I killed a wasp this morning. Not a particularly remarkable feat. To be honest it didn’t present much of a challenge trapped between the window and a BBC Goodfood magazine. Wiping its entrails off the glass, I was reminded of warm September days when the classroom windows were still open, a wasp would fly in, …
Continue reading For teachers: A step by step guide how to impress your pupils
The following is a slightly edited letter I sent to the current P7 classes I had taught in previous years... Hey there P7s!!!! Well you awesome lot, how’s it all going? Christmas is out there… getting excited yet? I had meant to write to you sometime before the first transfer test, but that seemed to …
Continue reading Dear P7s, Here are some thoughts about transfer tests…
It is time for an open, more honest conversation. We all agree that everything cannot be changed at once. We all agree that, in principle, development plans are good, and change should be planned and managed. Where this falls apart, is during an inspection, when priorities are asked for, and development plans are explained… and …
One of the jobs Lorraine and I have currently, is working with a group of parents about engaging with school: work, life and personnel. During the first session we talked about our own memories of school. The stories were not all negative, but most of the ones that remain with me are. They are other …
I learnt quickly, in teaching, that time is a pie chart. You can move the radii around, you can make preparation time bigger, and marking time smaller, you can minimise time spent in meetings and maximise time spent creating resources. You can, for a time, enlarge the pie chart by working harder, but no one …
Continue reading The time to develop relationships gets squeezed.
Over the Wall 