As UK teachers return online, in an environment of even more uncertainty, I've been reflecting on my own journey with remote teaching. The last nine months have definitely been a learning curve I wouldn't have wished for, but they have forced me to rethink some of my habits in valuable ways. Though I'm sure I've…
My Top 5 Google Classroom Features for Remote Teaching:
As someone who struggles to programme a Casio watch, I didn't expect to survive, let alone thrive, in the online teaching environment. Schools have been closed here since March 2020 and we are now nine months into providing our curriculum online. We reduced provision at KS3 slightly, but otherwise have been offering a full timetable…
Curriculum of Compassion #3: Reclaiming Learning Walks
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”― Helen Keller This follows on from these posts about our new KS3 English Curriculum: #1:Text Mapping #2: Connection Building The phrase 'learning-walk' may sound innocuous, but if you've been a teacher at any time in the last decade, it's likely to fill you with…
Scrapping the ‘marking policy’?
"The simplest prescription for improving education must be dollops of feedback." John Hattie The longer I've been teaching, the more I've come to appreciate the value of marking. By 'marking' though, I mean looking at students' work and giving feedback which they are required to act upon immediately. What we learn about progress from students'…
Fail Better Teach 