A new research paper has revealed that the type of recall task a teacher chooses can substantially influence the effects of learning by retrieval practice.
It matters how to recall – task differences in retrieval practice (Endres et al, November 2020) explores how 54 university students studied two expository texts, followed by retrieval practice tasks.
Getting to know your students is never easy, especially in the first term of a new school year. But now that you’ve spent some quality time with your class and the distraction of the Christmas holidays has disappeared, this is the perfect opportunity to gain a better understanding of your students both as learners and people.
By doing so, you’ll be able to build strong relationships and a favourable rapport with your class, which in turn can help you become a master of behaviour management. Throughout the rest of your career in education, you’ll soon realise that this is an invaluable and indispensable skill.
Earlier this year, Tom Bennett’s independent review on behaviour in schools was published, which looked at leadership and culture as well as strategies to prevent classroom disruption and maintain good discipline. However, one of the most interesting aspects of the review was the inclusion of Charlie Taylor’s Behaviour Checklist, which calls for proactive, positive planning.
“Too often school leaders and teachers don’t think about behaviour when it’s good. They only think about it when it’s bad, which is counter-intuitive,” noted Taylor. “Planning for each individual child is vital especially when setting behaviour goals. Teachers just react to the child’s misbehaviour rather than having planned strategies in place.”