


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 […]

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!

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.

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 […]

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

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.

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.

FREE assessment resources for ICT/Computer Science
Here you can download the free KS3 Assessment sheets I've designed to support the changes in assessment we've begun this year.

Progress is…
This post looks at two things: What is pupil progress? How do you evidence it in lessons and over time?

UCAS 5Min Plan
A FREE 5min plan to help you manage the UCAS process with your tutees

e-Safety Resource with levels
FREE assessment e-safety resource used with Yr7 at the start of the academic year.

WEbDesign Task sheet starter
Quick, easy and FREE web design starter activity

Questioning – Murder
FREE resource designed to improve learners ability to question

C-tech ICT Unit 1 resources
FREE resources to support teaching CTECH ICT with 6th form

FREE Resource: Knowledge Shake
FREE plenary resource 'the Knowledge shake'

How to take better notes and make CPD more effective
FREE resource to help staff get more out of CPD sessions by taking better notes

FREE resource to improve pupil response to feedback
FREE resource to make your feedback stand out on the page

Teacher feedback
FREE teacher feedback resource designed to match the resources already on sale.

‘Hook’ Resource find of the weekend!
FAB FREE lesson starter resource!

Rockets and Lightbulbs – Stretch and Challenge
Some advice on stretch and challenge ...

ComicBook Club & Boys Reading
Iv'e started a comic book club... "read all about it"...

The Purple pen…
This video is a huge hit over on the FaceBook page, how to increase pupil engagement in reflective activities with just a pen….and possibly a feather!

IMPACT of technology on Society + Resources
How has technology had an impact on society? If you’re over 25 you might be able to list a number of ways, that’d be because you’ve seen those developments, before […]

Apprentice style feedback?
As I continue my quest to find ways of making AFL easy, effective and interesting I found myself inspired by the Apprentice UK last night (rare can one say that). […]

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 […]

Folder inserts
Making folders work for you and learners I’ve talked about this before, and given illustrations of what I meant (here) but I’ve updated the inserts for me new school and […]

wiki page template for learners
Create your own wiki page I’ve seen this a lot recently, some excellent tweets of work others have done, In order to create an activity myself for a class I’ve […]

AFL Stamp crazy – Updated 2014! –
I mentioned in a previous post that I attended an ‘Outstanding Teaching’ course before the summer break, it was a fab course, really inspired me to re-examine how I go […]

e-Safety resources
Sketchnote resources for KS3 E-Safety Every year – all the way up to and including post 16 – needs to have e-safety refreshed. As a way of supporting some classes […]

Assessment for Learning #EduSketchNote
Assessment for Learning #EduSketchNote Some visualised thoughts on assessment for learning in your classroom.

Interviews
Interview? If Ofsted is the ‘Grim Reaper’ then I don’t know what interviews are because they make me more nervous than the big O! From September I’m starting a new […]

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 […]

Supporting a trainee teacher
Sketchnote looking at how to support a trainee teacher…notes from a mentor.

Objectives
Why do people leave them till last? Objectives are a starting point. You start projects with objectives, you start a journey with a destination (objective!) in mind! So why why […]

Supporting the distracted…
Downloadable resource to use when discussing this topic with staff.

Working with a difficult student
The disengaged student Ever had that one student who struggles with any task longer than about 5 minutes, and as a result is disruptive and often asked to leave? If […]

Flooding Resources for A-level Geography
Morpeth Floods 2008 More images can be accessed by clicking HERE In 2008 I lived and worked in Northumberland, living in the town of Morpeth when it flooded. Being an […]

Tweet to solve a problem
Concise communication A simple resource designed to encourage students to be concise in their communication. The challenge I set is to work in pairs, one pose the question, the other […]

World Book Day
World Book Day Thursday 6th March 2014 Young boys generally read less and struggle more in English class at school. Sad but true. However it doesn’t have to be or […]

How AFL makes progress happen
“Marking is the least favorite part of teaching” Most teachers would seem to say that! But effective marking is the not so secret tool in the battle towards outstanding learning! […]

1 hr of Code
Coding Coding Coding You’re not going to escape coding any times soon, certainly not in the next couple of years as the government and more vocal coding teachers push its […]

Fun resource
ifaketext.com Saw a screenshot of this web resource tweeted ages ago and only just got back to looking at it this week! Simple idea Type in both sides of a […]

A Gamer take on praise and reward
Innovative approach to praise & Reward Games, be they being played at home on a console, or in school on a phone students love games. A colleague was very keen […]

I’m writing home, again
Everyone needs a little praise. I’ve always been an advocate of taking the positive praise route with learners 1st! Which makes it somewhat ironic that the 1st post on here […]

5 Minute Parental Engagement Plan
Focus your thoughts with an easy to fill in plan. I devised this plan to help staff get the most out of such parents evening/day meetings, the focus is on […]

5 Minute PGCE Plan
PGCE – Plan & Act! I got a bit hooked on creating these types of plans in October when I was working with a very keen PGCE student (who has […]

Think, Pair, Share
THINK, PAIR, SHARE Using a resource I created based on one of the books I’ve been reading I’ve created an instant tool for a THINK, PAIR, SHARE activity. Why THINK, […]

Questioning – what to look for
Questioning This is my topic this year, I’m reading up on it and practicing it as much as I can, so I’m sharing this weeks thoughts on questioning with […]

TeachMeet Bedford (Fee CPD)
TeachMeet I’m a huge fan of teachers sharing ideas, the best career development always seems to happen when just see something or hear something that sparks an idea off. That’s […]

Stamp crazy! (AFL)
I mentioned in a previous post that I attended an ‘Outstanding Teaching’ course before the summer break, it was a fab course, really inspired me to re-examine how I go […]