After a get up an an ungodly hour on the first Saturday of the half term, @danielharvey9 picked me up to make the quest down to Tom Bennett's inaugural Research Ed event at Dulwich College, in what can only be descibed as the poshest bit of London I think I've been in to date. At this point, I'm at risk of getting @JamesTheo's vitriol rising so I'll just crack on with it.
Keynote: Ben Goldacre
Mr. Goldacre was a great choice to open up this event. Perhaps he was fuelled by a few too many espressos as he was bright, lively and engaging in the delivery of his keynote, even though technology worked against him.
The crux of his talk was to empower teachers to undertake research based on their own needs and curiosities. He cited examples from Japan (incdidentally Mr. Gove, the teachers have a by far lesser teaching load on their timetables than British teachers do), where teachers produce 'Research Journals' - selecting an area of interest, undertaking research and then reporting findings back to each other, which then provokes a set of new question that can be researched and shared. It is notable that it is a 'bottom-up' approach to research of teaching and learning. Decisions are made BY the teachers not TO them.
Something I did disagree with was: teachers needing summaries of educational research. Isn't that what is often mediated to us via SLT on an INSET day when someone has found 'the next big thing' - thinking hats! BLP! I can feel Tom Bennett shuddering. Furthermore, increasing numbers if the profession have MAs and Doctorates, are we not capable of more than reading summaries. Time is what we need here, more time.
Session 1:
Carol Davenport
Action Research: A Reflective Space for Change
Carol really did have a task on her hands here: to condense down what is normally 5 days worth of training into 40 minutes and she pulled it off. Her sessions will be available to view so won't re-narrate the entire thing, but in a nutshell, Action Research is:
1. The DEVELOPMENT of YOUR practice in YOUR CONTEXT
2. The teacher's starting point being a good research question - which means: using precise language, it must be manageable for you, you must consider how it outcomes can be measured, focus on specific issues of your own practice, and consider the types of evidence required to prove or disprove your own Q.
3. It is worth getting your head around Hattie's 'effect sizes' so that you can measure effectiveness of whatever strategy or intervention you were experimenting with.
Carol Davenport gave us time to chat to people next to us and discuss key elements as stated above, it was good to be involved in this process. I thought the process that she talked us through was logical, fairly easy to implement and could potentially have a profound affect on a teacher and their practice. One of the most useful bits of CPD I've had in recent months. As a new 'Leader of Teaching and Learning' in my school, it is something I will bring up at our meeting this week.
Session 2:
John Tomsett and Alex Quigley
'Leading Edge: My ar*e!'
I've met John on two previous occasions, the first time at Pedagoo London, March last year, the second on interview at Huntinton School (the less said about that the better!) so this was my third time. If you have read his blog, 'This much I know about...' you'll know that this Head Teacher is open, forthright and wise.
John introduced the session by discussing the *cliche klaxon* 'journey' of Huntington's GCSE results, and how a sudden realisation that a myriad interventions and R.A.Ps were in fact, a load of b*ll*cks and did NOTHING to motivate pupils or teachers of Yr 11 changed that was he managed his school in quite a profound way.
Ever since, a hefty dose of common sense has come into play at Huntinton and a great deal of time is invested in his teachers' CPD, I think totalling something like 64 hours across their school year. A memorable phrase was, 'You can't just wish teachers to be better.' Indeed.
Alex Quigley then took over to take us through his own first stab at Action Research in his English faculty, asking the question, 'Could 1:1 oral feedback improve the writing levels of Year 9?' Two classes were selected, the content was the same and the only variation was that one class received 1:1 oral feedback on a draft of their work while the other group did not (although still received feedback).
Here, the oral feedback improved a very specific element of the pupil's writing, the stylistic element and making sure the pupil's work was appropriate to its audience. The oral feedback was less effective for improving paragraph, sentences structures, and SPAG.
Now, as Alex was sharing this with us, some questions popped up which I put to him later in the day:
Did the fact that oral feedback was most effective for improving the style of the writing mean that a further CPD need was highlighted, re. oral feedback delivery for paragraph, sentence structures and SPAG?
Chris Waugh was with me when I posed the question and both agreed that of course we English teachers are better at giving this kind of feedback and not within the other areas whilst SPAG, sentence and paragraph structure is taught.
However, this discussion provoked another question:
WHY are English teachers BETTER at commenting on style, audience and purpose?
By our very nature we are fairly prolific readers. Many of our routes into our subject knowledge our literary and not linguisitc, furthermore, being 'of a certain age' many of us did not receive good or even competent grammar teaching while we were at school. This left me thinking that there MUST be a more effective way to give pupils oral feedback that is focussed on the grammatical element of their writing. How, erm, I don't know...yet.
The comments by Christopher Waugh below made me think further on this, that the above paragraph is more indicative of my own insecutities regarding grammar and the teaching of it. However, I also think the data produced by such forms of Action Research needs interrogating by more than one person, thus allowing for the next research question to be formed or the adjustment to pedagogy to be refined.
The Twitter come-back from Chris Waugh:
"I would say in many cases a skill needs to be demonstrated and practiced, whereas style can be observed, thought about...Also a lot of people have experience of style so simply need to understand when to employ it. It's not that you can't instruct people in grammar - I think it's the RESPONDING to students grammar in short conversation...grammar would have to be taught. There 's not too much point saying, "You should use the passive voice more" unless they know what that it...whereas it's easy to encourage rhetorical questions or repetitions etc.
A coach can say, "Visualise yourself like a seal" but they can't break down every minutae in quick verbal feedback. I think we shouldn't be teaching grammar when giving feedback. There are other mechanisms for that."
Also, via Twitter, Alex Quigley supported Chris and clarified things for me with the following:
"I usually go explicit instruction with grammar teaching: explanation, modelling, questionning, practice and feedback, but the feedback is sharp - usually whole class; addressing misconceptions of groups rather than ind. feedback."
Both of these Twitter big cheeses have really helped my clarifying my thinking about teaching grammar, and will hopefully put paid the insecurities I have about teaching it following their examples. Not a bad outcome from the conference, this post and some Tweets!
Here I broke for lunch. Lunch at a CPD had historically been my 'measuring stick' in terms of its quality, for often, it sure as hell wasn't the content. Tom and Helene, the lunch was lovely and well done with the puddings too. I had cheese cake. Bostin'
Thanks to @tombennett71 @beetlebug1 and @A_Weatherall (finger's crossed I have the right 'Alex' here') for company at lunch!
Session 5:
I really, really, really, wanted to go to Christopher Waugh's session. I arrived that little bit too late and they were packed like sardines into his room. I nearly pressed myself against the glass like one of those Garfield's that used to be suckered to car windows, back in the 80s. I wisely decided against it.
I bumped into @beetlebug1 in the corridor, so still smarting from missing Chris's talk (I have respect for this fella oozing out of my pores), we went to Daisy Christodolou's session:
'How can we discover the root cases of good teaching and learning?'
I confess I am a little intrigued by Daisy Christodolou as for me, she seems to have popped up like a Jack in the box, published an e-book 'The 7 Myths of Education' and her notoriety has sky-rocketed. I am still not sure why. I best confess here that I am yet to read her book, so that may squash some of my curiosity here.
Christodolou's talk focused really on the big 'K' knowledge, and via 3 anecdotes from her own teaching, discussed that what really put pupils at a disadvantage in an exam was gaps in knowledge. A notable example was that pupils who sat a mock GCSE English paper did not know the meaning of the word 'glacier' and were also unable to use context clues to make an educated guess. Therefore, pupil responses were by and large, in-correct as this mis-understanding affected how these pupils interpreted the whole text.
I remain baffled as to how this might be as glaciation IS taught by geographers I am sure. So what happens from this knowledge from another curriculum area in an exam situation? It seems to disappear into the ether.
So, this left some questions to be posed:
1. How do we get pupils to remember what we need them to know?
2. How can we make cross-curricular knowledge and skills more explicit to pupils?
3. How do we plug those kinds of gaps in 'knowledge' or 'cultural capital'?
4. How can cognitive psychology aid us in this, or indeed, can it?
I remain intrigued by Daisy Christodolou so will add her book to the 'to read' pile.
I did skip and afternoon session for a much needed catch up with @kevbartle, and @rlj1981 and I got to meet @kitandrew1 plus I needed a VERY strong coffee.
My final session of the day - after a great chat with Christopher Waugh (not forgetting the lovely hug), was:
Kevan Collins
Who I think was from the Educational Development Trust (do correct me if I'm wrong).
Now, it doesn't helped that I arrived with Chris a little late, so missed the opening gambit of this talk. Regrettably, neither of us enjoyed this as much as the rest, for, unlike the rest of the talks I saw, the tone of this was, 'Teachers ought to be doing this, this and this using my method'. Much of a 'done to' not 'with' kind of talk. It doesn't help either that I was awash with tiredness so I'll leave my summary of that one there. Somebody who was less tired and grumpy with give a better one I'm sure.
And finally....
Tom Bennett rounded up the day with some enthusiastic and well deserved thank yous, specifially for @hgaldonoshea who looked like really needed a genrous quantity of gin and tonic by the end of a busy day. I also had time for some brief mingling with @debsgf, @LGolton, @bio_joe and I met @dawson_serena for the first time.
Apres ResearchEd2013 involved a glass of white wine outside The Crown & Greyhound pub in Dulwich Village with @rlj1981, @kitandrew1 and @danielharvey9, who was in AWE of the artisan bread shop he saw on the way to the pub. Whilst taking in our rather posh surroundings, we quickly agreed that 'artisan' meant more expensive. A place where most of your £10 notes is swallowed up purchasing two drinks is not for the likes of me. I know my place. :-)
Not to self for future journeys with @danielharvey9 - one bag of wine gums is NOT enough. Buy in triplicate next time.
N.B. Despite futiley playing 'Where's @oldandrewuk' no Batman sockes were spotted, although I did glance at a worring number of gentleman's ankles.
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Sunday, 9 June 2013
#TMEnglish 8th June 2013 Part 1
Saturday 8th June was the date of the inaugural #TMEnglish organised by Mark Miller, or @Goldfishbowlmm as he is more commonly known on Twitter.
1. Jennifer Webb @funkypedagogy
Spoken Word and Poetry Slam in school.
Chris had also arrived early and joined in the chatting with Chris C, Alex the chap whose name I forget *scratches head in frustration* before the presentations. So youthful looking was he, I thought he'd easily pass for one of my 6th formers.
2. Acknowledge, capture and confront anxieties openly with your students, get the sugar paper and big pens out!
3. Why teach it at all? Other than that it's on the National Curriculum, Old Bill's themes are universal and still applicable today.
4. Language and narrative, which is the most important? Well, both but you can get to the language via the narrative.
5. The play's the thing (That's me paraphrasing via Hamlet) - employ drama techniques, it's NOT a book!
A well told narrative told without dialogue. Narrative is structured via visual and aural codes.
Teaching students how to most effectively peer mark is also the key here.
3. Give the Wordled soliloquies to students, different soliloquies to different students
4. Tell them nothing about play, context etc
5. Ask them to go a hunting and see what patterns of language they can find (semantic fields or whatever else occurs to them)
6. Then provide them with Qs to stimulate discussion using, 'What might....' 'How could...' Who might...' as question stems to encourage hypothetical thinking (Extended Abstract)
7. Ask students what is the thematic link, if any, between both Wordles, then maybe drop in some clues about the play and the character speaking.
8. Hand out soliloquies and get students to 'sweep' focusing on exam steers of: linguistic, literary, rhetorical and spoken language features. (Covering Part A and Part B skills for AQA Lang Lit B exam).
7. Kerry Pulleyn @Kerrypulleyn
Using images to support the reading of complex poetry
Effective feedback: A taxonomy of errors via @Kevbartle and @CanonsOPP
The link to Andy's blog post is above so I won't regurgitate what he has produced. However, this presentation was a very useful walk-through of how Andy has 'magpied' an idea via Twitter and blogs, and more importantly, how he has adapted it to his way and his class.
What did I take from this?
A taxonomy of errors is something that I have done in the past, but not in such a well ordered, well structured and pupil friendly manner. A big long list of common errors (my original attempt) is about as useful as a chocolate tea-pot.
The organisation of common errors, into Easy Fixes, Moderate Fixes, Hard Fixes, Hardest Fixes focused on a specific exam question (or an Assessment Focus at KS3) is an efficient and purposeful way of providing very focused feedback.
Anything that saves time with marking and feedback has got to be good.
9. Chris Curtis @Xris32
Novel things to do with sentences
Chris, my travelling companion and blogging buddy, was the last to speak in this section. This was his first ever Teach Meet and lo and behold, he presented too! Mind you, he visibly gulped when he was introduced as the 'headline' speaker for this section, no pressure eh?
Chris's talk was a great walk-through of how he has taught pupils sentence structures explicitly whilst avoiding the tedium of the 'This is simple sentence, this is a compound sentence, this is a complext sentence' of the approaches began as as teachers.
What did I take from this?
http://learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/sense-and-sentences.html
Here endeth Part 1 of #TMEnglish 8th June 2013 - Part 1
Photo's have been swiped from Sam Bainbridge @beetlebug1's twitter page...hope you don't mind Sam!
I'd arranged to travel up via my blogging buddy Chris Curtis @Xris32. We spokeon Thursay post Chris's Deatheaters visit (he was surprisingly lucid) and more or less figured out I'd need a 6am get up to get to Chris's for 8am. I weeped a little and then got quite excited for the day ahead. After a little detour to Leeds University, the WRONG location, we arrived at the correct one, which was Leeds West Academy. Thanks to Alex Quigley for tweeting me the correct post code.
The weather was sunny, yes SUNNY even though we were Oop North, and we arrived at around 9.30 am in glorious sunshine at a very lovely, sparkly new school building that is Leeds West Academy. Both of us come from quite dilapidated schools so Chris and I wondered through this building in awe. We had SERIOUS school building envy.
We eventually arrived at the dining hall, which looked more like a continental bistro than any school dining hall I'd been in and met with Mark, Alex Quigley (was much nicer to meet him in a non-interview situation!) and a chap whose name has escaped me. #facepalm. Later on a gaggle of chic twitter ladies strolled up and the gathering was almost complete.
What follows is that rather peculiar meeting of people you have tweeted with for weeks, if not months, and putting the real life entity to the tweacher. Kerry Pulleyn, Ann Williams and Jennifer Webb found me, hugged me and the ice was well and truly broken.
Now the scene is set, on with the important bit. The Teach Meet!
Key Note: Alex Quigley
Alex's opening to his keynote was quite surprising. It began with a picture of Bach's Rescue Remedy, a murmur of muffled recognition trickled around the room whilst we could all picture Tom Bennett choking on his coffee. The image was in reference to the 'crutches' we employ to deal with deep felt anxieties about public speaking, as well as the day to day stresses of our job. Stresses that have increased in the past 18 months.
The nub of Alex's speech was about why English teaching in particular is of great importance; about how it enables growth in confidence of our pupils AND its teachers; how deliberate practice, blogging and the Trojan Mouse approach to CPD that is Teach Meets, are the key to being even better at what we do, because we're worth it! 1. Jennifer Webb @funkypedagogy
Spoken Word and Poetry Slam in school.
Jennifer provided an inspiring insight into how she had introduced Poetry Slam to a wide range of pupils at her Academy; most noticeably engaging young disaffected boys in the writing of truly meaningful, moving and marvellous poetry. Rather than re-narrate, here is her blog post:
What did I take away from this?
Well, admiration for Jennifer's ray of sunshine delivery, confidence, and down-right bubbling enthusiasm for her pupils, as well as observing how this extra-curricular club enables real, honest, earthy, intrinsic engagement with English; how collaboration fosters confidence in Slam Club members ,and that poetry is a living and breathing entity, kept alive, big time, by these pupils.
2. Charlotte Wright @commahound
Contolled Assessment kits for NQTs
Talk about well prepared! Charlotte introduced her talk by reminding us of the importance of the kind of support NQTs need, and most value, in that demanding first year in the classroom. Then, without further ado, like Mary Poppins Charlotte delved deep into her big hand-bag and handed out her Controlled Assesment Kits for NQTs based on the Creative Writing task (for AQA) using Miss. Havisham and Great Expectations as a stimulus. The resources consisted of:
- a sheet of related images
- extracts of Dicken's description of Miss. Havisham from Great Expectations
- A mark scheme grid
- Sheets of useful vocabulary (literacy base covered there!)
- Examplars of task to peer assess
We were asked to look through the material, and on a post card, suggest how we would add to it, our twitter handles and then we were sent off to pass our ideas onto someone we had not yet spoken to. I happened to find @TrueEnglish365 who was scoring the Word Challenge game (who can get a random word into their presentation the best?)
What did I take from this?
The idea of a 'Kit' is universally useful all faculty members, regardless of experience, and 'crowd sourcing' ideas for improvement and differentiation is the most efficient way to assemble what would become a very comprehensive and innovative Scheme of Work or Scheme of Learning (whatever you prefer to call it).
3. Chris Read @c_j_read
KS3 Shakespeare
Chris had also arrived early and joined in the chatting with Chris C, Alex the chap whose name I forget *scratches head in frustration* before the presentations. So youthful looking was he, I thought he'd easily pass for one of my 6th formers.
Now, young Chris's audience was rammed full of mostly experienced teachers with a decade or so under their belts, sprinkled with a few NQTS and PGCE students. His talk was delivered with real confidence wit and aplomb.
Useful reminders from Chris were:
1. DON'T start with context - but instead get them intrigued by the story, discuss it as appropriate when appropriate, more of a drip feed approach2. Acknowledge, capture and confront anxieties openly with your students, get the sugar paper and big pens out!
3. Why teach it at all? Other than that it's on the National Curriculum, Old Bill's themes are universal and still applicable today.
4. Language and narrative, which is the most important? Well, both but you can get to the language via the narrative.
5. The play's the thing (That's me paraphrasing via Hamlet) - employ drama techniques, it's NOT a book!
Useful recommendation from Chris was to use resources from Active English (same company who got Gove's goat with Active History and Mr. Men-gate, all the more reason to give it a go!).
What did I take from it?
The reminders above were just as useful for a long in the tooth teacher, as we can get mired in the evils of Government and school politics at times. I liked being reminded of the fun, yes FUN we can have teaching Shakespeare's texts to younger pupils. Plus, viewing things from the point of view of a bright eyed and bushy tailed young teacher was timely. I thought this was especially useful to the NQTs and PGCE students present. Teaching Shakespeare as a new teacher and be terribly intimidating.
4. Kate Walstenholme
3 Short Movie Clips that always work.
Kate, another newbie TM presenter (who also delivered her presentation with confident aplomb) provided us with a useful mini-guide to short film clips an animations that can stimulate debate, writing, analysis (as you see fit). Another well prepared lady with a useful handout, which I think Chris Curtis snaffled, there ore I shall embed this short film, The Black Hole, that Kate introduced us to:
A well told narrative told without dialogue. Narrative is structured via visual and aural codes.
What did I take from this?
Well, my brain is whirring about how to use this clip in Media Studies classes e.g. to teach the 'value' of diagetic and non-diagetic sound to narrative; a means of revising camera shot, angle and movement; use of mise-en-scene to create a coherent tone and atmosphere; use it to find pupil's moral compass (linking to texts like An Inspector Calls and Of Mice and Men) and so on. Thank you Kate!
5. Charlotte Unsworth @Miss_tiggr
Blogging for Feedback
A wonderfully well prepared newbie TM presenter, taking us through her journey of using Blogs with her students, much like Chris Waugh @Edu_Tronic she is essentially replacing exercise books with using blogs frequently with her pupils. Particular benefits were the use of peer critique via the comments section upon each other's blogs. This initially began with the typical 'That's great, LOL' comments, however with Charlotte's guidance the students have provided each other with hugely detailed comments that were very Berger-esque - kind, fair and specific, which had enabled each students to improve their work often and brilliantly.
What did I take from this?
Blogging with pupils is clearly the way forward and that, as Charlotte advocated, Wordpress is the platform. It is foolish NOT to be engaging with this writing platform, however, I do wonder how are IT support would view it. (I'll not embellish!).Teaching students how to most effectively peer mark is also the key here.
6. Me! Eek
Using Wordles with A2 Language and literature students:
Soliloquies
Oh I really was fighting nervous adrenaline here! Evil stuff, that adrenaline. What I'll do is do a really concise summary and follow it up later with a more detailed blog post.
1. Source texts were 2 soliloquies: 'Is this a dagger..' from Macbeth and 'To be or not to be..' from Hamlet
2. Both were placed into Wordle and beautiful word clouds were generated3. Give the Wordled soliloquies to students, different soliloquies to different students
4. Tell them nothing about play, context etc
5. Ask them to go a hunting and see what patterns of language they can find (semantic fields or whatever else occurs to them)
6. Then provide them with Qs to stimulate discussion using, 'What might....' 'How could...' Who might...' as question stems to encourage hypothetical thinking (Extended Abstract)
7. Ask students what is the thematic link, if any, between both Wordles, then maybe drop in some clues about the play and the character speaking.
8. Hand out soliloquies and get students to 'sweep' focusing on exam steers of: linguistic, literary, rhetorical and spoken language features. (Covering Part A and Part B skills for AQA Lang Lit B exam).
Note to self:
Before you present, DO the breathing exercises as taught to you by CBT man so you CAN get the words out and, to coin Alex Quigley, NOT self-sabotage. Using images to support the reading of complex poetry
Kerry has clearly caught the whole Teach Meet bug after attending @lisajaneashes most recent pedagoo event, and who can blame her?
The image above shows Kerry's example of how she introduced 'The Laboratory' to her pupils, minus the text and using the combination of images and a KWL grid to unleash some inqusitiveness and curiosity in her pupils.
Next, Kerry showed as a series of images on a slide based on 'The Lady of Shallott':
Here the images are placed in non-linear order so that students can see if they can assemble a narrative from them. This would make a great creative writing stimulus, prior to reading the poem, wouldn't it?
Another great idea Kerry showed us was to 'create a mystery' based on the text you are teaching, pupils have to solve the mystery. I loved this ideas and I'm glad I've just reminded myself of this!
What did I take from this?
I recognised what Kerry was doing immediately, because I have often done exactly the same myself; for example showing a picture of The Garden of Eden prior to reading 'Of Mice and Men' or an illustration of 'Hansel and Gretel' prior to reading 'The Landlady' by Roald Dahl' so was comforted by the fact the Kerry had done similar. *wipes brow*
I really loved Kerry's solve the mystery idea, mainly because it was so easily applicable across all kinds of text, not just poetry. It encourages the all important use of deductive thinking which then enable pupils to use inference and deduction when reading complex texts.
8.. Andy Sammons @amsammons
Effective feedback: A taxonomy of errors via @Kevbartle and @CanonsOPP
The link to Andy's blog post is above so I won't regurgitate what he has produced. However, this presentation was a very useful walk-through of how Andy has 'magpied' an idea via Twitter and blogs, and more importantly, how he has adapted it to his way and his class.
What did I take from this?
A taxonomy of errors is something that I have done in the past, but not in such a well ordered, well structured and pupil friendly manner. A big long list of common errors (my original attempt) is about as useful as a chocolate tea-pot.
The organisation of common errors, into Easy Fixes, Moderate Fixes, Hard Fixes, Hardest Fixes focused on a specific exam question (or an Assessment Focus at KS3) is an efficient and purposeful way of providing very focused feedback.
Anything that saves time with marking and feedback has got to be good.
9. Chris Curtis @Xris32
Novel things to do with sentences
Chris, my travelling companion and blogging buddy, was the last to speak in this section. This was his first ever Teach Meet and lo and behold, he presented too! Mind you, he visibly gulped when he was introduced as the 'headline' speaker for this section, no pressure eh?
Chris's talk was a great walk-through of how he has taught pupils sentence structures explicitly whilst avoiding the tedium of the 'This is simple sentence, this is a compound sentence, this is a complext sentence' of the approaches began as as teachers.
What did I take from this?
- Provide pupils with exemplar structures that they can experiment with
- Teaching varied and efficient use of sentence structures improves their analytical writing
- Swipe interesting sentence structures from a wide range of texts - let the students have a go
- Teaching sentence is not as tricky as you think, but so necessary. This link to his blog post for this presentation, is below:
http://learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/sense-and-sentences.html
Here endeth Part 1 of #TMEnglish 8th June 2013 - Part 1
Photo's have been swiped from Sam Bainbridge @beetlebug1's twitter page...hope you don't mind Sam!
Sunday, 2 June 2013
#Nurture1213 review
1. Find, what is 'The Holy Grail' for me, which is a better work/life balance. I have been teaching 10 years and never really got the balance right, as a consequence, my mental and physical health has suffered.
Hmmm, well Ofsted inspection in December resulting in a Category 4 grading has scuppered this a tad. Must try harder. I have 7 weeks left!
2. Read more pedagogical literature and, more importantly, act upon the advice that speaks to me.
I have purchased and partially read Zoe Elder's 'Full on Learning' - sorry it's not finished Zoe, it deserves full concentration. Lots to take in.
Plus Jim Smith's 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' - love it, many ideas easy to implement. Am a big fan of the meta: starters, main-courses and desserts.
3. Establish a Teaching and Learning blog for my department which will have a positive effect on the department's teaching and learning as well as my own. Eventually, I'd like to do the same for the whole school. (Suggestions for names for our Dept' blog very welcome, I am currently stumped. Advice about how to run it, also welcome).
Update 31/12/12 - @HuntingEnglish and @Eductronic_Net have proffered good advice and offered more for help for this aim.
Right, I set this up a while ago, then Ofsted and depression have left it dangling. I'll motor on this this half term.
4. To be able to recognise when I am responsible and accountable for my own success, rather than attribute it to luck or other people. Here I need to practice what I preach to my pupils and accept that to 'Fail again. Fail better.' (Beckett) is what leads to success and break the 'mind-forged manacles' (Blake) of my fear of failure. This is one of the many things that will help me see off The Black Dog.
Some improvement here thanks to my CBT sessions, which have basically trained me not to mentally self-flagellate like some ridiculous martyr. I am being a little kinder to myself.
5. To learn something entirely new and for utterly selfish and not work related reasons. This will feed my soul much better than I am doing at the moment. I am currently into my 'overdraft' as far as my inner health goes. This can and must change. I've always like the idea of learning to dance, thank you Strictly Come Dancing.
Update 31/12/12 - Via Joel Hicks' (male model and fundraiser extraordinaire) Facebook page I have got in contact with people who run dance classes. They start the second week of the new year and I don't need a partner to go with me (a big thing that has stopped me before).
Started Ceroc dancing a term ago. Love it! Great dance to learn and lovely people. It died a death this half term due to, well, exhaustion, but I WILL get back on the dancing wagon ASAP.
6. To always make time for my friends. I don't always get this right. I have chosen my friends well and they are wonderful people. Time with them is time very well spent.
Update 31/12/12 - off to a better start here too. I had a meal with my local friends on Saturday 29th December. Good food, great company and lots of laughter. More of the same needed!
7. To phone my mum more often and be able to tell her how I feel, and to be able to talk about how she feels too. I contain my feelings and bury them to the extent I can't retrieve them or discuss them with other people, which is to avoid what I think may burden them. Mum always offers, I'm rubbish at taking her up on it.
Thankfully an improvement here, we are talking much more openly and I can articulate feelings a little better. Still room for improvement - isn't there always?
8. Have the courage to make some small, and then big changes in my life. This may involve getting a shower installed or throwing in the towel of house ownership; meeting new people; buying some more dresses, or even a change of job - by that I mean some form of promotion. This may even involve, with some courage, good luck and a following wind, include my de-singlification (made-up word).
Update 31/12/12 - Here I have made several marginal gains!
I have stuck around, she's seen us through a very turbulent patch. I have emailed all teachers a 'Teacher's toolkit' of ideas swiped from Twitter and the above mentioned books, 'She said it was brilliant'. I also delivered my first ever assembly to Yr 11, vibrating with nerves, and she put a lovely thank you card in my pigeon hole the next day.
10. To be able to use my dolphin like swimming capabilities to good use, in some sort of sponsored, long distance, open water swim or do the swimming leg in a some kind of team triathlon.
Update 31/12/12 @Edutronic-Net and @_MrsThatcher_ have suggested I found out about open water swims on greatswim.org - brilliant, thank you! Now, to get a wetsuit!
Nope, not yet but I HAVE found someone to do an The Great North swim with next year - a lovely AHT who I used to work with.
11. Make sure I go back to Pembrokeshire, to visit my friends and bask in what is clearly a jewel of the British Isles. It was much like going back to Middle Earth's Hobbiton; brim full of the same quirks and charms.
Nope, not managed this yet, but there is still time!
12. Keep up my girlie days out in Birmingham with my friend Lisa and hopefully come with her down to Cornwall again. It was a heavenly patch in our last Summer holiday. Cornwall was magical and her family were just awesome.
Update 31/12/12 - Our first one of the year is set for 5th January 2013 before we lurch back to school. Long may they continue!
A definite WIN. Next one is due in mid June. We also went to Dublin together for a long weekend. We didn't bicker once, our friendship was tested and passed! Down to Cornwall with Lisa again in the last week of the summer hols this year too.
13. To maintain all these many Twitter tweacher relationships I've established so far; continue to share and collaborate with these wonderful people; meet many more and perhaps, just perhaps, find the chutzpah to actually present at a Teach Meet.
Update 31/12/12 The subsequent blog post documents all the lovely, warm and welcoming invitations I've had from many Tweachers to visit their schools. As Jean-Luc Picard would say - make it so!
Another definite win! I have presented at #TMCoventry and #TMBrum, the latter was the most TERRIFYING as @kevbartle is witness too. Like a lovely big brother I never had, he sat next to me before I presented. I'm convinced he could feel and hear my pulse quicken as the time drew near. I presented without too much Muppetry and then he held my hand as I sat back down, aiding my pulse rate to lower down from 'full blown hysteria' to 'mild panic' then something approaching normality. Next one is #TMEnglish in Leeds next weekend. Gulp. (Note to self, must prepare presentation!)
Again, thanks to Kev, I got HORRIFICALLY drunk at a tweet up we had in the Easter hols in 'sunny' Watford. Beware, I like an arm wrestle when I've had a few. @ieshasmall @MrPalomar1 and @HeyMisssmith are witnesses.
Next up and end of term tweet up with @beetlebug1 and a 'we're nearly there' tweet up with @chocotzar. Go me! Thanks Twitter!
Hmmm, well Ofsted inspection in December resulting in a Category 4 grading has scuppered this a tad. Must try harder. I have 7 weeks left!
2. Read more pedagogical literature and, more importantly, act upon the advice that speaks to me.
I have purchased and partially read Zoe Elder's 'Full on Learning' - sorry it's not finished Zoe, it deserves full concentration. Lots to take in.
Plus Jim Smith's 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' - love it, many ideas easy to implement. Am a big fan of the meta: starters, main-courses and desserts.
3. Establish a Teaching and Learning blog for my department which will have a positive effect on the department's teaching and learning as well as my own. Eventually, I'd like to do the same for the whole school. (Suggestions for names for our Dept' blog very welcome, I am currently stumped. Advice about how to run it, also welcome).
Update 31/12/12 - @HuntingEnglish and @Eductronic_Net have proffered good advice and offered more for help for this aim.
Right, I set this up a while ago, then Ofsted and depression have left it dangling. I'll motor on this this half term.
4. To be able to recognise when I am responsible and accountable for my own success, rather than attribute it to luck or other people. Here I need to practice what I preach to my pupils and accept that to 'Fail again. Fail better.' (Beckett) is what leads to success and break the 'mind-forged manacles' (Blake) of my fear of failure. This is one of the many things that will help me see off The Black Dog.
Some improvement here thanks to my CBT sessions, which have basically trained me not to mentally self-flagellate like some ridiculous martyr. I am being a little kinder to myself.
5. To learn something entirely new and for utterly selfish and not work related reasons. This will feed my soul much better than I am doing at the moment. I am currently into my 'overdraft' as far as my inner health goes. This can and must change. I've always like the idea of learning to dance, thank you Strictly Come Dancing.
Update 31/12/12 - Via Joel Hicks' (male model and fundraiser extraordinaire) Facebook page I have got in contact with people who run dance classes. They start the second week of the new year and I don't need a partner to go with me (a big thing that has stopped me before).
Started Ceroc dancing a term ago. Love it! Great dance to learn and lovely people. It died a death this half term due to, well, exhaustion, but I WILL get back on the dancing wagon ASAP.
6. To always make time for my friends. I don't always get this right. I have chosen my friends well and they are wonderful people. Time with them is time very well spent.
Update 31/12/12 - off to a better start here too. I had a meal with my local friends on Saturday 29th December. Good food, great company and lots of laughter. More of the same needed!
7. To phone my mum more often and be able to tell her how I feel, and to be able to talk about how she feels too. I contain my feelings and bury them to the extent I can't retrieve them or discuss them with other people, which is to avoid what I think may burden them. Mum always offers, I'm rubbish at taking her up on it.
Thankfully an improvement here, we are talking much more openly and I can articulate feelings a little better. Still room for improvement - isn't there always?
8. Have the courage to make some small, and then big changes in my life. This may involve getting a shower installed or throwing in the towel of house ownership; meeting new people; buying some more dresses, or even a change of job - by that I mean some form of promotion. This may even involve, with some courage, good luck and a following wind, include my de-singlification (made-up word).
Update 31/12/12 - Here I have made several marginal gains!
- Bought and worn dresses to work, for first time in a decade (mentioned above), so come pay day, another dress was ordered!
- Bought and worn a pair of skinny jeans for the first time. As long as the top is long enough, and heels are worn, they look quite good!
- I tried scallops, anchovies and fillet steak for the first time when out with my friends (mentioned above).
- I have had the same hair cut for a good few years. Today I was brave and had a new one. The picture was posted on Facebook on Twitter and I had so many lovely comments!
- Post #neighbourgate scandal, I blew some insurance money on more new clothes, with colour. More pretty dresses! If only the weather would perk up!
I have stuck around, she's seen us through a very turbulent patch. I have emailed all teachers a 'Teacher's toolkit' of ideas swiped from Twitter and the above mentioned books, 'She said it was brilliant'. I also delivered my first ever assembly to Yr 11, vibrating with nerves, and she put a lovely thank you card in my pigeon hole the next day.
10. To be able to use my dolphin like swimming capabilities to good use, in some sort of sponsored, long distance, open water swim or do the swimming leg in a some kind of team triathlon.
Update 31/12/12 @Edutronic-Net and @_MrsThatcher_ have suggested I found out about open water swims on greatswim.org - brilliant, thank you! Now, to get a wetsuit!
Nope, not yet but I HAVE found someone to do an The Great North swim with next year - a lovely AHT who I used to work with.
11. Make sure I go back to Pembrokeshire, to visit my friends and bask in what is clearly a jewel of the British Isles. It was much like going back to Middle Earth's Hobbiton; brim full of the same quirks and charms.
Nope, not managed this yet, but there is still time!
12. Keep up my girlie days out in Birmingham with my friend Lisa and hopefully come with her down to Cornwall again. It was a heavenly patch in our last Summer holiday. Cornwall was magical and her family were just awesome.
Update 31/12/12 - Our first one of the year is set for 5th January 2013 before we lurch back to school. Long may they continue!
A definite WIN. Next one is due in mid June. We also went to Dublin together for a long weekend. We didn't bicker once, our friendship was tested and passed! Down to Cornwall with Lisa again in the last week of the summer hols this year too.
13. To maintain all these many Twitter tweacher relationships I've established so far; continue to share and collaborate with these wonderful people; meet many more and perhaps, just perhaps, find the chutzpah to actually present at a Teach Meet.
Update 31/12/12 The subsequent blog post documents all the lovely, warm and welcoming invitations I've had from many Tweachers to visit their schools. As Jean-Luc Picard would say - make it so!
Another definite win! I have presented at #TMCoventry and #TMBrum, the latter was the most TERRIFYING as @kevbartle is witness too. Like a lovely big brother I never had, he sat next to me before I presented. I'm convinced he could feel and hear my pulse quicken as the time drew near. I presented without too much Muppetry and then he held my hand as I sat back down, aiding my pulse rate to lower down from 'full blown hysteria' to 'mild panic' then something approaching normality. Next one is #TMEnglish in Leeds next weekend. Gulp. (Note to self, must prepare presentation!)
Again, thanks to Kev, I got HORRIFICALLY drunk at a tweet up we had in the Easter hols in 'sunny' Watford. Beware, I like an arm wrestle when I've had a few. @ieshasmall @MrPalomar1 and @HeyMisssmith are witnesses.
Next up and end of term tweet up with @beetlebug1 and a 'we're nearly there' tweet up with @chocotzar. Go me! Thanks Twitter!
Thursday, 30 May 2013
#BlogSyncJune It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it
Part of June #Blogsync, to read more nuggets of great explanations, click here.
This is little more of an anecdote of one of those magic moments that are really rather unique to teaching, that I don't think would occur in any other place than in our classrooms. In these hard times, it is ridiculously easy to lose sight of why became teachers in the first instance. I know I didn't join this trying profession for the money (if you did, more fool you), the status (we are ridiculed by the press on an almost weekly basis, what status?) or to manufacture data for league tables and Ofsted.
This little anecdote comes from my Year 7 class. They are, without doubt an interesting bunch. They are the top set in the year group, however, do not be fooled into thinking it's a doddle being their teacher. For example, in the last week of the half term, I had at least 5 reports to sign each lesson. The class contains two of the most diffucult boys in the whole year group. It contained a third but after something like 39 forms of exclusion within two terms, he is now seeking another school that will take him. This leaves the other 'naughties' [I know, it's rubbish to label pupils, but I hope you know what I mean by this term] much more pliable and less likely to act up.
We are reading, and thoroughly enjoying 'Holes' by Louis Sachar. I have taught this novel since I was an NQT and I adore it. The class really take to it and we share the reading of the book by having various narrators, pupils reading out the character parts (honing their reading of speech punctuation and having to read a little ahead to anticipate their dialogue) and most of the class are involved.
The lesson revolved around making connections between Stanley Yelnats and Elya Yelnats, Stanley's ancestor. After starting the lesson with a 3, 2, 1 activity e.g.
Write down 3 things that Stanley and Elya have in common
Write down 2 questions you would like to ask Elya
Choose 1 of your questions to answer, in role, as Elya
I paused the lesson to use a 'meta main course' swiped from @thelazyteacher (Jim Smith) 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' along the lines of, 'What connections have you made so far?'
Most of the class were beavering away, helping each other devise responses to the questions and my gorgeous girls debating what to write down in their responses. I sauntered over to the back of the classroom and spotted a lad who hadn't really done a fat lot of work. He has more than a passing resemblance to one of the leads in 'Son of Rambow':
This is little more of an anecdote of one of those magic moments that are really rather unique to teaching, that I don't think would occur in any other place than in our classrooms. In these hard times, it is ridiculously easy to lose sight of why became teachers in the first instance. I know I didn't join this trying profession for the money (if you did, more fool you), the status (we are ridiculed by the press on an almost weekly basis, what status?) or to manufacture data for league tables and Ofsted.
Apologies if this video clip makes you feel ancient
We are reading, and thoroughly enjoying 'Holes' by Louis Sachar. I have taught this novel since I was an NQT and I adore it. The class really take to it and we share the reading of the book by having various narrators, pupils reading out the character parts (honing their reading of speech punctuation and having to read a little ahead to anticipate their dialogue) and most of the class are involved.
The lesson revolved around making connections between Stanley Yelnats and Elya Yelnats, Stanley's ancestor. After starting the lesson with a 3, 2, 1 activity e.g.
Write down 3 things that Stanley and Elya have in common
Write down 2 questions you would like to ask Elya
Choose 1 of your questions to answer, in role, as Elya
I paused the lesson to use a 'meta main course' swiped from @thelazyteacher (Jim Smith) 'The Lazy Teacher's Handbook' along the lines of, 'What connections have you made so far?'
Most of the class were beavering away, helping each other devise responses to the questions and my gorgeous girls debating what to write down in their responses. I sauntered over to the back of the classroom and spotted a lad who hadn't really done a fat lot of work. He has more than a passing resemblance to one of the leads in 'Son of Rambow':
His temperament and personality also seem quite similar, quiet, reserved, wide-eyed and innocent and sometimes, just not quite with it. He just wasn't sure what I was looking for. So, we began a discussion about links and their purpose in a novel. This will be a paraphrased version of our conversation, as it happened a couple of weeks ago.
I began by taking off my necklace and dangling it in front of him:
A digression: This chain is a Clogau Gold piece, one of the few pieces I have left after the #neighbourgate burglary scandal. I still have it because I wear it every day for work. If I had not, the so and sos would have nicked it and sold it too.
Me: So, look at this chain, you have the 'heart' and the 'T-bar'. What else do you notice?
Pupil: The links Miss.
Me: Good, what if the 'heart' is the start of the novel, and the 'T-bar' is the end. What can you see now?
Pupil: It all links together Miss.
Me: Well done. (I lay the chain on the desk in a straight line) So, all the links are in a straight line, what kind of book what that be? Would you enjoy readiing it?
Pupil: Oh, I see, well no, not much.
Me: Why?
Pupil: It doesn't look very insteresting. (Meanwhile, a lightbulb begins to glow over his head)
(I moved the chain into a meandering snake, like a river, much like this:)
Me: Look at the chain, now, now what do you notice?
Pupil: The links don't have to be in a straight line, but they are still all linked to together. The beginning and the end still link up. This would be a better book. (The lightbulb over his head grows brighter).
Me: Good. (I then cover up a section of the chain like this:)
Me: Now, what happens when the writer deliberately covers up or obscures some of the links in the chain?
Pupil: Ohhhhhhhh! (Light bulb is at full wattage), Ohhhh I get it now!
(Meanwhile I beam at him, his friend listens in, intrigued).
Me: Brilliant, what are you getting? Tell me!
Pupil: The writer makes the reader do more work by covering parts of the story up, it makes it a better book.
Me: Lovely! Why does this make it a better book or narrative? What about the start and the end of the chain or novel?
Pupil: Well, the straight chain would just be boring, there is nothing for the reader to do. No matter what direction the story takes, everything must link together so the start and the end makes sense, that the reader is statisfied.
Me: So, now, what kind of links do YOU notice between Stanley and Elya Yelnats? Tell me, WHY you think these links are in the novel? Why DON'T we have all the links in the chain just yet?
Pupil: Ok, got it now Miss. (So, off he and his desk buddy went, seeking out links in the text so far, and discussing their purpose for the reader).
Needless to say, this little conversation, the questions, the use of the necklace as a prop were not in my lesson plan.
When I have these conversations with an individual pupil, they are later on discussed with the whole class. The pupil is given the opportunity to narrate THEIR thinking in the conversation, which then prompts others to contribute. The class (along with a good few more of my pupils) are now beginning to use analogies to explain their thinking.
*Inserts cheesy music to less than subtley illustrate my point*
We must remember that these light-bulb moments; our ability to improvise and think on our feet; enabling the pupil to 'get it' in a profound way: this IS why work ourselves into the ground; this IS why so many of us strive to get better and better; this IS why learning - both theirs and ours, IS a real pleasure in life. It is what keeps the teacher heart beating, and our teacher souls breathing. Not, Mr. Govearaurus-rex, performance related pay.
*End of William Wallace style rally cry*
Epilogue
The class have just loved reading this book, which means I've loved teaching it all over again. As the novel progressed a little further, I repeated the 'chain' explanation with the whole class - quite fiddly to manipulate the chain in hands, talk and make sense all at the same time I have to tell you. (A moment when a visualiser would have been REALLY useful). However, as the explanation and questionning progrossed jusing my favourite word 'might' within, the light-bulbs lit up across the whole room. Lovely.
As the reading the novel has progressed, I have referred back to 'links in the narrative chain' when questinning, thus providing a regular semantic link to that explanation. Always SUGGESTING a link is present, but no more than that. This leads onto that lovely, 'Oh, oh, oh I've got one Miss!' gasps of recognition as the eager Year 7 hand bursts up and flaps around with enthusiasm. Bet I couldn't have done all this with an inspector in the room....
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