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.
Most teachers probably feel like they’ve got a million and one different relationships to manage at the same time. But even if you get on well with your colleagues and have established a strong bond with pupils, that doesn’t mean to say relationships between you and parents will be just as rosy.
The secret to building good relationships with parents and guardians is actually quite simple – communication. By reaching out to parents and guardians early on in the school year, they will feel much more comfortable and confident that their children are in good hands.
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:
Working as a teacher, you might think that you’re the only one who hates the GCSE study preparation period, but we’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. While students look forward to a time with no lessons, they quickly realise how boring studying for GCSEs can be. Particularly if there is no class structure.
Exams are a source of constant debate among educators, policymakers, and parents. Recently, ministers revealed plans to introduce testing for 4-year-olds in England. The baseline assessments have been widely criticised, but how do you feel about the proposed move? When is the best time to start exams, and is there a right answer to this question?
If you’re a parent, you probably have an opinion when it comes to your child’s homework. Do you feel that they have too much work to do or has the amount of work children bring home decreased over the course of time? How much homework is too much, and is there ever a way of answering this question that satisfies every parent and educator?