teacherhead
Leadership Issues
The spirit of people in our system is incredible.
In the last few weeks, I’ve been reminded time and time again about the very human, emotional side of being a student, of being a teacher and of leading in a school. The spirit of people in our system is incredible. Here are some snapshots. An Oldham student with additional learning needs, working independently on … Continue reading
10 Steps for Reviewing Your KS3 Curriculum
Now that schools are getting into the swing of the new GCSEs and KS3 assessment continues to present various challenges, it’s natural that a lot more attention is being given to the curriculum content at KS3. Of course some will say that Ofsted’s much-trailed renewed interest in curriculum is playing a part too – but I’ve … Continue reading
Curriculum Notes #2: Big picture first: then zoom in.
#2 in a series. I’ve often found that students in lessons are wading through a foggy cloud of confusion about why they are learning what they are learning. I’ve been in that cloud plenty of times myself. If, as an expert in a subject, you make a selection of the elements of the curriculum for … Continue reading
Eureka! Teaching for creativity. C = f (K, P, D)
Over the years I’ve thought a lot about the question of teaching for creativity. Back in 2012 I wrote this post where I made some reasonably sensible general statements: It is uncontroversial that for us to solve Humanity’s problems, to create the conditions for a sustainable future and also to maximise the cultural richness of … Continue reading
Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice.
I’m not exactly sure why but it feels like, as a profession, we’ve made a mess of the concepts and language that apply to the everyday processes needed to teach a wide range of students within one class. A range of what? Attainment, ability, experience, competence, knowledge, skill, confidence, fluency? Most likely a mix of … Continue reading
Teaching for Distinction, the Oldham College #CPDinFE programme is working!
This week, the news was released that Oldham College received a strongly positive inspection outcome: The press report here, tells the story: After an intensive four-day inspection with a large team, the College was judged ‘Good’ in all categories – many more than apply to a school. This is such great news. As anyone … Continue reading
Curriculum Maps: Knowing New York; Knowing about New York.
This posts builds on the last one: Mapping curriculum terrain: The beaten track and beyond, using geographical metaphors to consider curriculum design issues. New York. A Case Study. Let’s imagine, in the metaphor, that New York City represents an area of the curriculum. Our goal is for students to learn about New York and we need … Continue reading
Mapping curriculum terrain: The beaten track and beyond.
When school leaders and teachers start reviewing their curriculum, there are so many complex considerations. What to teach and why? It’s a huge question. At the macro, big picture scale, there’s a need to consider overarching principles and values – because these ideas inform or dictate the decisions that are taken. Which subjects to teach and … Continue reading
Find your space; Own your space! To be effective and happy, we need to be ourselves.
The start of a new year, a big term ahead, it’s reflection time. My message to teachers and leaders is to navigate the turbulence and try to do what you can to make your job your own; to carve out a way of working that gives you maximum space to be yourself, to express yourself, … Continue reading
The @teacherhead planning tool. Draft
I’m trying to design something that might be helpful for teachers planning lessons. I have drafted two tools, one a structured reflection sheet for thinking through what is needed for a detailed unit of work; the other a very simple short-hand version for scoping out a series of lessons. In both cases, the idea is … Continue reading
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