Changing teaching – Post Covid-19
Changing behaviours and routines after lockdown Covid-19 will change our behaviours and our routines across every aspect of school life. After having conversations with several teachers in recent weeks I’ve […]
Working from home – retrieval practice
Retrieval practice ideas This is an easy edit for your institution resource. Simple ideas which learners who are working from home over the coming weeks can use to help them […]
#Assessment Sliding scales
This is an easy to make/deliver assessment tool which encourages learners to self assess a range of learning aspects.
#Assessment – test it
“Right or wrong you can learn from the test.” Nutshell Setting regular tests for your learners and making sure you share the test answers afterwards! How to do this Testing […]
#Assessment – Big questions
“Hands up if you…” Nutshell Allow learners to put up their hands to answer a question. Sometimes this method does have a use! How to do this This is a […]
#Assessment – Colour cards
An easy way to snapshot whole class progress and understanding.
#Assessment – www/EBI
A quick and easy assessment idea you can make use of in any lesson. Nutshell: Have learners reflect on what has gone well and what they would have improved their […]
100 Ideas: Diamond thinking
Give learners nine elements of a topic and ask them to rank them in the shape of a diamond: one element at the top and one at the bottom of the shape.
100 Ideas: Fact sheets
Fact sheets This is idea No. 75 in the book! Book extract: Learners are challenged to demonstrate their existing knowledge and build new knowledge in order to create a fact […]
100 Ideas: Nuggets with a source
Give students time to interview (speed-date style) their classmates to collect ten nuggets of knowledge on a topic on their worksheet. See the online resources for a template. You might find it useful to rearrange the layout of your classroom to facilitate this activity.
100 Ideas: A to Z
A to Z of your subject This is idea No. 65 in the book! Book extract: Start the lesson by giving each student an A to Z sheet that has […]
100 Ideas: Self-marking frame
Self-marking frame This is idea No. 58 in the book! Book extract: Challenge your learners to self-mark usingan A3 sheet of paper. Around the edge of the sheet you attach […]
100 Ideas: Snakes, ladders and challenge cards
Challenge your learners to create their own board game at the end of a unit of study or a term. The game can be loosely based on snakes and ladders (i.e. they move spaces based on a throw of a dice).
100 Ideas: Throw the dice
Throw the dice This is idea No. 47 in the book! Book extract: Challenge your learners to make a dice and accompanying game. Once completed the learners get to play […]
100 Ideas: Dingbats
Challenge learners in pairs or small groups to solve the dingbats you display on your board.
100 Ideas: Guess who?
Set up a Guess Who? board. Students work in pairs and pose a series of questions to knock down cards they can identify.
100 Ideas: Memorise this
 Memorise this… This is idea No. 13 in the book! Book extract: You need a minimum of a three-slide presentation for this. Slide one shows the things you want […]
100 Ideas: Snowball questioning
One way to develop stronger answers is to employ the snowball questioning technique.
100 Ideas: Tutor time news quiz
News Quiz This is idea No. 17 in the book! Book extract: Tutor time sometimes feels unstructured. Once you’ve done the register and sorted some of the uniform issues, you […]
100 Ideas: Build a strong case
Build a strong case… This is idea No. 35 in the book! Book extract: You know those colour swatches you can pick up in DIY stores? Well, here’s another use […]
100 Ideas: Match of the day
This activity is about challenging learners to vocalise their understanding of topics, concepts and subject vocabulary.
Book shelf: Making Good Progress? The future of Assessment for Learning
This is a fascinating read, I'd recommend every teacher to read it but most certainly middle and more senior leaders!
100 Ideas: Litmus marking
For this you can use a visual colour scale (you might think of a litmus test colour chart or those colour swatches you see in DIY stores). Learners will then follow criteria you give them and select a colour level as their feedback to either themselves if self-marking or a peer if peer-marking.
100 ideas: Brain Bingo
If you know bingo you’ll get this straight away. You create a bingo card that has the answers to a series of questions on it.
100 Ideas: Hexagon challenges
A fun, engaging way of providing different challenges to each learner in a class. This works really well with Key Stage 3 classes. I’ve seen this idea adapted in many ways by wonderfully creative teachers!
Questioning to assess learning
Questioning to support assessment I was asked this question on twitter recently: How can one use questioning and feedback to contribute to the assessment process? @tips4teachingUK — Aqsalogic (@aqsalogic) February […]
Would you record yourself to aid reflection?
Would you record yourself teaching to help you reflect? Do you have a mobile device with you in class? (iPad, chrome book, phone) If you do have one, have you […]
Using a computer room
Booking a Computer room might seem like the answer to the end of your stressful week but as with all things in teaching, if you fail to plan you plan […]
How to successfully reflect on your teaching
Reflecting on your own practice is not always easy. When you’ve had a bad day, for example, the last thing you want to do is reflect and think ‘Where did […]
Documenting your standards
NQT/ITT programmes vary from institution to institution. Keeping on top of your standards evidence remains a worry for many NQTs and Trainees. For reference check out the Government NQT standards […]
Podcast 5: Youth work, the missing piece of the whole child puzzle?
This is a really personal episode for me, I interview my brother who is a Youth Worker for a charity in the North East of England.
4 Safeguarding tips
Safeguarding is a critical part of what we do as teachers. It is the responsibility of every member of staff in school to report safeguarding concerns (teacher or not). Safeguarding […]
4 ways to develop your subject knowledge this year
Here are 4 tips to help you develop your subject knowledge this year...
Giving praise
As teachers we can spend a lot of our time dealing with behaviour that falls short of our expectations, and we can actually fall out of the habit of giving […]
4 Ideas to help you make more of Subject Specific Vocabulary
Using subject specific vocabulary often is key...
Sticky note assessment tools
4 assessment tips that make use of sticky notes 1. The sticky starter Give each student a sticky note as they walk into your room; on the board have the […]
Get Coding – book review
“Code your own website, app and game and develop real coding skills in this fun guide to coding for beginners” Get Coding – from Walker Books This is firstly a […]
pi-top resource for computer science
Sometimes exciting resources grab your attention! I was flattered to be asked to run a workshop at the recent EdTech Podcast Festival and had the absolute pleasure of meeting the […]
Computer Science Education week (5 – 9 Dec 2018)
This week is Computer Science in Education Week! Yes it’s an American thing but it promotes Computer Science so I’m all in! In my classes we’ve had a look at […]
Lego league robotics and problem solving activities
Competition breeds creativity The Lego league competition is an international competition, students all around the world take part in this every year. Last year was my first introduction to the […]
Creative Computer Science Books…Coder Academy
This is a great book for girls and boys (Primary or absolute beginner at Secondary level). It introduces the reader to jobs in Computer Science
Ada Lovelace Day (October 9th)
Do you know who Ada Lovelace is? Did you know she was instrumental in the invention of the modern computer? Did you know she was a close friend and collaborator with Charles Babbage?
Variables: how to explain them
Variables have a value which the creator can assign, meaning they can vary from program to program depending on what is needed. That make sense? When I first taught variables […]
Algorithms: how to explain them
I like to start by telling learners that this is a genius word! If you can confidently go home tonight and explain what an algorithm is people will think you’ve […]
1 quick way to start a lesson with a challenge
An easy to deliver challenge for the start of any lesson. All you need are two different coloured sticky notes and a ppt slide. As students enter your room hand […]
4 steps to help you innovate this year
It is always a pleasure to be invited to write for Innovate My School. My latest feature focuses on how to develop the mindset of an innovator and how to […]
Podcast 4: The Wider Arts Picture
In this episode of Teacher Talk Laura and Paul talk with Drew, a new Assistant Head Teacher with responsibility for the Arts ‘big picture’. Listen and subscribe now via your […]
Getting September Ready: Stretch and challenge Slips
Stretch and Challenge is right at the top of my ‘must tackle’ list this year! With that in mind I created these little Stretch and Challenge slips! I’m a bit […]
4 ideas to help you explore mindfulness
What is Mindfulness and why is it suddenly everywhere? Mindfulness is not new! I need to get that out there first because I feel like sometimes people think it is. […]
Podcast 3: Arts in Education
Arts in Education In this Episode Paul and Laura talk about the Arts in Education and in particular what Laura as a Lead Practitioner for Art does to promote the […]
Podcast 2: Questioning ideas tested
In episode 2 of the tips4teaching podcast I reflect on my questioning technique during a drive home. The podcast becomes Teacher Talk and introduces our new co-host Laura in episode […]
Podcast 1: Reflecting on practice
In this first episode of the new tips4teaching Podcast (which gets an overhaul at episode three with the introduction of awesome co-host Laura!) I reflect on my practice, in particular […]
tips4teaching PODCAST
Last summer I started a Podcast. Don’t worry if you missed it, it didn’t last long. The busiest year of teaching got in the way! However like a phoenix from […]
4 Stretch & Challenge ideas tested
Welcome to my latest 1/2 termly post! This time a quick run down of 4 stretch and challenge activities I tested last term in my classrooms. That’s in my Yr7 […]
4 Assessment ideas I tested last term
Assessing on the go! The marking pile adds up quickly so any way to reduce that pile in my office at the end of a long day was worth […]
4 Questioning ideas I tested this term
Questioning is something I believe is best revisited as often as possible to fine tune.
Speaking at Ark Academies #Teach2017
Talk about teaching I was recently invited for the second time to speak about this wonderful profession at the Ark Academies Teach2017 conference (this time in Birmingham) The staging for […]
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is hugely important, it’s not a fad, it’s how you build resilient learners! I’m witnessing the benefit of students having developed a growth mindset and its enabling me to teach much more challenging computing lessons than I had originally thought I would!
Wellbeing – TeachMeet Hatfield
Wellbeing is a topic so very close to my heart, the more I talk to teachers around the UK the more I’m hearing horror stories about treatment of staff by […]
FREE DOWNLOAD: Desk notes A3 page a day template
A little doodle with a marker pen and the pad of A3 paper someone had left on my desk on Friday afternoon resulted in this design for a desk pad.
An easy AFL ‘win’…
Peer Assessment, an easy AFL ‘win’ in any classroom! When you’re starting out in teaching ‘AFL’ seems to be a huge aspect of the job, so full of options and […]
Stretch and challenge
I like to keep things simple, if something is simple and effective don’t over complicated it! Bloom’s to stretch and challenge. This image is designed to be used in CPD, […]
Feedback most common…
One of the most shared tips of mine is printing on sticky notes to help you get ahead of the feedback train! Let me say this though: THIS SHOULD NEVER […]
Predicting outcomes
What happens if… One way I like to assess learners understanding is to ask them if they can predict the outcomes of given scenarios. This is useful because the level […]
Sharing knowledge
Know it? Share it! One of my favourite ways to assess students understanding of a topic I’ve taught is to ask them to share their new knowledge/skill with a new […]
teachershop.co.uk
Welcome to the online shop with one goal: Get high impact, low cost resources into the hands of every teacher teaching in the UK! Since I designed the teaching resources […]
New term challenges
A new term is on the horizon, what’s your challenges? For me there is a very busy two 1/2 terms ahead, coursework and exam prep being at the forefront of […]
Differentiation in 3 words
How do I make this easier? Differentiation is a real headache for many teachers, it’s something I see many training days focusing on and many teachers being told to brush […]
Hands up AFL
Another new video tip Hands up & then some…part of a new series designed to support assessment for learning in the classroom. From dead simple tips to the more interesting ideas that […]
AFL tips
New video tips for 2017 …Part of a new series designed to support assessment for learning in the classroom. From dead simple tips to the more interesting ideas that take […]
4 AFL practices
Showing assessment and progress over time on a coursework course. I teach the CiDA ICT course, the learners have to create a number of digital products. One could be tempted […]
Teach, Reflect, Doodle is on the list!
Last week @Teachertoolkit published a fabulous post sharing his reading list for 2017 (you can read the post here) Â all those books on education he’s selected and put to one […]
My first Book
A long time ago in a classroom now far far away from where I’m sitting now… Boy: “Miss, I want to be a writer when I grow up” Miss: (failing […]
Inspection ready (Middle Leaders)
Middle Leader unsure if you are fully prepared for an inspection? Preparing for an inspection isn’t easy, there’s a lot to pull together and plan. Everyone knows inspections require late […]
Differentiation
Differentiation and scaffolding These two are the closest relations in a teacher mind, so close that they’re the most often confused terms. Differentiation (to me) is providing stretch and challenge to […]
Millions of ideas ready to be clicked
Every teacher needs their arsenal of places to go for inspiration, from colleagues to books. One absolutely fantastic source of ideas is Pinterest! It’s an international site with ideas and tips […]
Marking
I’m on a mission this year to make marking across my faculty the best in school! Want to join me? Marking I want teachers across my faculty to mark in […]
Department meetings
New to a school? New to a Department or Faculty? Everyone is new at some point, don’t worry about it! Six years ago I was new in a Department, two […]
Appraisal Tips
Have you set some professional target this year? Have you started the appraisal process yet? Here are 2 top tips for your appraisal so you walk into your meeting […]
Teach, Reflect, Doodle
What’s inside the doodle book for teachers.. The book This is ‘the’ doodle book for teachers – I designed it to act both as an inspiration for improving classroom practice […]
Teach, Reflect, Doodle pt1
September saw the release of Teach, Reflect, Doodle My 1st book for teachers has finally been published! Teach, Reflect, Doodle! (Available here ) It’s been over two years now since I […]
Classroom Resources thank you to all
I want to say a huge thank you to the teachers out there who are buying, using and finding my teaching resources so very useful at Primary and Secondary across […]
Teach Secondary Magazine product feature
Really short post to point teachers towards the recent feature in Teach Secondary magazine which discusses the rationale behind the design of my class room resources. Did I mention my […]
8 Ofsted tips
This post explores similar areas for improvement identified in Ofsted reports from schools across the country at various levels of grading.
Teaching and Learning tips Magazine
I've helped put together this teaching and learning tips magazine. And in the spirit of sharing good practice a free copy can be downloaded here
Diary update
I've been asked to present at the upcoming Bloomsbury TeachMeetBooks FREE event - info on how you can sign up to attend here ...
Intervention Action Plan
That time of year again – Exams for some subjects start in just 15 school weeks – it’s vital you examine current attainment data now and take smart intervention action to make sure […]
Introducing colour coded AFL to your school
I've created this 'quick start' guide for anyone who wants to try and implement a colour coded assessment methodology in their department, faculty or whole school. Download for free.
#NQTAdvice CPD session
Reflecting on term one plus - FREE ppt used in NQT CPD session.
Relax, take stock, rethink…
It’s the holiday season! What are your plans? I’ll be spending the entire holiday with my family, they help me recharge my batteries, gain perspective and inspire new ideas. […]
New Marking Policy 2016
Rationale behind new marking policy explained and FREE downloads for you to use if you want to create a similar time saving marking and feedback policy.
Hour of Code 2015
FREE resource to accompany Hr of CODE activities in December (great if you're in an IT room before Xmas)
Planning a successful week
This post shares how I plan (on a Sunday) for the week ahead, and a FREE download of the resource I created to help me.
GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, PINK = More Visual Feedback
This post is about easing the marking workload by using an idea that’s well known among Primary teachers but (seemingly) less so amongst Secondary.
A calming space
This post covers how colouring might help calm some frustrated learners...
Visual Management for school improvement
It's a little bit more than colour coding, but that's a good start on the road to improved productivity!
Ofsted Ratings MAP
Find and view your school and others by rating on a useful map of the UK...
#teacher5adaysketch
Did you join in #teacher5adaysketch? I did, I've shared my sketches here for you. Keep an eye out for the #teacher5aday hashtag
Ofsted Ratings MAP
Find and view your school and others by rating on a useful map of the UK...
GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, PINK = More Visual Feedback
This post is about easing the marking workload by using an idea that’s well known among Primary teachers but (seemingly) less so amongst Secondary.
Questioning to assess learning
Questioning to support assessment I was asked this question on twitter recently: How can one use questioning and feedback to contribute to the assessment process? @tips4teachingUK — Aqsalogic (@aqsalogic) February […]
100 Ideas: Dingbats
Challenge learners in pairs or small groups to solve the dingbats you display on your board.
4 Safeguarding tips
Safeguarding is a critical part of what we do as teachers. It is the responsibility of every member of staff in school to report safeguarding concerns (teacher or not). Safeguarding […]
Department meetings
New to a school? New to a Department or Faculty? Everyone is new at some point, don’t worry about it! Six years ago I was new in a Department, two […]
Starter Activities.
“It’s a coursework lesson, I want them to come in and get on with their coursework, they have no time to be doing anything else.” I’ve said it, back when […]
Better questioning
Questioning; my question to empower students I really want my students to have stronger questioning skills, I think that by giving them practice at answering better questions and generating better […]
Remember, they remember…
There are moments that you remember all your life, for example… and… Short post this, but its important to remember that teachers are as memorable as the clips you just […]
Spread the word
The Art of Observing
Seeing is believing Being able to observe good teaching and learning is an art! It’s something that comes with practice. There are a number of obstacles in the way of […]
8 Ofsted tips
This post explores similar areas for improvement identified in Ofsted reports from schools across the country at various levels of grading.
SUPER Sticker AFL resource
Avengers Assemble Yep, we’re all in a marking frenzy, and I’m sure some of us are over doing the AFL, but in many circles the new focus on AFL is […]
The BiteSize Lesson Planner
The BiteSize Lesson Planner The Planner started out as a way of condensing a 3 page planned only used by teacher when they were being observed into something more practical […]
Ordering full sets of resources
Ordering Classroom Support Slips from YPO YPO site now has all my resources listed and the BiteSize planners! Here’s the links and order codes to help you out with placing […]
Whole School Teaching and Learning Strategy
My whole school (start of) teaching and learning strategy...
My Takeaway Homework template(s)
Having struggled with really low responses to homework as a school, the most effective homework actions seem to be in departments at our school who have tried the #takeawayhomework approach […]
Trying out my classroom resources made easier!
This post is about improving your practice, and others, easily! As of today you can also buy my classroom resources and lesson planner from e-Bay (no bidding necessary) and pay […]