Set Goals at the Start of the School Year

How to Help Pupils Set Goals at the Start of the School Year

Teachers can positively impact pupil performance by encouraging and helping them consider their goals for the year ahead.

It’s a good idea to capitalise on their new term enthusiasm by helping them record these goals so they can continue to reflect on their progress. Setting goals can also help them to focus and banish any anxieties they may have.

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Critical Thinking in the English Curriculum

Creative/Critical Thinking in the English Curriculum

The Labour government announced a plan to put critical thinking at the front of the curriculum in England and has established a curriculum and assessment review to create a viable plan for change.

Prioritising critical thinking is a common theme in school curriculums globally, but there are barriers to making a dramatic change to our curriculum, primarily due to restraints such as financial, resourcing and time.

So, what does the government mean by critical thinking, and why is it considered so essential to formalise its inclusion in the English curriculum?

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improve study skills

How to improve study skills

Helping students to improve study skills is a vital element of teaching in secondary school. What better way to help students study more effectively than to use the latest research to ascertain which strategies are most effective?

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artificial intelligence

Embracing Generative AI in Education

In the same way that teachers embraced new technologies like interactive whiteboards and the power of the internet back in the 2000s, educators today are finding a path to maximise the potential of generative AI.

As with anything this revolutionary, there must be a paradigm shift that re-evaluates how teaching and learning will progress.

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Literacy

Improving Literacy Levels with a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum

Is it possible to improve literacy levels with a knowledge-rich curriculum? For many years in the U.K., we have focussed on non-cognitive skills and steered away from general knowledge.

A recent American study into using knowledge-rich curriculums to improve literacy levels explores their effectiveness from kindergarten through to 6th grade.

The results strongly suggest that curriculum interventions can indeed reduce literacy gaps and improve outcomes in other subjects.

Let’s examine the idea of improving literacy levels with a knowledge-rich curriculum in more detail.

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Quizzes in the Classroom

Guide to Using Quizzes in the Classroom

Lesson planning involves many aspects of teaching and learning. One of the vital components is ensuring that pupils have an opportunity to practice retrieval to help them consolidate new information.

You may well use more formal tests at the end of units, but there should also be opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and rehearse their learning more frequently.

In this guide, we will explore some ideas to help you use quizzes more effectively in the classroom.

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Curriculum Planning

How to Make Curriculum Planning Easier

Maybe you are one of the teachers who love curriculum planning, or perhaps you find it daunting.

Whatever your feelings, we can all agree that it can be a time-consuming and often confusing process.

The best way to make curriculum planning creative and fun is to reduce the impact on workload so you do not lose evenings and weekends to the task.

Here are some of our best ideas for making curriculum planning easier.

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