On a day-to-day basis, most teachers will witness children misbehaving or being somewhat cruel to each other. But thankfully, there’s an innate kindness in everyone, which simply needs a little bit of classroom cultivation.
Famed naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin believed that kindness was one of the strongest instincts in humans stating, “those communities which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members would flourish best and rear the greatest number of offspring.”
Despite the fact that many teachers believe marking is necessary to provide children with valuable feedback and help them improve in the future, Ofsted doesn’t share the same sentiment.
In a myth-busting factsheet, Ofsted said it “does not expect to see any specific frequency, type or volume of marking and feedback; these are for the school to decide through its assessment policy.”
In other words, as long as schools get the required results out of students, marking isn’t absolutely essential.
According to the National Literacy Trust, 3 in 5 children in the UK enjoy reading, which is an all-time-high. This will come as good news for teachers, as the longer children maintain an enjoyment of reading, the greater the benefits are in the classroom.
In fact, 10-year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who do not enjoy reading, which rises to 2.1 years for 12-year-olds and 3.3 years for 14-year-olds.
According to a report by Public Health England, there is a clear link between health, wellbeing, and educational attainment. Happier children work better, have less time off school, achieve higher grades, and are generally more successful.
Therefore, it is in every teacher’s best interests to create a happy classroom. Student happiness doesn’t detract from ‘serious’ learning either, as evidence shows that those with a greater sense of wellbeing also do better academically and are better behaved.
According to the Oxford Language Report, which surveyed more than 1,300 teachers across the country, the significant word gap in UK schools is holding back children’s learning.
Over half of those surveyed reported that at least 40 per cent of their pupils lacked the vocabulary needed to access their learning. Worryingly, 69 per cent of primary school teachers and 60 per cent of secondary school teachers believe the gap is increasing.
As a teacher, your day-to-day responsibilities include more than just ticking off items on the curriculum. Along with giving your students the tools and techniques to learn effectively, you’ll also be dictating their behaviour, shaping their minds, and influencing future decisions.
In fact, school children who receive words of encouragement from a teacher are significantly more likely to continue their education beyond the age of 16 than those who do not according to a study by the University of Cambridge.
Seeing as the summer holidays are still very much in full swing, the thought of returning to school is bound to be at the back of your mind. However, every teacher knows that September will roll around sooner rather than later.
So, to prevent any last-minute panicking and to ensure you’re as fully prepared as possible, here are 6 planning tips for September readiness.
Timetabling plays a vital role in how pupils develop and progress throughout the year. If you learn how to get timetabling right, then it will inevitably benefit the students – and the school – moving forwards.
One of the best ways to do this is by using research evidence. With evidence, we can inform timetabling to come up with the best strategies that elicit the most success. Here are a few things that you should maybe keep your eye on:
You need to take on more responsibilities as a form tutor, but it’s an incredibly rewarding role. If you’re keen to develop your skills in this position, then here are some top tips:
Don’t be a typical teacher
Take on a more active role with the students in your form group, and interact with them differently to how you would with students you teach.
We need more teachers, and we must work to keep those who have already signed on in the fold. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact as unions have informed that the number of losses in teaching is quickly becoming unmanageable. It is important to take action, investing in the future of our teachers and developing their careers. Currently, there is very little being done in this area.
