We have all been there… You are being observed by a senior member of staff. Your hands are clammy as you grit your teeth through every minute of this crucial lesson observation. This one hour may determine months of hard work. You are speaking to a small group of students, correcting a simple misunderstanding. A …
It is that time of year again. Nerves fray, students and teachers (probably parents too) as we arm our students with the obligatory revision strategies, resources, wall plans, flashcards, apps, highlighters, revision guides, and whatever else we can get our hands on, in the flimsy hope that some of it sticks. After a decade or …
Take a moment to place yourself in what is a familiar scenario: you are about to speak to a room full of our colleagues. Few things prepare you to stand in front of a room full of your peers. I think it is a mark of sanity and not self-doubt to ask the question: who …
(Image via Pixabay.com) Can you remember your favourite teacher? I will make a confident bet and guess that you can, and that you can even still recall the unique traces of their ‘teacher voice’, be it a jovial lilt or gruff command. One such teacher for me was my charismatic Scottish Art teacher: Mr …
(Image sourced from Flickr and courtesy of City of York Council) “It [Confidence] is the single most important attribute any child can have. I truly wish there were classes to focus on it…With confidence comes personality. With personality comes a form of charm, wit and wisdom. These can camouflage any shortcomings in the academic …
(Image sourced via Pixabay.com) In writing a book for teachers with purpose of developing their self-confidence, I was always very wary of being misinterpreted as representing confidence as some gift that is granted to us with a moment of inspirational self-talk. Confidence isn’t some elixir that grants us success; in fact, an unthinking pursuit of confidence …
(Image sourced via Pixabay) I hate speaking on the phone. I loathe it with a singular passion and look to avoid it when I can. Why do I experience such a visceral response to something so, well, ordinary? The answer: a phone call deprives me of the crucial stuff of good communication. Like every …
