‘Her work is excellent but she’s very quiet.’
An exploration of Jamie Thom’s ‘A Quiet Education’ and what it looks like in practice.
Lessons in Revision (Part 2)
In Mark’s recent blog, Lessons in Revision for Heathfield Teach Share, he explained how he had been using the Heathfield Revision Clock to model revision for students and to get them into the habit of revising effectively. Mark ends his blog with a summary of his key principles that he now follows in regards to…
Doubling down on Wuthering Heights
I like to preface my teaching of Wuthering Heights with a compulsory screening of Kate Bush crying ‘Heathcliff! It’s me, it’s Cathy I’ve come home now!’ and prancing on the moors in a billowy dress while she moans musically about the sad effects of being outdoors in not much more than a nightie. The reaction…
Working with English to deepen knowledge in History
In December 2018 there was an excellent article in the journal Teaching History in which a history teacher had investigated how the writing of historic fiction helped students to construct a better, deeper understanding of the medieval past. In the article, the teacher had carefully structured a series of lessons to help students write their…
Investigating the use of flipped learning at KS4
A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the concept of flipped learning during a twilight CPL session. The session explored how ‘flipping the learning’ with KS5 was having a positive impact in the classroom and on exam results. In the flipped learning model I was shown, students learned about new concepts through short…
Interventions: what wins and what to bin
What do we do as teachers when we are trying to help a difficult class make the progress we want them to? Teaching is an unremittingly harsh profession at times; teachers will spend hours worrying over the class or classes that aren’t doing as well as they should. As a result, it is too easy…
Building confidence through independence
If someone had asked me or told me that I had to write a blog post for all to see, I may have broken out in a cold sweat. I would have smiled graciously and said thank you and of course but, inside, I would have immediately begun to think of reasons why I couldn’t. I’m…
Hey Siri, how do I teach with an iPad?
Technology in education is here to stay. There is no question about it. We live in a world that is reliant on technology in one way or another; you only need to ask recent passengers on British Airways about the reliance we have on technology. But the question to ask ourselves is how are we…
Switching the engagement button on to drive the pillars through the lesson
On Engagement…. Engagement is something I feel can be more than just tangible, if planning, pupil mood, time of day and differentiation all hit the right spot at the right time! These are some of the things I attempt to align with 8Y2, five times a fortnight in order to keep my mental health intact.…
“Happy Pi Day”
Students look at me as if I am an embarrassing parent, but I see that glimmer of a smile as they walk into my room. Today is ‘Pi Day’ and the perfect excuse to celebrate the magic that is Mathematics. The day begins with a competition in tutor time to see who can recite the…
