Archive

Should Ofsted observe lessons?

May 31, 2018 | Category: Featured

As you may have seen, Ofsted have published a report which lays the ground work on how they might start observing lessons once more: Six models of lesson observation: an international perspective.Most...

#Ofsted #lesson observation

What can you practise in English lessons?

May 04, 2018 | Category: English

Over my last two posts I've argued that, contrary to popular opinion, English is not a 'skills based' subject. In fact, what appear to be skills are actually composed on many thousands of individual c...

#practice #Daisy Christodoulou #essay writing #The Writing Revolution

Why practising inference doesn't work

Apr 29, 2018 | Category: Featured

In my last post I argued that thinking about English as a 'skills based' subject is counter-productive. One response to this was to say, "Hang on, what about practice. If you can practise something yo...

Leading literacy in schools

Apr 25, 2018 | Category: literacy

Leading on literacy can be a thoroughly thankless task. It can often feel like you’re working incredibly hard to produce resources and strategies which colleagues at best ignore and at worst resent. P...

#literacy #Teachology

The death of my father

Mar 21, 2018 | Category: Featured

Yesterday my father died in his flat.He was a difficult man, and our relationship had been strained for years. He could be capable of great warmth, wit and wisdom, but he was also the most self-centre...

The Case Against Education

Mar 17, 2018 | Category: Featured

I've been reading the economist Bryan Caplan's new book, The Case Against Education with great interest. His is very much a contrarian point of view: that most of the time and effort spent on the proj...

#intelligence #Bryan Caplan #signalling

12 rules for schools: Rule 8 Tell the truth - or, at least don't lie

Feb 26, 2018 | Category: Featured

This is part of a series of posts adapting Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules of Life to the context of eduction. You can find my thoughts on the rest of his rules here. The Truth is a commodity in shor...

#12 Rules for Life #Jordan Peterson #Sissela Bok

12 rules for schools: Rule 7 Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)

Feb 19, 2018 | Category: Featured

This is part of a series of posts adapting Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules of Life to the context of eduction. You can find my thoughts on the rest of his rules here. Doing what's easy is, well, easy...

#self-regulation #12 Rules for Life #Jordan Peterson #Ray Baumeister #Walter Mischel

What every teacher needs to know about teaching for social justice

Feb 03, 2018 | Category: Featured

The marvellous Teach Secondary magazine continue to publish my articles on a regular basis but don't hold that against them; there are loads of other excellent reasons for reading. Here's a link to my...

#Matthew effect #Teach Secondary

Can we develop a 'love of learning'?

Jan 13, 2018 | Category: Featured

The scholar and the world! The endless strife, The discord in the harmonies of life! The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books; The market-place, the eager love ...

#intelligence #IQ #environment #genes #health