10 top teaching and learning tips that all NQTs should remember

by John Winwood  In the chaos of your first year at the helm of a classroom, it's good to take a moment to reflect and remember what supports great teaching and learning. In fact, whether you're a newly qualified teacher (NQT) or have been marking books for decades, it's always beneficial to remind yourself of the basics. So here are my top 10...
Continue reading
  10785 Hits
  1 Comment
Recent comment in this post
Guest — Jack Smith
Such helpful tips for NQTs! Each one is practical and grounded in experience, making the transition to teaching smoother. Thanks f... Read More
Wednesday, 30 October 2024 12:27
10785 Hits
1 Comment

Confessions of an examiner

When I took my A-levels and GCSEs, I imagined them being marked by wise, Einstein lookalikes with great tufts of white hair, locked away in ivory towers. I pictured these sages ruminating over the points I had carefully laid out, raising an interested eyebrow from time to time, and often pausing to reflect on my argument. The idea of doubting ...
Continue reading
  9981 Hits
  1 Comment
Tags:
Recent comment in this post
Guest — Abigail
Having received my fifth year end of module assignment result today this strikes a chord with me, my result is much lower than my ... Read More
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 20:19
9981 Hits
1 Comment

Being a teaching assistant has made me feel more alive than ever – and even more determined to become a teacher

"Frankly, I question your sanity going into teaching," a former boss said, in response to my request for a reference for my part-time PGCE application. I can't say I blame him. On my first day as teaching assistant (TA) at a local primary school (a job I have taken to complement my PGCE and bring in a little cash) I encountered two news reports abo...
Continue reading
  8781 Hits
  0 Comments
8781 Hits
0 Comments

Schools thrive with order, discipline and the eccentric teachers who do things differently

"Let down your buckets!" Mr Wilkes shouts at window-shaking volume. It's 1993 or 1994 and I am in my earth science class, a subject I think would be called geography today. Mr Wilkes paces the front of the room, red-faced and miming semaphore. "The becalmed ship flagged back its reply. We need fresh water! We need to drink!" We all lean forward, th...
Continue reading
  8776 Hits
  1 Comment
Recent comment in this post
shala darpan
Schools thrive on a foundation of order and discipline, providing the structure necessary for students to succeed. Yet, it’s the e... Read More
Tuesday, 30 July 2024 15:16
8776 Hits
1 Comment

A modest proposal from a language teacher: let's stop using b*llocks learning outcomes

Any discussion among teachers about good practice will get around, at some point, to learning outcomes. Conversation will often turn to Bloom's Taxonomy and the attendant verbs connected to the "lower" and "higher" order "thinking skills". And then someone will raise the idea of SMART targets, which, in conjunction with Bloom's, enable us to develo...
Continue reading
  7637 Hits
  0 Comments
7637 Hits
0 Comments

EdCentral Logo