40 Things I Love about Teaching

There is lots of negativity surrounding education at the moment so in order to counteract that I started to think about all of the things I love about my job. I got to 40 and here they are in no particular order:

1. Meeting my new class for the first time on induction day.
2. Seeing my new class on the first day of term, all smart in their new uniform, shiny shoes and excited faces.
3. The look on a child's face when they have had that penny dropping moment.
4. Listening to children read.
5. Reading stories to my class.
6. Getting dressed up on World Book Day.
7. Choosing parts for the Christmas play and making sure everyone has a part. 
8. Christmas play rehearsals.

9. The look on the parents faces as they watch the Christmas performance. 
10. Making cards and decorations on Christmas Crafts Day.
11. Meeting the parents on Parents Evening and spotting which parent the child looks the most like.
12. Teaching Maths.
13. Passing on my love of maths.
14. Helping pupils who thought they were 'rubbish' at maths grow in confidence and change their view of themselves as mathematicians to 'good'
15. Listening to the children talk and reason during problem solving lessons.
16. Making Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Easter cards.
17. Observing friendship groups and the group dynamics at playtime.
18. Watching the children play at playtime.
19. Chatting to the children in my class at playtime listening to their funny stories, jokes and stories about their families.
20. D.T. lessons and observing the roles the children take within a group.
21. Teaching English, Geography, History, Art and D.T. through Topics.
22. Introducing a new topic via an 'excite' lesson.
23. The end of topic celebration which for my class includes setting fire to London, having a teddy bears picnic and Katie Morag Day.
24. Listening to the pupils class talks about their favourite animal, their pet, an after school activity or hobby. These are very cute and often hilarious.
25. Themed Days such as Maths All Around us, Creative Arts week, Anti Bullying Day, Safer Internet Day.
26. Class Assemblies where the children show their families what they have been learning.
27. Reading the children's writing especially stories which give away family secrets.
28. Spotting the children's spelling mistakes which are often hilarious.
29. Seeing children developing their own writing style.
30. Watching my class dance during brain breaks, the class Christmas party or in the school disco, boy do they cut some shapes!
31. Teaching P.E., especially things like catching and throwing with year 2s who couldn't catch a cold and teaching the games I loved in school such as benchball and dodgeball.
32. Art lessons, the mess, the relaxed atmosphere and the opportunity to chat.
33. Singing together.
34. Listening to music together.
35. The queue of children on the first day back after a holiday to tell me what they have been up to.
36. Past pupils coming back to school to say hello.
37. Watching the children in my class grow in height, confidence and ability from the beginning of the year to the end.
38. Writing the personal statement on the end of year reports.
39. Meeting with my class's new teacher and telling them how wonderful they are, their strengths and and weaknesses and how much I will miss them.
40. Making a difference!

I really am lucky to be doing a job I love so much.

Education has gone mad!

Teaching is my job, it is what I do, it is what I have done for nearly 20 years. I love my job and to a certain extent it defines me, it is a big part of who I am and I would say it is my passion. 

Over half term like lots of teachers I still live teaching. If I'm in a book shop I find myself searching for books about teaching, books for my class library and books linked to my topic. When browsing on eBay my thoughts turn to world book day and I bid for an outfit to wear. At the end of a busy day out with my other passion, my grandchildren, I settle down to Twitter to keep up to date with education. I think you can spot the pattern ... 

At the end of every very half term I break up feeling absolutely exhausted having chased my tail just to keep up. Then during my break I reflect. 

I have recently been filling my mind with all manner of projects including studying Budhism, completing courses on Coursera and Udemy and making tentative steps to write a book.  All of this is in an effort to keep my mind busy, to stop myself getting dragged down and depressed, you see I was depressed and whilst it was not all down to my job, it was a big part of it. 

Teaching is ingrained in me, it brings me lots of joy but also lots of sadness and stress. I cannot imagine doing another job. However, education is, in my opinion and from my experience, broken and what saddens me the most is my genuine belief that we have got it that wrong that our pupils, our precious next generation are being let down, damaged even. They are to the government merely a number, a statistic, a political football and my main problems with this is the obsession with measuring, testing, data, narrowing of the curriculum and the obsession with evidence and progress, two of my most hated words in education which I think sum up the root cause of the rot. 

I have for a longtime felt helpless, complicit even, going along with this madness. That was until the worm turned! I made the decision to have my own one woman revolution! Have I gone mad? What forms the basis of this revolution? 

I have decided to get on with my job, doing what I know is right for the pupils in my class. You see like all good teachers I know my class inside out, I know their family circumstances, I know their friendship groups, I know their hobbies, what subjects they excel at and the ones they need to work more on. I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know when to push them out of their comfort zone and when not to. I know which question to ask them, where they are and what they need to do next.

So armed with this knowledge I teach a broad and balanced curriculum, ensure all of the objectives I am meant to teach are taught. I engage, enthuse, encourage, nurture, push and extend. I get on with what I need to do remembering that they are, in my case, 6 and 7 years of age. 

This means I protect them from the nonsense, I make sure they enjoy learning, playing, making friends, working together, being independent. I try to encourage them to become more organised and to be all I know they can be. We laugh together, we  dance, play games, we read books and above all we learn together. Learning is at the centre of    everything we do, it is fun and child centred. 

Since this one woman revolution I find myself less manic, I enjoy my job and my pupils enjoy learning. This was very evident in parents evening before half term with parents reporting how happy their children are in school and most importantly how well they are doing and how much they enjoy learning. 

We owe it to ourselves as professionals to do what we know is important, to do what is best for the pupils in our care and protect them as best we can from the current madness that is education. 

The Brain - The Final Frontier

The brain, it's functions, structure and how it works is a source of fascination for me. This is due mainly to two things.

Firstly as a teacher I am fascinated about how we learn and remember things because I want to help my pupils to become effective learners. 

I have read many articles and books written about learning styles which have caused me to consider my own 'learning style.'Am I a visual learner? I sometimes like to see things written down before I can understand them or remember them, spellings for example, but not all of the time. I also like to write things down as an aid to remembering them. I used index cards with key words as a revision tool. I also like diagrams and illustrations alongside text to help me figure things out and used Tony Buzan's Mind Mapping and colour methods during exam revision. However I certainly don't fit the spatial understanding part of this style as maps remain a mystery to me. Am I an auditory learner? I would have initially answered emphatically no to this but on reflection I do have songs in my head most of the time, often on a loop, which is infuriating and music plays a big part in my dreams and I do like putting things that I need to remember either to music or at least to rhyme or does this make me a verbal learner?  I could go on and on but my own conclusion to this is that I, like many learners, have a selection of learning styles and that as a teacher I need to .understand learning styles, be aware of them and try to use a variety of learning style approaches in my teaching. What It doesn't provide me with though is a definitive answer to how people learn. 

Ok so what about left brain right brain? You see my problem is I am a pragmatic so whatever comes along I 'give it a go' and yes that meant I stood there in front of my class during 'brain gym' doing figure of eight exercises, the cross crawl or swapping from left to right hand holding my nose with one hand and ear with the other. The principles behind brain gym came from Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori and Anna Jean Ayres to name a few and were born out of lots of research and experience. Did it help my pupils to learn I can't say I noticed any huge improvement but the exercises were fun and did provide brain breaks but that is another story... Am I left or right brained I pondered? I tried this simple test http://braintest.sommer-sommer.com/en/ and learned I am 78% right brained,  I would describe myself as creative but also as I have got older have developed a love of maths which whilst it does have its creative side is actually very logical. I'm also not really sure how it helps me understand myself as a learner or how I can use this knowledge to improve my pupils as learners. In fact it provides more questions than answers? I am hoping, or was hoping, to write a book about teaching and I really do wonder if I am logical enough? I find the creative side of my brain means academic research bores the pants off me and I tend to go more from personal experience and rhetoric than academic research after all the research is only as good as the person doing it and is often countered by others anyway.  Or does this just mean I'm a cynic? Who knows but I can see how over reliance on one type of brain research can hinder rather than help providing self limitation.

Next comes memory, a huge topic which is so important to teachers because learning and memory go hand in hand. I would, like most people, describe myself as having an appalling memory and have again used, pragmatic style, many of the memory techniques. I have found these useful but not life changing. This in fairness is due more to the lack of consistency to which I apply said methods than the effectiveness of the methods themselves. I do use some 'memory techniques' in my teaching including again mind maps, story journeys and mnemonics. 

Secondly as someone who has lived with 'hypopituitarism' for over 10 years I am now fascinated about the many other functions of the brain that affect memory, learning and emotion. The pituitary gland which is located at the base of the brain produces a number of hormones or chemicals which are released into the blood to control other glands in the body. If the pituitary is not producing one or more of these hormones, or not producing enough, then this condition is known as hypopituitarism.

To say it was a shock when I discovered I suffered from this condition is an understatement. I was very poorly and glad to finally know what was wrong or at least put a name to it but after 10 years I still don't fully understand it so complex is it. This makes it difficult to manage but I am proud to say I have never let it define me. In fact this is the first time I have discussed it outside of friends and family. I have defied the odds and worked through all of the difficult times determined to not let it defeat me. Pituitary disorders are considered rare. It is estimated that there are between 50,000 and 70,000 pituitary patients in the United Kingdom, which equates to 0.08% - 0.11% of the population. 

I never realised that hormones played such a huge part in the functions of the brain or in fact that the brain played a role in releasing hormones around the body which affect so many parts of our daily lives. 

So what role do hormones play in memory? Because hormones are often more concentrated in the brain, any hormone imbalance can affect brain function dramatically. In The Hormone Solution, Dr. Thierry Hertoghe notes that deficiencies in cortisol, DHEA, estrogen hormones, melatonin, pregnenolone, testosterone, thyroid, and vasopressin exhibit the most common brain-related symptoms, including memory loss, poor concentration, and confusion.

My conclusions? Without even considering trauma, psychology, experiences ... I think (get the pun) that the brain is truly the last great frontier of discovery. We know some things but by no means all. I will I am sure remain as pragmatic as ever and give anything a go when it comes to new 'brain and learning' research and true to form will also retain and use the ones that I find most effective in my day to day teaching as aids and tools to facilitate and enrich the learning experience. 

A tough term so what next?

Boy it's been a tough term! New curriculum, new methods of assessment, new Ofsted framework....

Yet still I love teaching. These are some of my own tips on how to survive the madness that is the education system under the tories.

Love teaching but don't let it define you - remember ultimately it is a job, a job you do to live not a job you live for.

Trust your own instincts - teaching is a job everyone has an opinion about. Just remain true to yourself, your pupils, your setting and your teaching style. Any other way leads to confusion and possible madness. 

Surround yourself with people who share your philosophy on education and avoid the sappers and moaners. Yes it's tough this teaching malarkey but boy it's worth it. Have a moan, a rant and a vent when the going gets tough but then dust yourself off and get back on the metophorical bike and lose yourself in teaching. Our pupils remain the perfect forget all. Who can remain down when faced with your pupils, your school family?

Collaborate with professionals in your school and cluster schools. Sharing knowledge and good practice can only improve things for everyone. 

Take your CPD seriously you deserve the best so seek it out. One great source of CPD is Twiter so set up a professional Twitter account it is full of fellow professionals, articles, blogs, resources and pearls of wisdom but do take care it can drag you down. Read my 'Plea to professional tweeters' blog for some further advice.

Have a go at blogging it is such a good way of reflecting on your teaching, advising others and sharing your views. It can be as detailed or simple as you choose. Remain professional but dont let the blogger snobs tell you how to do it just blog!

Throw open your door and like the old saying 'dance like no one is watching' but this time 'teach like no one is watching.' Teach from your gut and not from a three page lesson plan. Be honest, open and true. Don't be afraid to be observed, be confident in your craft. Let others observe you and you go and observe others you never know you may learn something new. Fear of observation has been brought about by bad management and obviously by Ofsteds continual moving of the goal posts. Take back control of your teaching and throw caution to the wind. You do a good job day after day so when observed do what you do, be confident in your abilities. I can guarantee being observed by your peers and observing your peers will help you realise that actually you are 'good' at this teaching thing. Remember it's the learning that counts not you on a unicycle juggling whilst wearing a red nose. 

Good luck and keep fighting the good fight! Only two terms to go ...

Are you with me?

In April 2014, whilst in the grips of the reign of the now infamous Education Minister Mr Gove I wrote a blogpost 'Do We Need a Teaching Revolution.' The original post can be found here

So nearly two years on where are we? What's new in the hood that is Education? Are things better? 

Well things have changed - 

• Gove is gone! Replaced, but sadly not history, his legacy survives in the much talked about 2014 National Curriculum. 

• Ofsted have changed the way schools and in particular teaching is judged. The focus is not just on the lesson, it is now about the learning, pupils behaviour, books, displays and professional dialogue. 

• Sats levels have gone replaced by a new system which is, it is said so much easier for parents to understand and relate to.

So it could seem that all is well, teachers are happy? Sadly this is not the case:

• It has been a chaotic year with lots of ups and downs. Schools trying to manage  a completely new curriculum with no extra budget to support the changes. 

• Devising a whole new method of reporting progress without levels has been both confusing and time consuming. 

• Education remains under constant scrutiny and high on the political agenda.

• Ofsted still exist and despite reassurances on their new procedures those in education know the judgment has on the whole been made via Raiseonline before the inspectors even set foot in the school. 

• Teachers are still leaving the profession in droves for a variety of reasons ranging from being overworked and under increasing pressure. 

• Those teachers who remain in the profession due to their passion for their job and dedication are exhausted and often demoralised. 

However, remain they do, but why? Teaching truly is a brilliant profession, a privilege. After all what could be more rewarding than a job that allows you to directly influence and have an impact upon the minds of children? 

So what happens now? How can we re energise our profession? What can we do to retain teachers? A lot of unanswered questions, non of which are easy to solve but we have to. We not only have a duty of care to our pupils but also a duty to our truly noble profession. As cheesy as it sounds we need to stand shoulder to shoulder and unite! Hands up if your with me!

It's Not Rocket Science

Teaching is a profession that is always in the spotlight. Everyone has an opinion about teaching and how it should be done. There are endless studies into teaching and learning and it is a constant political football kicked from party to party. 

This, I believe, has resulted in the belief that teaching is hard. Well I will let you into a secret, it isn't!

As the title of the blog says it isn't rocket science in fact to thousands and thousands of teachers teaching is simple and as natural as breathing. 

This isn't I grant you the same for all teachers but like all professions there are those that quite simply shouldn't have gone into it at all. 

Teaching is instinctive it flows and gets easier when teacher and pupil have a relationship based on trust. 

It is a wonderful job . What could be better than facilitating learning, passing on knowledge and igniting an excitement for learning! 

It's not the teaching that's the problem it's the baggage that goes with it, the incessant interference, the row after row of those that think they know better than the teacher how to teach their pupils. 

So here is my plea to teachers all around the world. Teach! Keep it simple, let it flow, be you!

And to the 'experts' and the politicians I say leave teachers to do what they do best, trust them and turn your attention to the things that need attention such as social deprivation, human rights ... 

Mastery - My top tips

As a long serving, some may say long suffering teacher, I have seen many educational theories, innovations, new practices and buzz words come and go. One of the latest ideas and 'Ofsted' buzzwords is 'Mastery.' As a Maths coordinator I was introduced to Mastery teaching via the Singapore Method.

The Mathematics Mastery programme is a whole-school approach to teaching mathematics that aims to raise attainment for all pupils and close the attainment gap between pupils from low income families and their peers. The programme aims to deepen pupils’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts. Compared to traditional curricula, fewer topics are covered in more depth and greater emphasis is placed on problem solving and on encouraging mathematical thinking. Education Endowment Foundation

I was, and am intrigued by Mastery. Lots of the ideas and theories make sense to me so I embarked upon some research of my own. This consisted of lots of reading, attending training, some observations of mastery in practice and discussions with fellow professionals both locally and further afield. 

My next step was to adapt the Mastery approach to suit both my teaching style and the needs of my class and pupils in our school.  Below are some of the tips and techniques I am using to teach using a mastery approach in my own class and those shared with the teachers in our school. 

Pre teaching

As differentiation doesn't take a high profile in Mastery it is essential to ensure that the pupils who may struggle with the initial input of a lesson are pre taught to enable them to keep up with the pace of the lesson itself. I have found this an invaluable method as the pupils then go into the lesson itself bristling with confidence knowing they can join in from the outset. They are on an even footing with the rest of the class. Pre teaching generally takes place either the day before or ideally 'just before' the lesson. This may be during registration or assembly. It should only take about 20 minutes. 

Immediate feedback 

An absolute essential element of any teaching should be immediate feedback. If a pupil has got it wrong, made a mistake or totally misunderstood, to find out the next day is too late. The moment has passed. With immediate feedback the errors, mistakes, misconceptions are ironed out immediately allowing learning to take place. In my class immediate feedback takes place during the lesson. How??

Challenge Activities 

When a piece of work has been completed pupils in my class collect their challenge activity cards and choose, independently, a challenge to complete. They have 8 challenges in maths and 10 in English. The challenges are carefully chosen to allow them to 'master' key skills. In maths this includes number bonds, times tables and the four operations. In English they are SPAG related. Whilst they complete challenges I am free to give immediate feedback to groups or individuals. It takes some time to set up and to put the rules and routines into place but it works like a dream. 

Purple Perfectors

These are essential to the success of immediate feedback. When a pupil makes a mistake they immediately correct it using a purple pen. This is then brought back to me to show they have understood my feedback. The children love it because they get to write in purple pen, they see it as a positive not a negative. 

I also facilitate 'conceptual understanding' by the use of concrete resources to allow pupils to explore and play around with what they and learning. This takes place during most lessons as part of maths challenges but essentially when introducing a new concept. 

As you can see I have adapted the mastery approach to suit me and passionately believe that this is an essential part of being a professional. We cannot take every new initiative on board verbatim but what we can do is apply our professional judgement , make our own decisions based upon the knowledge we have of the pupils we teach every day. 

I hope you find some of my ideas helpful maybe even inspiring! Let me know what you think.