Is it fear? Is it a case of ‘we’ll do what we’ve always done and it’ll be fine‘? Perhaps some school leaders aren’t fans of change, or even worse, they are completely oblivious to the negative impact that their approach is potentially having on teachers within their school. I want this blog to be read … Continue reading
As I begin life as a Deputy Headteacher in my new school, it is understandably a learning curve and one that I am thoroughly enjoying. Of the many facets of my new role, one significant aspect that absolutely goes hand in hand with teaching and learning is teacher wellbeing. This makes total sense, as I … Continue reading
Recently I reached out via twitter and asked the following question in the form of a poll: How effective is appraisal/PM in developing your practice in your school? Are the targets set: a) A prerequisite – imposed b) Mutually agreed c) Combination of both The purpose of this question was to try to establish a broader picture … Continue reading
We are all absent from our classes from time to time, some of these instances are planned and some unfortunately, are out of our control. Either way this will inevitably have an impact on our students and ultimately the progress they make over the duration of an academic year and beyond. But have you ever stopped … Continue reading
There appears to have been a resurgence in anxieties and pressures around teacher workload, and the marking burden seems to be at the forefront of discussions for a vast majority of teachers. Without any doubt, marking and feedback is a non-negotiable, an essential element of teaching and learning and one that if done effectively can have … Continue reading
re·flec·tive (rĭ-flĕk′tĭv) adj. Characterised by or given to serious thinking or contemplation; thoughtful. Currently I’m in the process of building our new CPD/Professional Learning model for the new academic year (I’ll be blogging more about that as it nears completion). However, there’s one crucial element that I’ve been pondering for a while, and that’s … Continue reading
Remember the old days when a lesson observation was THE deal breaker, well at least in my mind it was. This was my chance, a window to showcase my repertoire of teaching tools and cram as much into that 30/60 minute session as I could, an all singing all dancing lesson, in essence I was … Continue reading
In education and even more so as teachers, we hear the term progress all the time; all students need to make progress, progress checks, planning for progress, data informing progress, progress through effective feedback and so on… but what does progress actually look like in day to day classroom practice and how can we measure … Continue reading
