Click here for complete sets of KS3 lessons
The most important building learning power muscle
One of the most important things that teachers can do in lessons to consolidate learning is to constantly encourage students to make links. Link to as much as possible of what they have learnt in that subject and also to what they are learning in other subjects. An analysis of how we learn seems to suggest that this is the most important building learning power muscle.
Thoughts on Tough Young Teachers
This was a brilliant final episode. It really captured the highs and lows that teachers experience. The highs when a student screams ‘I got an A’ and the lows when our results aren’t as expected. It presented teaching as the drug it is, no matter what happens, you keep going back for more.
Growth Mindset – It can’t just be an assembly at the start of the year
Our school’s must be built with the growth mindset at their heart, it isn’t something that can just be tagged on or talked about in the first assembly of the year.
Raising Attainment
The biggest impact upon student attainment is the teacher that stands in front of them. There are numerous systems that can be put in place to raise attainment but what are most successful are those that improve that which has the biggest impact, the teacher. As such school leaders wishing to raise attainment should primarily concern themselves with improving the quality of these teachers.
Is your learning falling off the edges?
A spiral model of learning will stop new learning from dropping off the edges as it will continually develop and reinforce the links between current and new understanding
An Indian Education
My recent visit to Indian schools highlighted the transformational power that effective school leadership can have, how education can change lives, how a ‘different’ style of examination system can foster high level thinking skills, why teachers should act as a ‘distanced friend’, the power of Skype, how children can make their parents ‘live better’ and why we should focus on nature and heritage
Lost voices
In this General Election my vote, like so many others, will have no impact on how the country is run. This is not right.
It’s all in the question
Teachers should ask a lot of questions. Questions allow us to ascertain current understanding and to push students to the next level. As such they are most effective when they involve as many students as possible.
Motivating Staff: Lessons from a head-hunter
An engaging talk by successful headhunters, from Moloney Search, at the recent Prince’s Trust Institute conference, has highlighted what is necessary to motivate staff in the school context.
Spaghetti, marshmallows and assessment for learning
The marshmallow challenge highlights that AFL methodologies have most impact when they are intrinsic to lessons and not used as a ‘tag-on’