The Rollercoaster of Teaching

We have all heard the expression and I am sure the song 'Life is a Roller coaster.' We can all relate to it because life is full of its ups and downs, its triumphs and its tragedies.

Whilst the ups and downs of life can be exciting, challenging and keep us on our toes it is often the straight in the road, the periods of time when things are just ticking along, that we take for granted and what we actually, when the road is rocky,  yearn for the most.

Our working lives are part of this roller coaster that is life, we spend approximately 46 years of

our life at work as a rough estimate: 

Taking the average UK Life Expectancy - 80,

               Then minus years spent at school, including degree  - 21

                                               Then minus retirement years, from 67 - 13
                                               We get a total number of years of working = 46.

The way you interpret and see these figures will most definitely depend upon your present mindset but whichever way you look at it we are at work for a lot of our lives. So ..... what does this have to do with teaching? Absolutely everything if you are a teacher because if ever there was a metaphorical roller coaster it is teaching.

Those of you poor soles familiar with my blog will know that I have been teaching a long time....
you will also know that for me teaching is a vocation, something that I am passionate about. However, that does not mean that it is not and has not been one long and winding roller coaster full of twists and turns, triumphs and tragedies.

I have had amazing experiences, worked with and alongside amazing pupils, parents and fellow professionals. I have had the privilege of being a positive influence on the lives of many of those children and adults. My mind is full of memories that I will treasure for ever, moments that have melted my heart, made me laugh and cry with sheer joy. OK, OK I will stop now... but I cling to these memories and moments, the memories from the top of the roller coaster because they keep me going when the ride reaches the precipice and goes over the edge careering for the bottom at speed.   

And boy oh boy does that teaching roller coaster career over that edge fast!! In life we often see and hear the chug, chug, chug of the ride reaching the top before it goes over the edge and if we don't hear it we perch there at  the top contemplating the drop. We get that time to prepare. With teaching we don't, the ride is fast and furious with very, very, few times to catch your breath. The image below demonstrates how the the first year of teaching is like a roller coaster, but actually this pattern is repeated for every teacher year, after year, after year...

 

Can it be helped? Avoided? Or as the expression goes do we just have to 'suck it up?'  

Somethings can't be changed, teachers will always experience the worry and anticipation of the new class, we will always have the stress of planning, parents evenings, targets... However, some things can and should change. Teaching needs a break from the political agenda, it needs to stop being a political football kicked between parties whose only aim is to get votes. It needs to stop being seen as a cure for all of societies ills. 

Teachers and all of those in education should be trusted to get on with the job in hand, teaching the next generation, the people who we will all need, the doctors and nurses, politicians, bricklayers, electricians, hairdressers, shop workers, leaders, followers with the rich and colourful rainbow of skills that make we need to make a prosperous and successful society.

This is not, and cannot, be achieved whilst teachers, pupils and parents suffer at the hands of political agendas. The present level of pressure cannot be sustained... It is not good for the present and future of our society...

Stop, or at least slow down the roller coaster before we all jump off! 

 

The Road to Outstanding Parts 1-4

                                     

It would be fair to say that I am not a fan of Ofsted. I don't think many people in education are, from education authorities to SLTs you would be hard pushed to find advocates of Ofsted. It would be fair to say though it is those on the chalk face who dislike and distrust them the most.

So why did I produce a series blogpost supporting that very body? The answer to this is two fold, firstly I was fortunate to attend an excellent conference at the Early Excellence Cebtre in Huddersfied from where lots of the information comes. And secondly and sadly Ofsted are here to stay it seems so whilst they are to remain all of those in education have to play the Ofsted game and dance the Ofsted jig. 

In addition I am passionate about teaching! It is and has been my vocation for nearly 17 years and lots of the suggestions in my blogpost may help teachers to improve their performance or at the very least reflect upon it. 

So if Ofsted are looming or you and your fellow members of staff need a reminder about what is required under the new Ofsted framework then hopefully these posts will help.

Good luck and keep the faith!

Part 1 Know Your Cohort - http://bit.ly/1mp1uTc

Part 2  The Learning Environment - http://bit.ly/1qjxmmU

Part 3  Behaviour for Learning - http://bit.ly/1mmMNzG

Part 4  Teaching and Learning- http://bit.ly/1mmMSTR

If you like the ideas shared here please make a comment or retweet. 

My top 10 blog posts

I began my blogging journey back in August 2013.The  main idea behind this was that it would allow me time to reflect upon my teaching. Although this was something I already did I hadn't ever written these thoughts, or should I say ramblings down before. 

From very humble and nervous beginnings I found that my reflections on teaching then also led me to the realisation that perhaps I had a bit more to offer. Perhaps I could share some of my ideas with my fellow teachers that may be of use to them in their classrooms. And here I am over 20,400 views later. 

I am not a big one for formal New Year resolutions but I have, thanks to this blog, got in the habit of reflecting. So I thought, which of my posts have been my most successful post? Hence the following top 10. Perhaps more importantly though, why are they my top ten out of 120 posts? Maybe you could help me with that one?

My all time Top 10 Blog posts In reverse order:

10. The 3 Rs Respect, Resilience, Responsibility 

Originally posted in October 2013, 191 views - A blog reflecting upon the teaching of social skills in a primary classroom.

http://bit.ly/1zWeO1x

9. Do we need a Teaching Revolution?

Posted on 5 Apr 2014, 193 views - This blog came at a point in the year when I really was fed up of the constant pressures placed upon teachers.

http://bit.ly/1zWiO1Z 

8. Teaching Maths the Singapore Way

Posted on 6 Oct 2014, 216 views - A blog based upon a staff inset I delivered in my role as Maths Co-Ordinator at my school.

http://bit.ly/1yExtna

7. The disintegration of the teacher/parent relationships

Posted on 8 Mar 2014, 248 views - A blog about the importance of good professional relationships with parents.

http://bit.ly/1AvDqU2

6. Teaching Without Limits

Originally 14 Apr 2014, 287 views - A reflection about my desire and determination to break free from the constraints of Ofsted.

http://bit.ly/1xJqc45

5. Boxing Clever with year 2

Posted on 3rd February 2014, 288 views - A blog based upon a wonderful tool for helping children with story structure called Boxing Clever by Alan Peat.

http://bit.ly/1BPfVT9

4. Sats a necessary evil?

Posted on 11 May 2014, 348 views - A heartfelt reflection on Sats tests.

http://bit.ly/1AuiQkl 

3. Do you teach like Yoda?

Posted on 10th April 2014, 545 views - A tongue in cheek lighthearted look at teaching styles.

http://bit.ly/145M3Gq

2. Are We Overthinking Teaching?

Posted on 7 Nov 2014, 741 views - My second most popular post comes from a personal plea to keep it simple!

http://bit.ly/1BPTwVQ

1. A plea to all professional tweeters

Posted on12 Apr 2014, 811 views - My most popular post, so far!! This post was born out of sheer frustration when using my own professional Twitter account, read on for more ......

http://bit.ly/1xVctWh 

What will be my top 10 next year? Watch this space .......

The Power of Non Verbal Communication

The recent Ebola crisis in Africa has brought home to me how, as humans, we rely upon communication in all of its forms: we communicate verbally, non verbally via facial expression and body language and through physical contact. When one of these forms of contact is taken away, as in the case in West Africa, the impact can be devastating.

As part of one of the news items covering the crisis in Sierra Leone the reporter was interviewing some of the volunteers who were physically and emotionally exhausted . During the interview one of the volunteers was describing the thing that he found most difficult to cope with, the ban upon all physical contact. 

Physical contact is a basic human instinct that is part of our everyday lives, from holding hands and cuddles and kisses with those close to us to shaking hands with new acquaintances. Imagine then witnessing parents unable to hold their dying children or children unable to comfort a parent? It seems totally inhumane but is done with the intention of stopping the spread of this dreadful disease. 

 

However even in these dreadful circumstances the human ability to communicate in a variety of forms still managed to find a way. The volunteer went on to explain how shaking hands had been replaced by the left hand placed upon the heart, a very powerful gesture. This led me to think about the power of non verbal communication and how it crosses many barriers from language barriers to the barriers of a range of disabilities. 

As teachers we rely upon non verbal communication from the minute we greet our pupils in the morning to the minute they go home. Each of these non verbal communications can be both  positive and negative and each has a wide range of meanings.

      

Facial expression - A smile to offer reassurance, to say hello, to say well done, to show humour frowns to show I don't understand, no thank you, stop doing that ....... Let's not forget the famous teacher stare .......

   

Body language including thumbs up - Well done, good job, keep trying, that's right. 
Thumbs down - that's incorrect, please stop that ...... Arms folded - I'm waiting, are you ready? you are taking toO long, get tidied up now please .... 

Voice - It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When we speak, other people “read” our voices in addition to listening to our words. Things they pay attention to include your timing and pace, how loud you speak, your tone and inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such as “ahh” and “uh-huh.” Tone of voice, can indicate pleasure, happiness, sarcasm, anger, affection, or confidence.

Non verbal communication is used daily in schools all around the world but what we shouldn't forget is that not all of our pupils can 'read' those non verbal cues including those with ASD. The National Autistic Society is one of the many places to look for tips on ensuring effective communication with all of the pupils in our care  teaching-young-children-with-autism
Some other websites with practical tips for teaching pupils with non verbal communication difficulties include The Friendship Circle,  facial-expressions-for-kids

 

 

Are you a Reading Evangelist?

Reading has always been an important part of my life. One of my first memories of reading is of sitting in my Mum's bed feeling warm and safe whilst she read 'The Cat in the Hat' to me. 

Perhaps this event was a particularly memorable one due to my being the youngest of eight children with both a mother and father who worked full time. This meant time alone with my Mum was precious. 

I remember Mum initially read the book to me and then gradually after lots of repetition I read the same book to her. Mum had, she told me later, bought a set of Dr Seuss books with the intention of teaching me to read. This strategy was, she would enjoy telling me, very successful as I could read quite proficiently by the age of four. 

Years later when I became a parent I read to and with my children regularly trying to pass on to them the gift of reading. 

It is as a teacher though that I became a true reading evangelist. 

Reading is an important part of my classroom where the more recognised 'formal teaching' of reading plays only a tiny part. 

I read to my class as regularly as possible, the books I read range from picture books such as The Stickman by Julia Donaldson and Katie Morag by Maori Hedderwick to The Enchanted Garden by Enid Blyton. 

The children are encouraged to bring books into school. They talk about and share their favourite books making recommendations and suggestions to their friends. 

We visit the local library at least twice a year and our own school library weekly. 

We have a class library filled with books of all types. These books are an eclectic mixture of books collected over the years from jumble sales, charity shops and library book sales. The library also contains a box of reading buddies, a box of cuddly toys, which they choose to accompany them whilst they read. 

The children love choosing their own books from the library with absolutely no adult interference. The books they choose in class are for reading independently. 

It is interesting to watch them the first few times they do this as it is quite alien to them. I don't think I realised quite how much adults interfere in children's book choices. Clearly this is done with the best of intentions but actually if we are brave enough the children quickly learn to sort it out for themselves. 

Initially they choose books either too easy or too hard but after a few attempts they actually get it just right. They then settle down somewhere either in the library corner or at their tables with their book and reading buddy tucked under their arm. 

Total silence then ensues! 

It is a wonderful sight to see a class full of 6 and 7 year olds of all reading abilities losing themselves in a book! It doesn't matter if they begin by looking at the pictures or get stuck on the odd word, they quickly develop the strategies needed and rapidly begin to enjoy the independence that reading gives them. The joy of reading, a gift for life! 

Are you a reading evangelist?

Marking - Keeping it Simple

Teaching is a rewarding and challenging profession. Teachers are instrumental in the type of future their pupils will have, it is an influential profession. Teachers are therefore understandably scrutinised. The problem is this scrutiny has been incessant. It seems everyone has an opinion on the subject of teaching with study after study, recommendations on teaching and learning, changes to the curriculum, new teaching standards, changes to Ofsted inspections, lesson gradings and the gradings of teaching. It is not surprising therefore that many teachers are at best confused and at worst stressed and burnt out.    

In a recent blog post Are we Overthinking Teaching? I suggested that we should leave teachers to choose their own teaching style, to trust them as professionals to teach the way they teach and not to conform to a certain teaching style. In fact Ofsted we were told, as of the new academic year 2014 would no longer grade individual lessons.  

Could this be true? Teachers across the country cautiously celebrated. They were right to be cautious. The new 'push', 'drive' to improve teaching and learning is here ...... Marking and Feedback. Teachers have always marked pupils work so what is the problem? 

The opinions, suggestions, studies ........... Yet again teachers need to be told how to mark, how much to mark, to allow their pupils time to feedback on the marking, to ensure the marking is informative, provides next steps. The list is yet again endless. Again teachers become confused and unsure of how best to do something they have done well for years.

Teacher call for marking guidance from Ofsted

Teacher Swamped by Marking Heads Claim

Sadly all of this not only leads to teachers disillusionment but is also makes teachers look like moaners, constant complainers! Perhaps they are, perhaps though this is again because of the over scrutiny. Why oh why cant teachers be trusted, taken out of the spotlight for a while? Let teachers catch their breath, get a handle on the new curriculum and do what they do best, TEACH!

This government is emphatically on the side of teachers. We are freeing teachers from the constraints of government bureaucracy - and we want to go even further. We have challenged the orthodoxies that have undermined the teaching profession; and we are working to put evidence right at the heart of our education system to free teachers from having to kow-tow to such orthodoxies.

Taken from a speech delivered on: 6 September 2014 at the ResearchED conference

 

If only this was true!

O.K. rant over - I am lucky enough to work with some fellow professionals who share my beliefs in keeping it simple. So together we sat down and came up with a KS1 Marking Policy. The ethos behind this policy is to make marking count but to keep it simple! It is based upon the use of marking symbols. These symbols we believe serve two purposes, Firstly KS1 pupils cannot easily access reams and reams of written feedback and if they can they don't want to, they actually love nothing more than a smiley face or sticker. Secondly using these symbols keeps marking manageable and meets the criteria that Ofsted look for. It helps pupils to see what they have done well and what they need to add to get better.Lots of the images come from The Teachers Sentence Toolkit as well as ideas based upon V.C.O.P taken from The Big Write.

 

Here are the symbols we are using:

 

So have a look, have a try and let me know how you get on. Could this be adapted for KS2? 

 

 

Are We Overthinking Teaching?

Whilst indulging in one of my favourite  'teacher' past times at the weekend, tweeting, I came across yet another teaching methodology article from the BBC Lavish Praise from Teachers does not help Pupils.


This article is based upon a study 'What Makes Great Teaching', produced by Prof Coe for the Sutton Trust which drew upon more than 200 pieces of research into what works in the classroom. The main findings of the report are as follows:

The two factors with the strongest evidence of improving pupil attainment are:

• teachers’ content knowledge, including their ability to understand how students think about a subject and identify common misconceptions
• quality of instruction, which includes using strategies like effective questioning and the use of assessment

Specific practices which have good evidence of improving attainment include:

• challenging students to identify the reason why an activity is taking place in the lesson
• asking a large number of questions and checking the responses of all students
• spacing-out study or practice on a given topic, with gaps in between for forgetting
• making students take tests or generate answers, even before they have been taught the material

Common practices which are not supported by evidence include:

• using praise lavishly
• allowing learners to discover key ideas by themselves
• grouping students by ability
• presenting information to students based on their “preferred learning style”.                

Whether I agree or disagree with the findings of this study is irrelevant. My problem with all such studies and their following reports is the constant suggestions of what teachers 'need to do' or in the case of this article 'stop doing,' in order to get better and raise standards. 

 

Teaching is a profession that is wide open to constant scrutiny, teachers are bombarded with suggestions of changes to their methodology which, it is purported, will improve their teaching and likewise raise standards. The barrage of suggestions on how to improve are relentless. This can lead to teachers teaching in a way that does not fit them, it becomes forced, it doesn't flow.

What is being missed in all of these studies into teaching and learning is that  there is no 'magic teaching formula'. We know great teachers raise standards but no two 'great' teachers are the same. They each have their own individual styles and skills sets, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Great teachers love teaching and it is this passion and commitment that drives standards. 

The ability to be 'great' comes from teachers crafting their skill finding and refining their own individual style based upon their teaching philosophy, personality, age and life and teaching experiences. ...

Trainee teachers and those new to the profession should be allowed to discover themselves as teachers, to craft and refine their skill. Experienced teachers should be trusted to be 'great'' to do the job the way they know works and the way they, as professionals know they can!

Let's stop overthinking teaching!