University of Buckingham
For forty years I was a classroom teacher and a head teacher. I recruited hundreds of teachers, observed thousands of lessons and I am confident I know what good teaching looks like. As Jonathan Smith, the former head of English at Tonbridge School, once said, the characteristics of good teaching are pretty obvious, but it... Continue Reading →
March was an easy month for a blog. I had many initial ideas, all essential and linked to a year in teaching. Metacognition, Memory, Mentoring, Mistakes. I decided to write about mentoring and share some of my earlier experiences of mentoring as a trainee teacher. Mentoring is one of the most important elements in teacher... Continue Reading →
The Social Mobility Commission has published (February 2023) an analysis of the types of courses that tend to mean students will earn more in their life than those who did not take such courses and those courses that do not increase or actually lower your chances of earning more. The full article is here. This... Continue Reading →
February is for Feedback. Most of our students, at this point in their learning, would have completed some form of internal testing/exams and would have received some feedback. Feedback is a big part of the teaching profession as much as it is a part of life. In teaching, in addition to lessons, feedback is also... Continue Reading →
January is all about Joy and teaching is all about Joy. I have been very fortunate to have enjoyed my teaching in schools from my very first lesson. I still remember this vividly. I have learned and continue to learn along the way, and here are a few things I wish to share. When you... Continue Reading →
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence site which provides good quality, free-of-charge answers to the sorts of questions teachers and university lecturers might ask. ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an independent artificial intelligence research foundation co-founded by Elon Musk in 2015. Released last November, OpenAI’s chatbot is able to create stunningly human-like responses to a wide range... Continue Reading →
From a biology perspective, differentiation is a process that cells undergo prior to maturing and becoming distinct, in structure and function. In terms of education, the children we teach are certainly distinct and display great variation in maturity levels. Our role, as teachers, is to enable all our children, access the curriculum, enjoy learning, and... Continue Reading →
November is all about Nurturing good teaching. Specifically, how mentors can nurture good teaching. Our recent October residential got me thinking about the many ways that we nurture good teaching. Is it only subject knowledge, or does it extend beyond this? Is it about our dedication and commitment in putting the needs of the learner... Continue Reading →
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan’’ Eleanor Roosevelt I am not sure if I am organised or have OCD, but either way, I love a tidy desk, numerous planners, and colour coding. We are well into the academic year; time is flying literally (or maybe it feels this way,... Continue Reading →