Teaching and Learning

Can we teach optimism?

26 April 2017

Following last week’s article on coping with today’s 24/7 news cycle, Dr Stephanie Thornton continues her discussion on optimism – can we (and should we try to) ‘teach’ this in schools?

Spelling: Engaging the hard-to-reach

26 April 2017

Engaging pupils who don’t want to be taught is a common classroom challenge. Teacher Michelle Lockwood discusses how she is engaging hard-to-reach pupils in learning to spell

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Skills: Further lessons on adaptability

26 April 2017

Continuing her focus on helping your students to become adaptable, Karen Sullivan offers some practical evidence-based teaching ideas

Teaching practice: Sixth form & post-16

19 April 2017

Do children and adults learn differently? Matt Bromley finishes his teaching practice series with a look at pedagogy in the post-16 classroom

Does your school have a positive moral climate?

19 April 2017

Does your school and your teaching still maintain its moral dimension – or has this lost out to competing pressures? Matt Bawden reflects on teaching in a ‘positive moral climate’

Teaching practice: Revision

29 March 2017

Our teaching practice series now turns its attention to exam preparation and how we can help to make revision more effective for students. Matt Bromley explains

Developing a mentoring programme

29 March 2017

Mentoring is a popular intervention in schools. Stephanie George looks at mentoring as an intervention and asks what we mean by effective mentoring practice

Learning to be adaptable

29 March 2017

Key among the skills our students need in today’s world are adaptability and resilience, both of which link to emotional intelligence. Karen Sullivan advises

Student-led research or project work

29 March 2017

We often try to boost independent learning skills by asking pupils to select topics for research projects, especially for the Extended Project. Dr Andrew K Shenton looks at how we can facilitate this process

Teaching practice: Lower-performing students

22 March 2017

All teachers will have lower-performing students in their classroom. Matt Bromley looks at some effective teaching strategies – and some approaches we should perhaps avoid

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Changing lives: One pencil at a time...

22 March 2017

In a bid to make education more accessible to the 124 million children around the world not in school, Evan Lewis is introducing Share A Pencil Day. He explains more about the initiative, taking place on May 17, and the resources available for schools

Going for STEM gold? The CREST Awards

22 March 2017

The CREST Awards, run by the British Science Association, help schools to reward students for their STEM project work. Maria Rossini explains

Teaching practice: Disaffected students

15 March 2017

Just how should you approach the teaching of disaffected students? Matt Bromley continues his teaching practice series with advice on reaching and motivating the disengaged

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Case study: Driving progress in MFL

15 March 2017

Lead practitioner Anna Pethybridge discusses her school’s work to drive up progress in MFL, including a focus on teaching and learning and effective staff deployment

Some useful maths ideas

15 March 2017

The opening of the Winton Gallery offers a new destination for maths-inspired school outings. Susan Elkin takes a look, and also considers some other useful classroom resources to support maths education

Introducing the Industrial Cadets

15 March 2017

The Industrial Cadets initiative offers young people key skills and career insights in STEM industries. Penny Tysoe explains

Ideas for holiday learning

15 March 2017

Last time, Karen Sullivan argued the case for allowing some term-time holidays. She now looks at how learning can continue while families travel together

Teaching practice: Small group work

8 March 2017

The next article in our teaching practice series focuses on small group teaching and how we can motivate students to learn. Matt Bromley advises

Literacy: The role of communication skills

8 March 2017

Communication and language skills are key to literacy, but many children can struggle. Liz Wood and Mary Hartshorne offer some practical strategies to help

How ‘honest’ are you and your school?

8 March 2017

What role does honesty play in the character and ethos of your school? Matt Bawden discusses why honesty should drive everything we do as staff and how this can inspire students and parents too

How do you know your students are learning?

1 March 2017

How can you judge whether all your students are learning something in your lessons and making the progress they are capable of? Teacher Helen Webb discusses what learning looks like...

Teaching practice: The lecture

1 March 2017

Learning at large? It may be unloved and even considered by some unethical, but the lecture still has a role to play. Matt Bromley continues his teaching practice series with a look at how to make a success of the lecture format

Red Nose Day 2017: Ideas and advice

1 March 2017

This year, Red Nose Day takes place on Friday, March 24. With thousands of schools planning to take part, Anna Budzynska offers a range of activity and fundraising ideas as well as some general advice

Teaching practice: Socratic seminars

8 February 2017

Our teaching practice series continues, as does our focus on dialogic questioning. Expert Matt Bromley discusses the teacher’s role in using the six Socratic questions and looks at Socratic seminars in lessons

British Science Week: Demo Day returns for 2017

8 February 2017

Next month, British Science Week returns, as does the popular Demo Day initiative. Amelia Perry, from organisers the British Science Association, explains more