Plain Sailing In Schools

It is very tempting after all your hard work over the term and throughout the school year, to just want to flop on a beach somewhere. However, Anthony Seldon writing in the Times Educational Supplement, believes a changes is as good as a rest.

“The summer holidays are clearly vital in restoring your equilibrium,” says Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College. “It is the teacher’s equivalent to a good night’s sleep after you have been up all night at a party, or having a sleepless night worrying about a difficult class.”

Instead of hanging up a hammock and snoozing all summer long, Anthony Seldon suggests to staff in schools – do something energetic, be bold, go outside and holiday in the British Isles.

Do Something Energetic

Physical exhaustion is a great prelude for a good flop. A good tennis match or an impromptu game of rugby in the park can fill an afternoon with fun, and be truly relaxing. Anthony Seldon said lazing by a beach or sleeping in everyday only leads to us feeling we haven’t accomplished very much, and feeling even more lethargic. He suggests playing cricket, trying morris dancing, recreational walking, ball games..or (can you believe) swimming the English Channel!

Be Bold

Try out different destinations or activities to keep your mind sharp and remind yourself to think outside the box. You may have favourite places you like to visit, but there are so many new things to do and see. Here are some of Anthony Sheldon’s ideas for things you may not have tried, but have always wanted to do: rock climbing under the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a ride on a hovercraft, playing in a brass band, visiting Brixton and eating fried plantains, or taking up gardening and hiring an allotment.

Go Outside

So long as you use lots of sunscreen, there is nothing better than being outside in sunny weather. The English weather being what it is however, you might prefer to pack your waterproof and wellies. Whatever you decide, there’s loads to get up to outside. How about: taking in your favourite pub garden, camping in the Lake District, taking a narrowboat ride through the canals of England, painting your garden shed, or visiting Kew Gardens.

Holiday in the British Isles

There are endless destinations on our jewel of an island that can offer you inspiration and life-changing memories. Many of England’s destinations are easily accessible via a short jaunt by rail, car or even bicycle. You could visit the Royal Festival Hall, the English countryside, Bekonscot model village, Lincoln Cathedral, Burgh Island, the English seaside…to name just a few.

What types of stress do school staff have to deal with?

I am sure you agree that most people have no idea about the amount of stress that teachers and other school staff deal with on a daily basis. Quite often they don’t just have one or two problem children, but an oversized classroom full of them.

Not only do school staff have the stress of dealing with so many diverse children each day, but they also have the enormous pressure of educating and helping to mould these children into productive members of society. With all the rules, regulations, guidelines and performance expectations all around, school staff can have very high levels of stress. Working in schools is very demanding.

More often than not, teachers and other school staff have to take work home overnight or at weekends in order to be well prepared and organised for the next teaching day.

So what exactly can school staff do?

So with all these stressors surrounding them, how can teachers and other school staff manage their stress? First and foremost they must make sure to take good care of themselves. They need to accept that they are human, and as such they are just as fallible as the parents of the children they teach. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes from time to time.

When they do make a mistake then they must accept responsibility for it and move on. One important step in stress management in schools is to foster a close friendship with someone in whom they may freely confide. This will give them an outlet for their frustration so that it is not allowed to fester inside.

Some Stress Busting Tips

Here are some ideas for teachers and other school staff to help reduce their stress to a more manageable level.

1. Eat right

By skipping meals you are depriving your body of the extra nutrients that it needs when faced with large levels of stress.

2. Get plenty of sleep

When you don’t get the rest you need, your body may respond by causing you to be irritable. You may also react poorly to the situations that normally would not cause you to be stressed.

3. Try to exercise

Exercise has been validated as an important stress relief tool. It has also been found to alleviate depression as well, which makes it very powerful in relieving stress.

4. Have a good sense of humour

We all know that laughter is the best for of medicine. There is plenty of medical evidence to prove that people who keep a light heart tend not to feel the effects of stress as strongly as those who have no sense of humour.

Ultimately, you must be aware that stress can be dangerous when you are dealing with a high amount of it on a daily basis. It can take a toll on your body, so it is vital that you find ways to cope and reduce stress in order to live a happier life. So:

5. Learn not to worry

Worrying is a negative way of using our imagination. We often generate scenarios that do not exist, yet we use these scenarios to stress ourselves out. Cutting out worry can greatly reduce stress.

6. Take things slow

We live in a fast-paced world. Almost everyone is impatient. A hectic lifestyle is a stressful lifestyle. Learn to pause, slow your pace, and you will begin to feel better.

7. Find the positive

It is easy to think negatively and put ourselves down in any situation. Start training you brain to find the positive in all situations. A positive attitude will not allow stress to overcome you.

If you would like any more information about beating stress, please do get in touch with me.

There is little doubt that a key role of being a teacher is to listen carefully to what the students have to say. However, most research based on classroom observations suggests that there is often a lack of quality time for teachers to listen. This may be due to time constraints and the pressure felt by teacher to do most of their teaching through speaking, but it is also partially because they haven’t learned how to listen effectively.

Naturally, there are many occasions when teachers have an opportunity to hear a student speak, including their formal responses to open-ended questions, class discussions, and informal conversations. If teachers are convinced that young people learn through the process of expressing their thoughts and benefit from being taken seriously by the teacher, then quality time spent listening to them is more than justified.

The art of listening does not come naturally to everyone. We all have to persevere to become good listeners as it is a very important element of good communication, and ultimately is a vital teaching skill for every teacher.

As teachers, it is important to recognise that:

• young people have important things to say;
• it is courteous and polite to listen carefully;
• it models appropriate behaviour for the students to emulate;
• it enables teachers and other adults to learn more about what the students know and understand;
• other students learn from what their peers say;
• an adult at school may be the only person in the student’s life prepared to show an interest in them;
• young people need opportunities to talk about their interests, concerns and opinions;
• every young person appreciates an attentive adult;
• it helps to deepen the relationship between the teacher and the student.

It would be unfair to say that only teachers prefer to talk rather than listen to what others have to say, as this is probably preferable for most adults in whatever walk of life. However, there is little doubt that listening has to be learned and practised. Furthermore, it is possible for teachers to actually stop hearing, because their minds are elsewhere. The brain needs to be alert and focused for quality listening to take place. Listening relies on both self-discipline and being convinced that the speaker has something worth hearing.

In order for teachers to become better listeners, they need to be able to minimise any possible distractions. Distractions can come from the immediate environment, from the listener’s mind, and from the speaker. These distractions can be reduced by employing certain strategies. The teacher needs to be able to shut out environmental distractions and concentrate on the student’s words. By closely following the words, the teacher can mentally summarise the key points. Keeping eye contact can also help to minimise distractions.

TIPS TO HELP TEACHERS BECOME BETTER LISTENERS

• Develop a real interest in the speaker and what he/she has to say

• Try not to pre-empt what the speaker is going to say and fill the unspoken words

• Try to think carefully about what the words mean to the speaker

• Mentally, summarise the key points and ideas that the speaker is expressing

• Concentrate on the words and ideas that are being expressed

• Ask questions for further clarification of what is being said

• Try to understand what meaning is being conveyed beyond the actual words

• Listen with an open mind and don’t jump to conclusions

• Repeat key phrases every so often in a tone that conveys interest

• Use effective oral responses, such as “I see” or “Yes of course”

• Look directly at the speaker with reassurance

• Try not to contradict or argue with what the speaker is saying

• Allow the speaker to confirm, clarify or modify the key points

If you would like to add any points to this list or share your views on being a good listener, then it would be great to hear from you. Just leave a response here.

If you need further help with your listening skills, then please do get in touch with me or try the free interactive coaching session, by clicking on the blue banner on the homepage. I look forward to hearing from you.

One of the key elements of a good report is knowledge. Teachers deliver programmes of study through a sequence of lessons. As the lessons are being delivered and the pupils are learning, evidence of this learning is being compiled. The evidence may be transitory – through oral questions and answers, discussions and practical work such as that found in subjects like drama or physical education.

Good teachers need to be good assessors. They need to ensure that learning has occurred by assessing the quality of the outcomes from each lesson. In many cases, some recording of the outcomes should take place and the data added to on a regular basis.

A report is a statement that imparts this knowledge of the learning outcomes. It shows that a teacher has looked at the programme of study and has taken from it critical criteria that the pupil has had to meet to succeed in that subject. The teacher reports on this progress over a set period of time and the report refers specifically to this progress. The report encapsulates, for a parent, what the child has done over the school year and how their learning has measured up to the identified criteria and the skills that need to be mastered at the time.

Susan Davies (2006) states that a report should encapsulate and state:

• what has been taught
• what has been learnt
• how the pupil has done in relation to the expected norm for a child of that age
• what strengths the pupil has shown
• what weaknesses need to be addressed by the pupil
• the pupil’s attitude within the subject area towards classwork/homework/independent learning/working with others
• class targets for improvement that should be subject specific.

Ultimately, the report allows parents an insight into learning and ensures that they are part of a partnership made up of pupil, parents and the teacher/school.

The style

Parents are not usually familiar with national curriculum jargon, so it is best to stick to plain English. Reports look more professional if the vocabulary is descriptive and concise, so do avoid using the words ‘good’, ‘well’, ‘bad’ and ‘average’. These words give a very general picture and they are not very informative. Here are some more interesting and useful comments:

• participates sensibly
• grasps new concepts quickly
• loves learning new skills
• understands clearly
• takes pleasure in
• concentrates for long periods
• enjoys being involved in
• lively imagination
• wide general knowledge
• has a wide range of interests
• continues to improve.

The tone

Be aware of not making the whole report too negative. Try to focus on positives as much as possible. Although you have to be honest about thechild’s shortcomings, it is important to highlight their strengths and your tone should displayyour own interest in and care for the child.

Here are some expressions that demonstrate a positive attitude to the pupil:

• I was pleased when…
• I hope he/she will soon…
• I should be delighted if…
• I hope she/he will develop her/his talent for…
• I enjoy teaching X because…
• I wish X well next year.

The following comments can be used to highlight the pupil’s weaknesses without causing too much offence.

For the less able:

• slow but perseveres
• tries hard but needs extra support with
• does his/her best but lacks confidence
• is fairly keen but has a short attention span
• often tries hard but can be careless
• needs a lot of practice at each level
• copes best in a small group
• needs extra practice at each level to keep up with the class
• acquires new skills/concepts after a lot of practice.

For the reluctant learner:

• makes avoidable mistakes
• needs to check his/her work more carefully
• needs to be supervised closely to keep her/him on task
• needs to put in more effort to keep up with the group
• is easily distracted
• often needs to finish off his/her work at break-times

For the child with poor social skills:

• needs to consider other children’s feelings
• has not yet learnt how to make friends
• does not realise that other children will treat him/her exactly as he/she treats them
• does not realise that other children deserve as much attention as him/her
• must learn that he/she will never get his/her own way by giving cheek

Hopefully, these tips and suggestions will make your daunting task of writing reports much easier.

It would be great if you could share your views and ideas, so please do leave a comment. I very much look forward to responding.

During my recent time twittering away on twitter, I came across a gentleman called Mark Warner, who is a primary school teacher in the UK. Mark’s passion is for using ICT in the classroom.

I share his passion very much. Visiting schools to observe my latest group of PGCE students, I have seen some wonderful use of ICT which has totally engaged the children in class. In fact, I’m seeing much fewer behaviour problems or disinterested pupils.

Please check out his site by clicking on the logo here:

‘Ideas to Inspire’ is a collection of collaborative presentations, which offer a large number of ideas for engaging lesson activities. They are the result of the collaboration of teachers from all around the world.

The presentations are grouped into different sections:

Curriculum Ideas

Providing ideas and resources, linked to specific curriculum areas. Here are some of the topics:

• Inspiring Writing
• Interactive Maths
• Amazing Art
• Marvellous Music
• Creative Geography
• ICT in the Early Years
• ICT Control and Modelling

Interesting Ways to Use ICT in Your Classroom

These presentations focus on one particular ICT tool and suggest ways of using that tool in your classroom.

Other Collaborative Presentations

This section contains even more collaborative presentations, covering a range of topics. Explore the wonderful ‘Techy Tips for Not So Techy Teachers’ or browse through the ‘A to Z of ICT’.

If you have any amazing ideas to add to the presentations on the site, or you can suggest a new topic, please get in touch with Mark: mark@teachingideas.com.

Do you have classroom rules?

Rules are crucial for any lesson and should be shared with pupils and can form the basis of your code of conduct.

Some schools have a set of standardised rules that are used for all classes. It would be good to hear from you about the specific rules you use. As I visit different schools, it is interesting to see how much the rules vary.

Here are some I would like to share with you. These are recommended by Susan Davies (2006).

What are your views on them? Can you add any to this list?

Pupils must:

• turn up with the necessary equipment, in primary schools much equipment may be provided, even so specialist kit may be needed on specific days (eg for PE or games) and ensuring this happens is important.

• behave appropriately at all times without nudging each other or distracting others from working.

• enter and leave the classroom in an orderly fashion.

• sit down and get equipment and books out ready for learning to begin.

• not speak while the teacher is talking.

• not shout out.

• not make sounds that are distracting whilst others are working, like whistling, tapping pens, etc.

• not answer back.

• do what the teacher says – if a pupil is asked to move, then they should follow that instruction, as there will be a reason for it.

• complete learning work to the best of their ability.

• complete homework on time.

Remember, the teacher should be in charge of the teaching and the organisation of the classroom – pupils need to be clear about this.

You need to clearly outline the sanctions that you will use if pupils do not comply. This may include a reference to school sanctions. Knowing the school behaviour policy, and reminding pupils that you know it, sends out a powerful message about how efficient and prepared you are,

It can often be very difficult to start a lesson. Often the whole group seems to not be interested in anything. So just what does a teacher have to do to fully engage children right from the start?

One great way of starting is to remind the class of the really good things they did in the last lesson. You could pick out the names of the children who did well – although try to not pick the same people. Then you can encourage them to do even better in the current lesson. For example:

• “James, well done on completing the story you wrote last lesson. I’m sure you will do just as well at today’s task.”
• “Linda, you managed really well to understand ‘x’ concept in our last maths lesson. Let’s see how well we can build on that this lesson.”

The beauty of using this strategy is that it anticipates a good lesson. How often do teachers start a lesson moaning and nagging children? Sometimes you even see teachers writing names on a board for detention at the beginning of the lesson. This is totally the wrong approach.

This method enables you to quickly set up a strong sense of success and because it’s based on the last lesson, it makes all the children feel reasonably confident that they can achieve something at least as well as last time.

However, in order for this to be totally effective, you must ensure that you have good notes of what happened in each lesson and highlight which children did particularly well.

Once you have delivered this upbeat message, you can then launch straight into your starter.

Another great way to involve the children right from the start of the lesson is to have a set of flash cards ready with answers to simple questions with one-word answers. For example, “Which country is Mount Everest in?” You could use A4 cards with large lettering, and even better if you use card in a variety of different colours.

Hand the cards to your children as they come in and then start asking them questions. To reply they must hold up the correct card. For example, the child who has Nepal would hold up their card in response to the question. You can of course adapt the questions for any subject. It has the advantage of:

• involving the children straight away in the lesson and focussing their attention on you;
• giving them something physical to do;
• being easy for them as no writing is required;
• allowing them to respond without talking.

I would love to hear your ideas about how you start lessons effectively, and if you try either of these strategies, please let me know how it goes.

• Make sure you do your research beforehand and find out about the school, the local community and social issues. Local Authority websites provide latest Ofsted reports, performance statistics and other background information.
• Always try to visit the school before the interview to have a look round. You may see something you can talk about at the interview, and it helps break the ice.
• Read any educational supplements/papers beforehand and find out about current issues in education. There are always certain key issues in the news that you might be asked about. The BBC Education website and Teachers TV website are very useful.
• Make sure you are familiar with current government initiatives and frameworks such as Every Child Matters, the EYFS, and the new proposals for the primary curriculum.
• Before you go to the interview, make a bullet point list of your strengths and the reasons you are particularly suited to the job. Reading it before you go in will calm your nerves and boost your confidence.
• Have an outline of an activity/topic you were involved in at school that was very successful.
• Think of various scenario cases related to EAL, SEN and G&T children. Dealing with behaviour issues, parents and school staff are popular topics too. You will be expected to talk about your own experiences.
• Take a list of questions in with you. They will always ask for questions at the end. Have a notepad and pen with you. You are perfectly entitled to take time to jot some things down before responding to a question.
• Take a portfolio of work with you. This could include photographs, lesson plans, ideas for rewards you use etc. Even if you can’t use anything to help illustrate an answer, you can give the panel an option to look through it at the end.
• If you suffer from very serious nerves, you could consider seeing a hypnotherapist – they can be very effective.
• Put the interview into perspective. The less you ‘care’ about it, the easier it is to endure with steady nerves, so tell yourself that the job is not that important.
• Using a mantra is a really good idea. While travelling to the interview, choose a powerful statement to repeat over and over. I am the best person for the job/I am calm and confident, etc.
• Always smile and make eye contact with the interview panel early on. They will smile back and that will put you at ease.
• Ask for a glass of water. Take a sip when you’ve been asked a difficult question – this gives you valuable thinking time.
• Be aware of your body language and the way you are sitting. Be as upright as possible and keep your head high.
• Remember, if at first you don’t succeed then try try again. As unpleasant as they are, interviews really do get easier over time, so the more you do the less nervous (eventually) you will be.

Good luck.