I once watched a toddler playing with one of those wooden shape-sorter toys where different 3D blocks can only be inserted through their particular slot. This was an advanced version and some of the slots were deliberately deceptive and what seemed logical wasn’t always correct and success often came through selecting a counter-intuitive option. This…
Seeing the family’s bigger perspective on the life of their child
I’ve sat on both sides of the Parents’ Evening table and understand the curious state of nervousness it can invoke. The very fact that we so often set up the room sitting across desks makes for a somewhat unusual two-sided interaction. On the teachers’ side there’s often a nervous anticipation of personal criticism for not…
Don’t under-estimate the importance of the things you achieve with your pupils this year. The rest of their lives can be shaped by how successful you make them feel
As teachers we are taught and then managed to devote almost all of our time and effort to deliver the explicit curriculum. By that I refer to the planned experiences that we want our pupils to engage with, in the hope that they will make progress as a result. And this seems right, as anything…
Cherish each young life and celebrate every day with them. In the end, little else really matters.
When my own children started school I developed a new perspective on our work in schools. Up until that point I’d considered that local families were lucky that their children attended our school and that they should be appreciative of the quality of education we provided. It concerned me a little when some parents saw…
The Simple View of Teaching
As a newly qualified teacher I was shown my classroom and a store cupboard with a selection of textbooks and, thereafter the curriculum was a matter of negotiation with colleagues and good luck. Simultaneously both an educational paradise and hell! Then after just a couple of years the government introduced negotiations to establish a national…
Treadmill or elevator?
Many a party or social occasion has been entertained by personal anecdotes of amazing teachers who brought learning to life: The science teacher who buzzed into the classroom wearing a bee costume and re-arranged the furniture, placing the students into key roles and positions to teach the details of pollination. The teacher who annoyed the…
Best job in the world
Many careers make this claim, usually made by up-and-coming bright achievers as they rise rapidly to the peak of their powers. And yes, the high job satisfaction that comes from quick progress can promote a sense of optimistic, positive bias. But ‘the best job in the world’… really? Can you really tell me anything genuinely…