Tag: teaching

How Worthwhile Is The Learning You Are Designing?

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We have all seen the likes of these documents before, a system-level framework for effective teaching, a document that states the fundamental principles of what is expected of teachers in a particular region. The Canadian Teacher Association paper titled “What did you do in school today? Teaching Effectiveness: A Framework and Rubric” is no different in that regard. It is a multi-year research piece about the effectiveness of teaching.

However, what is particularly arresting about this piece is the plain-speaking language used. Often the weight of unhelpful language and Edu-jargon causes us the poor reader to get lost in sometimes and the true meaning is lost most of the time. So it was refreshing to read such simply stated principles in the document about teacher effectiveness:

  1. Effective teaching practice begins with the thoughtful and intentional design of learning that engages students intellectually and academically.
  2. The work that students are asked to undertake is worthy of their time and attention, is personally relevant, and deeply connected to the world in which they live.
  3. Assessment practices are clearly focused on improving student learning and guiding teaching decisions and actions.
  4. Teachers foster a variety of interdependent relationships in classrooms that promote learning and create a strong culture around learning.
  5. Teachers improve their practice in the company of peers.

For each element they expand on the principle with some clear justification for example in the first principle – Teachers As Designers, the authors refer to crafting opportunities for learning that:

…awakens the human spirit’s desire to know. The result is a deep, personal commitment on the part of learners to explore and investigate ideas, issues, problems or questions for a sustained period of time.

This speaks to my passion for the craft of what we do and emphasises the design skills and dispositions needed to do our work so creatively.

The other principles are just straight forward and make great sense to me – however, there is one stand out phrase for me. Principle number two:

The work that students are asked to undertake is worthy of their time and attention, is personally relevant, and deeply connected to the world in which they live.

That one sentence delivers such a challenge and provocation to what we do that it almost leapt off of the page at me when I read it. If you read further into the rationale for this principle you will quickly find a reference to the design of learning that is authentic to those individuals we are with, even providing a useful rubric as a guide, reference and starting point.

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How is the learning we are designing worthy of the time we all put into it? How might we ensure we make every learning moment count with our students and still leave room to take opportunities when they arise?

The worthiness of learning is a measure that may reveal real challenges for some and most certainly will lead to rich conversations for those that care.

No such thing as comfort zone

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Last Summer I was invited to speak at a school’s conference in North London by John D’Abbro. I soon realised that this was not going to be a normal event. John challenged me to speak to the teachers attending about some of the most difficult times in my working life.

The conference theme was “Stepping out of your Comfort Zone” and I certainly was going to be doing that. For the first time publicly I spoke at length about some of the most painful and darkest times I have faced in teaching. Exploring the true lows I faced during 2010 and to a room full of strangers. I had lost sight of what my comfort zone was!

I learned a great deal from sharing those stories. It proved a really important emotional turning point for me and as delicate as they were to share, the process proved cathartic and significant. I spoke of those people around me, my amazing wife Helen who propped me up everyday and Neil Hopkin who cooled acidic moments with his unwavering support.

I had no script, no previous version to draw on – just the emotions from those days and some distance that enabled me to weave something meaningful for those who were listening. I tried my best to keep it together.

It is close to two years now since I had mornings when I had to pull the car over, on my way to school, and try and stop crying. Hard as those times were I reach back into that darkness now with a steady hand and draw strength from getting through those days.

I’m Leaving The Classroom – A New Chapter Begins

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On the first day of this term, all the way back in early January, I handed my notice in. Next week, the final 4 days of term, will be my last at my current school and my last as a permanent classroom teacher.

From the beginning of May my new chapter will be working alongside Ewan McIntosh as part of Notosh – and hopefully having the chance to work with you!

For a very long time I have considered a change in career – I want to be in a position where I can help more schools and teachers, to have more of an influence on the “change” we all talk of. I want to see good ideas affecting more learners. I want more time to research ideas I have and explore their impact on learning. I want more time to write. I want more time to extend and develop different projects. I want more quality time with my family.

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For the last 5 years or so this blog and Twitter have been amazing at getting my ideas out to you – my fellow classroom practitioners and educators, but I want to work even more closely with you. And to do it full time without the myriad of pressures we face as teachers diluting my efforts.

Easter 2010 saw me begin my most recent chapter, working as a Deputy Head Teacher. I had some very low times, some of the lowest points in my teaching career. It has made me look at what I want from my working life and this change is exactly that!

I am thrilled to be joining Ewan who’s work and voice in the education community I have long admired. When I first began writing a blog, his was one of the first I explored – and unbeknownst to him, it quietly shaped the reflective and open process that blogging became for me.

Just to say in closing that I am so grateful for all of your support over the last few years, here and on Twitter, this is a major turning point for me. I hope you will continue to join me as I take those steps.

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Pic: next chapter!! by Ramon Boersbroek – Attribution-NonCommercial License

A Google View of One of My Lessons

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It is certainly not normal to have people taking pictures of your lessons without your knowledge, well here is one that I wasn’t expecting!


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Yes that’s me and a colleague doing some throwing and catching work with our Year 5s during a PE session.

Since it started Google Streetview has been criticised by many for possibly breaching privacy laws and some residents in Buckinghamshire have even blocked the images being taken.

That said, I think the new imagery provides an incredibly rich educational resource. I think it can be used in a number of ways to support curriculum work:

  • Illustrate places that are crucial parts of topics, such as historical monuments or geographical features.
  • As part of a local area study explore the Street View imagery (where available) to start discussions and activities before going on a walk.
  • We used Street View to look at a type of building described in detail in Streetchild used in Year 5.
  • Help children picture part of storytelling or writing by following a path or looking at a setting using Street View imagery.
  • Explore the maths that surrounds us all using the resource and Maths Maps.

Let me know of any further uses you have for Street View in the classroom – or indeed if your lesson has been caught on the Google cameras.

Reflections on Being A Foundation Teacher

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3905872541 4181f94156I have spent the last half term as a Foundation 2 (4 and 5 year olds) classteacher in my new school. Combined with a multitude of other factors, including finding my feet as a Deputy Headteacher, it has been the most challenging and intense seven weeks of my teaching career.

I thought I would take some time to reflect on what it was like to go from teaching Year 5 (9 and 10 year olds) to Foundation 2.

Pitch

One of the biggest challenges was adjusting the pitch of what I was teaching. This applied at every level, from what I was planning to my expectations for the children. I suppose this would be natural as I was teaching children 5 years older for so long. I have a much better appreciation for the ways I can adjust what I am teaching to suit different needs, including the way I use my voice or how long we spend working together.

Care

This is central to what occurs in the Foundation stage. What school should be about – I perhaps lost sight of this working with the older children. Finding things, tieing laces, scraped knees, getting changed, toilet trouble, tired children, family news – the care for children at this age is much more important than anything else. It is a care that gives them boundaries and helps to develop their independence and confidence. However this is energy sapping – I know from having a 4 year old at home – but times that by 30 and you quickly realise at the end of the day that you are emotionally drained as much as anything else.

Starting School

Foundation 2 is the first time they begin to experience elements of school as it will be for the next 5 years or so. It is an important time for the children as they have to adapt to new expectations and ways of working. I have learned so much about where the children are when they enter school, what sort of level they are working at and even the broad range of abilities that are evident even at this age.

Organisation and Preparation

Above anything else I have learned how important it is to be super organised and prepared for anything at this age group. You can lose the focus of a little group in seconds if you don’t have want you need to hand. The classroom needs to reflect this level of organisation and done well will facilitate the independent learning going on.

Sometimes you have to respond to something unexpected and it takes all of your attention – a nasty scraped knee, a nosebleed or a toilet problem. You have to just go with it.

Every Second Counts

A big lesson I have learned is that you have to take every opportunity for learning. Counting the children for register, counting the milk cartons, counting the fruit, counting the letters we are using, counting the people in a picture…

Specialist

The role of a Foundation teacher is such a specialist position. The level of care that is required and the expectations for teaching and learning make it such a unique role in school. My time in Foundation has shown me every facet of the role. I think part of the specialism is being able to cope with the energy sapping days and to remain focused on the myriad of ways children are learning. I have a much firmer respect and appreciation for the role of teachers in Foundation and the crucial part they play in helping children start school.

Comfort Zone

There have been some real lows over the last seven weeks, admittedly I have found it a serious struggle at times. But I have learned from it all. I have had a comfort zone and in the last half term I have been as far from it as I can remember. You learn to find comfort in other things, I have adapted to each new challenge as best I could.

I took one day at a time and as Dai Barnes pointed out to me when I was finding it tough:

“Life is many days. This must end.”

“Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves.”

James Joyce – Ulysses

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I would like to see a whole school curriculum approach to learning in the same connected way as it is done in Foundation. A small number of areas of learning that just make sense and approaching contexts for learning in a holistic manner. There is the balance between child initiated learning and teacher directed work. I think my time working in this way will have a big influence on the way we re-develop our curriculum in the future.

Technology

By the time I was finishing my time I was hitting my stride a little better, so to speak, and was considering the role technology has to play in this early stage of school. One thing was how aware the children were of technology in their everyday life, clearly this is mainly from the exposure to mobile and online technologies at home.

Whilst we were working on some phonics activities for the “er” phoneme, I had a picture of an envelope for the children to think of “letter“. But one little girl said email when she saw it. Perhaps an isolated instance but nonetheless indicative of the need (and importance) for a clearly thought out strategy for technology at this stage of school. I will keep this firmly in my thoughts as I spend more time next half term on how my new school is using technology.

Another thing I noted was the need for technology to enhance and support the role of record keeping and evidence gathering in the Foundation stage. Learning happens and occurs at such a fierce pace, sometimes unexpected, sometimes planned – a strong tech solution for gathering, tagging and recording these occurrences would be ideal.

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After my tumultuous first week I wrote that it had been the most testing few days of my career and I would go on to say that the whole seven weeks have stuck to that template. At times I have felt like a student again, learning pieces of a bigger puzzle, at times I have started to think like a Foundation teacher – linking up learning opportunities and seeing connections.

A very capable young teacher is taking over the reins after half term and I will be working from the sidelines to support his first teaching role. I know that I have learned so much and on reflection I feel I have become a better classroom teacher because of it.

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Pics: My Life by pattyequalsawesome / A Crossroads by thorinside