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Based on my experience working with hundreds of teachers in numerous contexts, I’d suggest that one of the strategies with the biggest impact on the overall effectiveness of lessons is the routine use of cold-call questioning. More and more I find that, rather than merely promoting it, I am strongly advocating it, basically saying: every … Continue reading →

During lockdown, when exams were cancelled and remote learning was forced upon us en masse, people started blogging and tweeting about the possibility of doing things differently on a permanent basis. More recently, as part of the exam grades fiasco, people have been discussing the flaws in our exam-dominated system and the accountability machinery that … Continue reading →

In response to demand for my workshops and masterclasses on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, I’ve recorded a screen capture of me talking through the slides I use for my one-day events. The slides are available here I have posted the links on youtube in a playlist that can be found here: There is 2 1/2 … Continue reading →

(NB This post does’t work if you can’t see the images/diagrams: ) Earlier this week I tweeted this short twitter thread: The more closely I work with teachers and schools/colleges, supporting CPD processes of various kinds, the more I realise just how woefully inadequate the standard ‘top-down drop-in and give feedback’ approach is.. I’m now … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks into term and, so far, I’ve had the privilege of observing 40 or more lessons.  I’ve seen lots of excellent lessons – it’s such a joy to be around when a teacher is doing great things; where you think how lucky these students are to be here in this room with … Continue reading →

Sometimes switching to using different teaching strategies can feel like a fairly major upheaval for some people.  That is especially true if they require new resources to be produced.  However, very often, I think that a teacher could make a big impact in their practice by making quite  small changes to the routine way they … Continue reading →

October 18th marks the publication date for The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook.  It’s so exciting to reach the date when something you’ve been working on for a long time  finally comes to fruition – I just can’t wait for people to read it. Fieldbook comes out almost exactly two years after The Learning Rainforest was published … Continue reading →

I see a lot of lessons – hundreds of them in multiple contexts – and I’m going to suggest that there is one very common challenge that teachers face that is often not addressed well enough, even by experienced teachers.  In my view, it’s the single biggest reason for lessons being ineffective or certainly less … Continue reading →

I’ve written a few of these round-up posts as a way of collecting ideas together.  Hopefully this makes it easier to share. The #1 problem/weakness in teaching and how to address it.  A popular post exploring the problem of enabling all students to learn all the material with some common weaknesses in teaching and how … Continue reading →

I’ve written a lot about curriculum in the last year or so… so here’s a one-stop-shop to access them all in place: Clarification about the idea of ‘knowledge rich’ and the wider context. Curriculum Review process: Details of Curriculum Review Challenges These two posts contain a lot of details that schools wrestle with – with … Continue reading →

Over the last couple of years I have had the great privilege of working with several schools on the process of curriculum review.   It’s such an enlightening process for all concerned – asking questions about what should be taught, why things should be taught, what absolutely must be kept in, what gets squeezed out … Continue reading →

Image credit: Melbourne Child Psychology  As each new term approaches, it’s worth reflecting on the powerful Bill Rogers concept that, as teachers, ‘you establish what you establish’.  This means: If we establish that we expect high standards and reinforce them continually with tight routines in lessons characterised by rigour, depth,  drive and a clear sense … Continue reading →

In my Learning Rainforest and Evidence-informed practice CPD sessions, a core element is a focus on the power of questioning.  In my view, good in-house CPD and feedback from lesson observation should put teachers’ capacity and confidence with questioning at the centre.  In my experience, great questioning is the hallmark of a really effective teacher … Continue reading →

Towards the end of last academic year, I wrote a post outlining what might be in a typical school’s development plan:  Here’s your school development plan – no, really, don’t thank me.  All of those ideas are still relevant for next year.  But what about at a departmental level or a year level in primary? Here … Continue reading →

The slide below is one that I often use in my CPD presentations.  The percentages are revealed after some reflection time.  I’m keen to stress that, as a physics teacher, this is how I see my time is divided.  I am not recommending this particular split; I am reporting my experience of it.  Other teachers … Continue reading →

I love the idea of ‘evidence-informed wisdom’. I honestly can’t remember where I first encountered this but, essentially, it’s the idea that, as teachers we are faced with making hundreds of decisions a day – largely about how to question, how to motivate and how to adjust explanations, feedback,  and the pace and depth of … Continue reading →

In my work I have the privilege of being able to watch lots of teachers teach in a wide range of contexts.  I see lots of superb teachers and lots of great lessons.  Where I have constructive feedback to give, I find that there are a few common areas for improvement that come up time and … Continue reading →

NOTE To Teach First #TDC2019 Delegates: Slides available here: Teach First Marking If teachers are going to have a significant impact with the feedback they give, it needs to lead to improved outcomes for students. I am increasingly convinced that feedback needs to be constituted  less in terms of a review of what has gone … Continue reading →

Despite my reservations about some of the big data measures that are used to judge schools, I am hopeful that our discourse is shifting the debate on assessment in a very positive direction.  If this continues it will represent an important paradigm shift with positive consequences for students’ learning and their overall school experience. The … Continue reading →

Last week I was asked to lead a workshop on leadership for some middle and senior leaders.  Here are some of the ideas I shared.   Believe me, I’m not preaching from on high.  I’ve had some successes but there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t run through some kind of imagined … Continue reading →

It’s a well-established idea that, to develop expertise in a particular skill or technique, you need to practise. The more you practise, the better you get.  As outlined by the excellent people at Deans for Impact in their Practice with Purpose document, it helps to identify a specific element of your teaching to practise on and … Continue reading →

Over the years and in recent months I’ve seen lots of different, fascinating schools with great Headteachers; it’s so interesting to see how things are done in different places and the relative importance certain issues are given.  Currently nearly everyone is talking about budget constraints, the challenge of implementing curriculum changes at every Key Stage … Continue reading →

1. Doing the things you love while you’re at work It has always struck me as remarkable and fortuitous that I am paid to do a job where I get to have so much fun. In my lessons, I have the chance to explore my favourite subject – Physics. Today I was talking about space, … Continue reading →