I was going to that thing where you round-up some of your favourite blog posts in the hope of getting a few more hits, but couldn’t muster the enthusiasm. Instead, I thought I’d rip off some of the best posts I’ve read this year from some of the most interesting education bloggers out there. It’s by no means a definitive list; I haven’t spent much time honing it – these are just some of the posts I’ve enjoyed most so far this year. Maybe you’ll like them too.
They are in no particular order.
More WHAT less HOW – or ‘your shepherds pie requires improvement’ – @HeatherBellaF
On the pernicious silliness that is lesson grades, and how this gets in the way of children’s education.
RAISEonline is contemptible RUBBISH – @Jack_Marwood
A blistering critique of RAISE online and its widespread abuse. Eye-opening!
Securing Headship as a Member of SLT – @kevbartle
Kev’s gripping post-mortem of his successful bid to ascend the iron throne of Canon’s High School.
This much I know about…why I agree absolutely with Michael Gove – @johntomsett
Few bloggers write with the authority and power of John Tomsett when he’s got the bit between his teeth and a full head of steam. This one’s on equality of opportunity in education and it’s dead right.
A toast to the death of pedagogy – @Turnfordblog
The anonymous blogger behind Evidence into Practice has, for me, got the balance exactly right between confirming some of my fondest biases and provoking me with new and interesting perspectives. This one is about professional expertise and is close to my heart.
Why national curriculum levels need replacing – @daisychristo
A useful for heuristic for making sure we’re not barking up the wrong tree when it comes to replacing NC levels which I found invaluable when writing this post.
The 51 year Lesson Plan – @surrealanarchy
Martin Robinson’s blog is filled with sparklingly understated essays on some of the lesser traversed paths in education – this one gently chides the hubris that suggests anyone can plan a worthwhile lesson in minutes.
The Opposite of Boring – @websofsubstance
You could accuse Harry, with some justice, of writing the same post again and again. His forensic attempts to describe and dismiss progressive education are irritating for some, but always well-written and clearly argued.
The Truthiness of it all (and why three men make a tiger) – @JamesTheo
After many months of thinking and watching from the sidelines, James Theobold’s new blog has burst on to the blogging scene with an energy and wisdom that has been a delight. Truthiness was new to me and very relevant for anyone hooked, as I am, on Twitter.
Motivation and instruction – @Joe__Kirby
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Joe is a very clever chap. He has a real gift for filleting and synthesising research from an array of fields and has recently started in on the pop-psychology of motivation.
‘Not Rolling the Dice’ – in praise of safe teaching – @tomboulter
There are often long gaps in between Tom’s blogs – that’s because he waits until he has something worth saying. Here he turns his back on gimmickry and showmanship and embraces a quieter, safer style of teaching.
Shouting – @TStrarkey
Thomas Starkey’s blog is possibly the funniest, most concise and best written out there. Here he extols the joy of shouting.
Being the 1% – what does it take to make CPD effective? – @HFletcherWood
Harry writes with such clarity, patience and attention to detail that I feel I can actually picture his classroom. This post on how he has led CPD is truly essential for anyone else wanting to tread a similar path.
And just in case you’re interested, and because I can never resist a little bit of self-promotion, my most popular post this year is The Cult of Outstanding.
These are my favourites. You must make your own list.
Related posts
Who you might like to follow on Twitter
My Top 10 education blogs
Favourite blogs
Interesting range of white, male bloggers listed 🙂 do you like the blogs of any by the other gender or representative of other cultural diversity at all? Just interested 🙂
You’re right – an unconscious bias, but maybe I need to operate some sort of positive discrimination? What would you say were the best posts by non-white or female bloggers?
Also – I’ve no idea of Turnfordblog’s race or gender – have you?
I think Turnfordblog is you, because you’ve been promoting it so much. lol. If not, I did wonder at first if it was a she. But then I saw one tweeter talk to Turnford with a male name. So….. ?
In answer to your question, I threw it open and have posted a blog on it in response to tweeter opinion.
Nice to see in the meantime you have added a few non-males to the list 🙂
Very flattered to find one of my posts amongst such august company – thanks!
In answer to some of the questions above: First – I’m not David, though very grateful for his efforts in helping the blog reach a wider readership. Secondly, unfortunately for his statistics I’m also a white male (sorry!). Lastly, I’m not actually anonymous – everyone at work knows I run the school blog – a better description would be ‘obscure’ 😉
Thank you. I have been ‘stalking’ your site for a year or so now, and have found it really thought provoking. Subscribing recently, and then finding my email inbox with daily posts, I began to lose faith. How could someone teach thoughtfully and consciously every day and find the time and effort to think and post about the bigger picture? Who was this superhuman being? “Stop, you are making the rest of us look bad”- the line from some end of term pixar animation about insects I have foisted on poor students in times of old-sprang to mind. Who is this super human with young children, who finds time to think and make other people do so, and teach so well?! I read more, and with a sense of relief I cannot put into words, discovered that you are not teaching full time now. Faith is restored….and thank you anyway.
I am interested in your link to Joe Kirby’s blog about motivation-it is indeed fascinating. In his quadrant, I wonder about “academic success, social failure”? It doesn’t square, and yet, I wonder if this is one of the biggest undercurrents going on within classrooms today. How many students feel they must hide their talents under a bushel in order to fit in and be accepted. I am just interested….
Ah yes – my guilty secret. Although to be fair I blogged almost as prolifically whilst still teaching.
Joe’s posts are always provocative and very well-researched – motivation is, perhaps, the key to successful teaching. Whether young people are getting the message that academic success = social failure should certainly make us pause for thought.
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