TLT16 take aways

I thought I would make the best use of my 4 hour train journey back to reflect on my practice in the context of the teach meet in Southampton this weekend.  As always when I attend these events, I have found it reenergising. If nothing else sometimes this is enough. Everything else is a bonus

Action Research – Metacognition Part 2

Research in Practice In order to build the metacognition into my teaching, I knew I needed to start with the way I wanted to continue throughout the year. Students are much more astute and aware of their surroundings and, as the research has suggested, engaging in the dialogue of learning with students and teaching with

Action Research – Metacognition Part 1

Premise: My research aim is to evaluate the impact of metacognitive strategies on learning and progress in a secondary school. Focusing on research by: Daniel Kahneman: Thinking: fast and slow Peter Brown et at: Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning Carole Dweck: Mindset David Didau: what if Everything I knew about Education was

Improving my Teaching of Grammar

I set myself a challenge this term to improve my teaching of grammar in order to help students develop their understanding and analysis skills. I have found every year, by the time my students reached GCSE, they are struggling to identify the basic word classes like nouns and verbs when analysing writer’s craft. So, I

Explain lessons don’t have to be Didactic

As an English teacher, teaching context can, at times, seem like there are only a few pedagogical approaches and they become over used. I have lost count of the times in which , when introducing a new topic or text, I’ve reverted to my expert groups approach. I’d had enough of using it, and the

Getting the Science and Research into the Classroom.

I’ve found the last few years of education frustrating, I am sure like many other teachers. When the “buzz” of independence was brought to the fore I was already a real believer. I felt lucky that my job allowed me, at the time, to really promote independence. Sadly, I feel the message, or at least

Using Making it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning with staff and students.

After so much controversy on what independence is and how / whether it should be an essential part to learning and teaching; I wanted to spend this year looking deeper into what worked in learning. I turned to the scientists and research: Thinking: Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and Making it Stick by Peter

My OFSTED Experience: Aware and Share

Timing is OFSTED’s favourite thing I am sure of it. Or at least it felt that way when at 2pm on Wednesday, the day of our Open Evening (till 9pm!) we were made aware that OFSTED were ascending the next day. Panic naturally set in. I knew we, as a school, had worked so hard

Learning LOUD

For anyone that is already not aware, I believe in independent learning for all students. No – I do not mean everyone sit in silence and copy out of a text book and no I do not mean the teacher can sit at the desk and mark. My journey to being a “guide on the

Pain

Crushed by the weight You’re reduced to your knees. The four walls close in It’s like a personal prison. You’re only escape is to battle The Rubix cube. Every combination you fail Brings you closer to scream. Your will is tested Your strength to with stand. The excruciating pain doubles its attack. You’re forced to