The Professional Teacher
Support for teaching professionals in the classroom and beyondA Philosophical Point
The recent discussion on this blog got me thinking about the advice to get to know our students. I have been teaching for more than 20 years, in UK state schools and international schools in five...
Getting to know your students - Guess Who!
I'm sure we've all played the classic game of Guess Who at some point in the past! Here are some instructions for a simple version to play in the classroom.
Getting to know your students - provide responsibility
I'm a great believer that everyone in the classroom has a part to play in helping everyone in that classroom to learn - it is not just the teacher's job (regardless of what those helicopter parents...
Getting to know your students - creating growth mindsets
Many of you will have taken (or will be taking!) on new form / tutor groups in the coming days. One of the great things about being a form tutor is that you can often get to know your students in a...
Getting to know your new students
We're now well into the "Back to School" season, and to help you through the first week or so, here's the first post in a mini-series aimed at getting to know the new young people sitting in your...
According to an article in the Guardian, students who received their AS and A-Level results last Thursday (18th August), may find it more difficult than ever before to successful appeal, following...
What is it like to get your first teaching post?
The first hurdleIt's 3.30pm on a Friday and you’ve just received an email saying you have been successful in your job application and the school / college would like you to attend an interview on...
Budgeting for teachers
Lots of teachers will be looking forward to promotion next academic year - but with promotion usually comes the responsibility for some financial management, whether that be for a department, a...
The most effective classroom layout
Here's a potentially useful infographic if you are lucky enough to have your own classroom and are considering a bit of a revamp for next academic year:
Developing vocabulary
One of my most frequent comments to learners, parents and other teachers about how to boost grades in public exams is that the high-performing candidates almost without fail have an excellent...
Building non-academic skills for life success
I came across the charity Big Change at the weekend, which aims to help young people develop the life skills that they need to succeed and improve social mobility.
Ofsted's likely new boss
Sir Michael Wilshaw will be stepping down as head of Ofsted and is highly likely to be replaced by Amanda Spielman. Whereas Sir Michael has been known as a rather outspoken, and at times...
How to make a good teacher
If you happen to subscribe to The Economist you will already have read last week's lead article "How to make a good teacher" (see here for the short version or here for the extended version). The...
Getting students to ask better questions
I came across the American organisation The Right Question earlier today when I was looking for ideas on how to get students to become more independent by asking more useful questions as part of...
Creative subjects reduce GCSE stress
I spotted a short article in today's Times, which reported on the findings from a large-scale UK study on the subject choices of GCSE students and the possible link to stress. The survey concluded...
Is there too little subject training for teachers?
I spotted this article earlier today, reporting on the hearings in the Education Select Committee meeting in Parliament which examined the nature of training and CPD for teachers in primary and...
How to Speak so that People Want to Listen
I think this is one of the biggest challenges for teachers – for all of the guidance about speaking as little as possible in the classroom, sometimes there's not much option and you do actually...
This report from Ofqual indicates that new systems put in place this summer may make it more difficult to achieve an upgrade in marks if a student appeals against their score in all public exams....
Helping our most able students to "max out" on marks is something that many of us think is something that they can do themselves. But in the last week I've come across a number of useful strategies...
Making Stress your Friend
Ask any teacher if they've had a stressful week and the answer will almost always be "Yes!" But can stress actually be our friend?Watch this 15 min TED talk from psychologist Kelly McGonigal on...