Monday, 16 January 2012
School Assembly
Check out this assembly I have made on Explore and Discover. It will be shown to all year groups this week and to an RE Ofsted Inspector (Section 48 inpsection).
Saturday, 7 January 2012
The start of a new term @GuardianTeach by @TeacherTookit
This post feature on The Guardian Teacher Network here.
I am writing this on the eve of a new school term, having lazed around until the last minute, oozing every second out of my well-earned holiday! My appetite will get a shock tomorrow, because I barely get a chance to sit down and grab a bite to eat; visiting friends and family will become near-impossible, unless I organise a strategic action plan before half-term, with a timeline and venue for all concerned and give them all two or three weeks notice. If only I could be so organised in my personal life when I get back into the classroom when I can hardly find time to buy a book of stamps!
Tomorrow, if I'm lucky, there may be a couple of "thank-you" cards left in my staff tray and the cleaner may have even picked up my coffee mug I discarded to avoid any biology-fungus-project from breeding.
I will face a barrage of emails containing dates, reminding us all of the last reminder we were given; messages containing vital information will be lost between the "where's my stapler?" subject-title and jokes or pointless "reply-to-all" sentences that really could have been had with one person on the corridor…
Some of us may be faced with a first-day-back INSET, thanking the CPD leader for effective planning and that extra day breathing space to skive, plan, reflect; or on the other hand, you may face an onslaught of pointless meetings, full of information you could read on an A4 sheet of paper!
Whatever the case, I ask you this: at the start of a new term, are you the type of person to jump out of bed, or press snooze on the alarm clock? I tend to be the former and not intentionally; no matter what strategy I try before school recommences, I don't have a peaceful night's sleep.
I'm also traditionalist at best, but I've never been one to set myself any new-term resolutions. In fact, I cannot remember anything that I've ever wanted to achieve at the start of January. Maybe that's because for most teachers, New Year begins in September and it's at this point in the year that I set my own personal and professional goals.
Returning from an extended festive holiday with loved ones, friends (and colleagues), it's that time again to take out my shoes from the wardrobe and consider giving them a sparkling polish for the start of the term.
The beginning to the Spring Term is a peculiar one. Winter is at it's deepest and Seasonal-Affected-Disorder-Syndrome (SADA) is pushing you to the brink of depair; the remnants of influenza ensure a re-visit to the chemist; the increasing anticipation of snow add to the myriad of mental-thoughts, as you browse through the pages of your teacher-planner and set the alarm to get out of bed, ten minutes earlier to defrost the windscreen.
Spare a sympathetic thought for a few colleagues who may be excited, or even nervous, starting off in a new school, whilst many others consider putting the long Autumn term behind, finally accepting a change of whole-school tempo as the exam temperature builds…
Deadlines loom closer, the promise of marking increases and the tightly-packed revision timetable is already in draft format, which includes every Saturday leading up to Easter! That pay-cheque may be weeks further away than usual, so in many ways, you either resign yourself to long days at work or cosy nights in at home in front of the tv.
So, consider setting yourself some targets for the term. Examples may include:
1. Choose a couple of days in the week to get up earlier and leave work sooner!
2. Wear a new outfit. As my wife says, "dress for the job you want, not the job you've got!" But, you may have heard, the newly appointed Ofsted chief, Sir Michael Wilshaw is demanding that inspectors assess the dress code of teachers in the new framework! Have a look at this comical version by @RobAnthony01.
3. Implement a new "Questioning strategy" in the classroom and stick it out for a term.
4. Join an online teaching forum such as Twitter and follow @GuardianTeach.
5. Watch this inspiring educational content, published by the RSA.
Some of my Twitter Followers responded with subsequent comments and ideas:
@10kmk42 – "It's time to try something new; turn over a new leaf…"
@MintSpies – "I'm going to move all the desks round to shake things up. It'll mostly be revision for exams, so I want to signal a change in emphasis…"
@mgcps_b75 – "A continuation of a school year, not the start of something new. Continue building and enjoying…"
@DepJo – "Fresh start for everyone. All misdemeanors are forgiven. Not just for pupils though. Parents & colleagues as well!"
@Sharland – "Set very clear goals, as Christmas may have been a 'goal' for many children."
@JohnSayers – "What should we focus on moving into 2012? How has learning changed? Focus more on technology or the professional?"
@jogyouon – "Be organised. No point starting a new term on the back foot!"
Regardless of your approach, the Spring term is a sign of growth; as the climate eventually warms, daffodil buds will begin to bloom in the ever-preceeding month of March, signalling better times ahead. Yes, January has arrived and you'll get through it, like you always have…
I am writing this on the eve of a new school term, having lazed around until the last minute, oozing every second out of my well-earned holiday! My appetite will get a shock tomorrow, because I barely get a chance to sit down and grab a bite to eat; visiting friends and family will become near-impossible, unless I organise a strategic action plan before half-term, with a timeline and venue for all concerned and give them all two or three weeks notice. If only I could be so organised in my personal life when I get back into the classroom when I can hardly find time to buy a book of stamps!
Tomorrow, if I'm lucky, there may be a couple of "thank-you" cards left in my staff tray and the cleaner may have even picked up my coffee mug I discarded to avoid any biology-fungus-project from breeding.
I will face a barrage of emails containing dates, reminding us all of the last reminder we were given; messages containing vital information will be lost between the "where's my stapler?" subject-title and jokes or pointless "reply-to-all" sentences that really could have been had with one person on the corridor…
Some of us may be faced with a first-day-back INSET, thanking the CPD leader for effective planning and that extra day breathing space to skive, plan, reflect; or on the other hand, you may face an onslaught of pointless meetings, full of information you could read on an A4 sheet of paper!
Whatever the case, I ask you this: at the start of a new term, are you the type of person to jump out of bed, or press snooze on the alarm clock? I tend to be the former and not intentionally; no matter what strategy I try before school recommences, I don't have a peaceful night's sleep.
I'm also traditionalist at best, but I've never been one to set myself any new-term resolutions. In fact, I cannot remember anything that I've ever wanted to achieve at the start of January. Maybe that's because for most teachers, New Year begins in September and it's at this point in the year that I set my own personal and professional goals.
Returning from an extended festive holiday with loved ones, friends (and colleagues), it's that time again to take out my shoes from the wardrobe and consider giving them a sparkling polish for the start of the term.
The beginning to the Spring Term is a peculiar one. Winter is at it's deepest and Seasonal-Affected-Disorder-Syndrome (SADA) is pushing you to the brink of depair; the remnants of influenza ensure a re-visit to the chemist; the increasing anticipation of snow add to the myriad of mental-thoughts, as you browse through the pages of your teacher-planner and set the alarm to get out of bed, ten minutes earlier to defrost the windscreen.
Spare a sympathetic thought for a few colleagues who may be excited, or even nervous, starting off in a new school, whilst many others consider putting the long Autumn term behind, finally accepting a change of whole-school tempo as the exam temperature builds…
Deadlines loom closer, the promise of marking increases and the tightly-packed revision timetable is already in draft format, which includes every Saturday leading up to Easter! That pay-cheque may be weeks further away than usual, so in many ways, you either resign yourself to long days at work or cosy nights in at home in front of the tv.
So, consider setting yourself some targets for the term. Examples may include:
1. Choose a couple of days in the week to get up earlier and leave work sooner!
2. Wear a new outfit. As my wife says, "dress for the job you want, not the job you've got!" But, you may have heard, the newly appointed Ofsted chief, Sir Michael Wilshaw is demanding that inspectors assess the dress code of teachers in the new framework! Have a look at this comical version by @RobAnthony01.
3. Implement a new "Questioning strategy" in the classroom and stick it out for a term.
4. Join an online teaching forum such as Twitter and follow @GuardianTeach.
5. Watch this inspiring educational content, published by the RSA.
Some of my Twitter Followers responded with subsequent comments and ideas:
@10kmk42 – "It's time to try something new; turn over a new leaf…"
@MintSpies – "I'm going to move all the desks round to shake things up. It'll mostly be revision for exams, so I want to signal a change in emphasis…"
@mgcps_b75 – "A continuation of a school year, not the start of something new. Continue building and enjoying…"
@DepJo – "Fresh start for everyone. All misdemeanors are forgiven. Not just for pupils though. Parents & colleagues as well!"
@Sharland – "Set very clear goals, as Christmas may have been a 'goal' for many children."
@JohnSayers – "What should we focus on moving into 2012? How has learning changed? Focus more on technology or the professional?"
@jogyouon – "Be organised. No point starting a new term on the back foot!"
Regardless of your approach, the Spring term is a sign of growth; as the climate eventually warms, daffodil buds will begin to bloom in the ever-preceeding month of March, signalling better times ahead. Yes, January has arrived and you'll get through it, like you always have…
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Can signs be used to improve teaching and learning?
I have decided to share my Masters degree thesis with you all. Please feel free to download at the link below and leave a comment.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Publications page updated...
Please visit my 'Publications' page which has now been updated with a further 3 articles. two articles feature in The Guardian Teacher Network Blog and the other, is a profile feature in my teacher union magazine.
You can click here.
You can click here.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
The first week back at work
Monday: Arrived relatively early and was made to feel very welcome by the senior staff. Grabbed a coffee in the conference room before heading upstairs to the main building to be introduced to the whole staff. Despite the bad cold, I gave everybody a wave and smiled. The next hour or so was spent in various short meetings with the senior team, discussing my priorities, duties and office base. I managed to self-discover the ICT Support office and self-allocate a login for the network and email system. Popping down the corridor, I managed to grab the Reprographics member of staff to complete my ID badge with a passport-like photograph. Awful!
Managed to locate an office and was given a key. Felt great! Really quirky too. Attended all the relevant duties at break and lunch AND after-school. Great to see some strong systems in place. Managed to walk about the school and introduce myself to a few colleagues. Felt very isolated, but was as good a first day as you can get, starting one week after October half-term.
Tuesday: Picked up my ID badge; part of the team now and don't need to sign in or out at the reception desk. As I have no timetable, I was allocated 3 cover lessons. Not used to this at all, as in my last school we had appointed cover supervisors to pick up the slack. Still, the positive side of things, the lessons gave me the opportunity to meet the students, set out my stall (so that it could spread like wild-fire) and feel part of the school as soon as possible. Any cover lesson is a hard task, for one, the group are not your own class and secondly, the supply-teacher conversation is always had! Students on the whole were generally cooperative and responsive...so I am really optimistic. When I had a free moment, I found myself retreating to my new office for sanctuary. This was solely to take medication for my worsening cold, check my emails and grab a quick sip of my cold coffee! When walking around the school, I'd smile, say hello to whoever made eye contact and slip into the DT department for some comfort conversations about projects, facilities and aspirations.
Wednesday: The journey to work took longer than expected today. My cold is worsening and its a struggle to get out of bed; still I cannot afford to mope around or be late! I visited (off the cuff) a Year 10 assembly and was kindly introduced to the students. Note to self, do this for every year group as soon as possible. Another 2 cover lessons today and a walkie-talkie walkabout. I enjoyed this task the most as it set my frame of mind, crystal clear...to walk the entire school, visiting classrooms, saying hello to students, staff and resolving any noticeable problems. The day also consisted of a couple of meetings with SLT colleagues to discuss duties, procedures and the vision for my role.
Thursday: A couple more cover lessons and an emergency cover today. Another walkabout duty and a break, lunch and bus-stop duty formed the other key elements of my day. Slowly building up a menagerie of medication, pens, drawing pins and work documents in my new office. Also, started to tick off all the names of staff (on the staff list) of those I have managed to introduce myself to.... I must have spoken to at least 50+ staff in 3 days from a total 150. I plan to make this complete by the end of next week. Popped into a few lessons and smiled and said thank you. SLT meeting followed bus-stop duty and was entertaining and educational. Every school does it differently. Very far removed from what I've been used to for the past 3 years! Was also asked to attend an INSET day tomorrow morning.
Friday: Attended a PiXL Club event at Kings Cross, London. Was great to get out and be inspired, representing my new school, but didn't really enjoy it as much as I could, because I was still full of a cold. Managed to bump into a ex-colleague and catch up. Returned to school by 2pm and volunteered to conduct late-detention from 3-4pm. Home to reflect and work out what my first contribution to the whole staff is going to be....
Tuesday: Picked up my ID badge; part of the team now and don't need to sign in or out at the reception desk. As I have no timetable, I was allocated 3 cover lessons. Not used to this at all, as in my last school we had appointed cover supervisors to pick up the slack. Still, the positive side of things, the lessons gave me the opportunity to meet the students, set out my stall (so that it could spread like wild-fire) and feel part of the school as soon as possible. Any cover lesson is a hard task, for one, the group are not your own class and secondly, the supply-teacher conversation is always had! Students on the whole were generally cooperative and responsive...so I am really optimistic. When I had a free moment, I found myself retreating to my new office for sanctuary. This was solely to take medication for my worsening cold, check my emails and grab a quick sip of my cold coffee! When walking around the school, I'd smile, say hello to whoever made eye contact and slip into the DT department for some comfort conversations about projects, facilities and aspirations.
Wednesday: The journey to work took longer than expected today. My cold is worsening and its a struggle to get out of bed; still I cannot afford to mope around or be late! I visited (off the cuff) a Year 10 assembly and was kindly introduced to the students. Note to self, do this for every year group as soon as possible. Another 2 cover lessons today and a walkie-talkie walkabout. I enjoyed this task the most as it set my frame of mind, crystal clear...to walk the entire school, visiting classrooms, saying hello to students, staff and resolving any noticeable problems. The day also consisted of a couple of meetings with SLT colleagues to discuss duties, procedures and the vision for my role.
Thursday: A couple more cover lessons and an emergency cover today. Another walkabout duty and a break, lunch and bus-stop duty formed the other key elements of my day. Slowly building up a menagerie of medication, pens, drawing pins and work documents in my new office. Also, started to tick off all the names of staff (on the staff list) of those I have managed to introduce myself to.... I must have spoken to at least 50+ staff in 3 days from a total 150. I plan to make this complete by the end of next week. Popped into a few lessons and smiled and said thank you. SLT meeting followed bus-stop duty and was entertaining and educational. Every school does it differently. Very far removed from what I've been used to for the past 3 years! Was also asked to attend an INSET day tomorrow morning.
Friday: Attended a PiXL Club event at Kings Cross, London. Was great to get out and be inspired, representing my new school, but didn't really enjoy it as much as I could, because I was still full of a cold. Managed to bump into a ex-colleague and catch up. Returned to school by 2pm and volunteered to conduct late-detention from 3-4pm. Home to reflect and work out what my first contribution to the whole staff is going to be....
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