This year, after reading the book “When the adults change everything changes” and with the completion of an informative INSET day from Pivotal Education I realised the importance of greeting students, before they enter the classroom. To back this claim, I also found numerous studies online, validating that greeting students at the door sets a positive tone and can help…
The mathematics curriculum in primary schools, requires that mental maths strategies are taught to children from an early age. I have been teaching mental maths strategies for many years now and every year I see the struggle that children face. I do my best, each time, to improve my teaching and increase students’ engagement. I believe that the key to…
Teacher burnout is real and can happen to anyone at anytime. Low salaries, additional workload and responsibilities, together with limited appreciation can have demoralising effects on even the most capable, enthusiastic teachers. With 20 years of experience behind me, these are some of the things I try to do to keep me motivated as a teacher and avoid the dreaded…
Boost staff morale and spread the love, by bringing positivity to your school with a ‘Staff Shout-Out’ board! So often, teachers get caught up in the manic pace of school life and get sucked in by surrounding negativity. This is incredibly easy to happen to anyone, especially when they feel tired and unmotivated. This shout-out idea isn’t mine of…
Have you ever searched the Internet looking for important dates to add to your calendar for Literacy? If the answer is yes, then you are in the right place! Having done just that for you, I have compiled many dates that I feel schools and Literacy Leads can use to promote literacy. This is a free resource for anyone to…
The role of data within schools is emphasised by many government regimes within education. There is a clear shift from intuitive decision-making to data-based informed decisions within any school setting. Most schools collect a variety of data, yet few educators are trained in analysing the results. Data on its own, without the correct analysis or interpretation is meaningless. Knowing how…
‘When the Adults Change Everything Changes – Seismic Shifts in School Behaviour’, written by Paul Dix and published by Independent Thinking Press (2017) is a real page-turner and recommended read, for anyone interested in shifting children’s behaviour within a school. Easy to read and full of sound advice that really makes sense when you read it and makes youΒ wonder…
In a previous post about teacher well-being, we looked at how schools can look after their teachers. Teacher well-being has become an increasingly hot topic that needs to be addressed by all, and when I say by all I mean just that. Even the teachers themselves. In this article we look at how teachers can look after their own well-being…
Teachers lead such busy lives during the academic year. Have you ever wondered what they get up to during the summer holidays? Here are 10 things teachers actually do in the summer. Read Whilst the reading genres may vary drastically, teachers do actually use the summer holidays to unwind with the books of their choice, you may find a curriculum/school…
Summer time is time for the beach, time to relax, and also time to plan for the next year ahead! This year, I downloaded my planner from Nicole at http://www.cleanlifeandhome.etsy.com and I’m really looking forward to compiling it. I will be doing a Teacher Planner for 2018-19 video when it’s finished, so you can see how it went. I still,…
