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Teaching and Learning
Rosenshine Masterclass Captured. Free CPD!
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
A model for the learning process. And why it helps to have one.
One of the most powerful ideas I’ve engaged with recently is using a diagram to visualise a shared model of the learning process; using it to get a feel for how learning works in general but also to identify reasons for why it can sometimes not happen. This is the diagram I have in … Continue reading
Re-reading Nuthall’s Hidden Lives of Learners. Insights from a classic.
“If we are to understand how teaching relates to learning, we have to begin at the closest point to that learning; and that is students’ experience.” Nuthall. 2001. Lots of people have written reviews of Graham Nuthall’s Hidden Lives of Learners published posthumously in 2007. It’s often cited as a must-read by conference speakers, including … Continue reading
7 Variables Between/Within Schools: Where are you on each scale?
I wrote a short thread on twitter this week outlining five key variables that I detect when I visit schools. These are things that I’m struck by; things that I notice because the range is so wide. It gained some interest and a request to write it up – so here it is. I’ve extended … Continue reading
Top-down observation and feedback models are flawed. Time for change.
(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
Collection of recent ideas for better teaching and better teacher development.
I’m going to write something soon about the process of teacher observation and feedback and the way I see that moving forward. Meanwhile, I’ve been writing a lot about the things I see from the perspective of an observer – for teacher and for leaders. Here’s a collection in case you missed any: Blogs … Continue reading
Deeper Learning for All: Five things to do more of.
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
Curriculum Murmurations #1. Thoughts from 2019.
A murmuration of curriculum. That’s how my wife – a secondary Deputy Head – described the current state of things nationally. It’s a great image: the energetic but chaotic swirling around of individuals trying to stay together, following-the-leader in short bursts within a flock that has no overall sense of direction; patterns emerging here … Continue reading
7 Deadly Difficulties in Teaching.
Increasingly I feel that teacher development, performance review and the whole apparatus around lesson observation should place a strong, central emphasis on understanding the challenges that teachers face in securing the learning of all the students in a class. It can often be extremely difficult even for experienced expert teachers to nail every student’s learning … Continue reading
Small change; big impact. Six suggestions.
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
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