope Read More »
Ok, FRED isn’t anyone you know, so apologies for the misleading title of the post, but you might not have heard about FRED and you should. Then you should tell a friend about it. FRED is a brilliant reading program to encourage fathers to read more with their children. It stands for Fathers Read Every
We need to talk about FRED Read More »
When you become a father you get used to being asked endless questions about the intricacies of our complex world. The road is paved with unending questions. Why does this…? How does that…? Questions become connections. Connections flower into understanding and grow into knowledge. Without being trite, such curiosity is a wonderful thing. Curiosity is
Curiosity killed by class? Read More »
Elephants, riders and paths…just more management and consultant jargon surely? We have a class to teach – a department to run – a school to improve. Let’s leave all that nonsense to corporate team building weekends, where people get irretrievably lost finding their inner elephant – for a premium fee! Only this book about change
Can Chip and Dan Heath Help Improve Your School? Read More »
“Are you ready for your annual lesson observation Mrs Crane?” It is clear that the topic of lesson observations is an emotive one for all teachers. Few topics arouse fear and unease like the prospect of being judged on your ability to teach in a singular lesson. Still, too often, the norm is that this
On Grading Lesson Observations Read More »
Show me your effect size! Last week I transcribed a short video of a speech by Dylan Wiliam that celebrated the magnificently complex vocation that is teaching and how every teacher can improve – see here. At a similar time to watching the Dylan Wiliam video, and finding it struck a resonant chord, I read
John Hattie on School Leadership Read More »
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 »
