The national curriculum wants children to learn poems by heart. Having recently done a great poetry lesson, where the children had so much fun trying to learn ‘Tomcat’ by Don Marquis, it got me thinking about the immense benefits of such an activity. Read on to find out five ways children can benefit from learning poetry by heart. Increases brain’s…
There is nothing more important than for children to feel safe in a school environment, so that they can be open to learning. Creating a positive classroom environment, is the first step in ensuring that everyone brings out their best. If you’d like to learn how you can do this, then read on! Here are some tips to help you…
Teaching in December can be challenging. For all those teachers on their winter break, here is a fun post for you enjoy during your much deserved break! Teachers on Christmas break be like… Going to bed over the Christmas break and remembering that you don’t need to set your alarm clock until January! 2. Going to the restroom whenever you…
It’s the giving season for pupils and teachers, Christmas time! I decided to keep last year’s goodie bag idea with a twist. I just love this idea as it is so versatile and can be adapted year after year. To make them you will need: bags, my free downloadable bag toppers, bubbles and any other goodies of your choice! My…
Any teacher can wholeheartedly tell you that planning and teaching lessons in depth, during the last few weeks leading up to Christmas, is a real struggle! Below are my top 5 reasons why teachers hate the Christmas term… Deadlines: Reports, assessments, tests all have to be packed in before the Christmas holidays. Teachers are running left right and centre to…
Anyone had thoughts about abandoning age-old practices of Friday spelling tests? You all know the drill, I’m sure many of you did it when you were still at school: you get the words on a Monday to practice them during the week, then take a test on Friday. Great! If you get a high score, not so great…
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…
