Ask any teacher whether it is possible to raise pupil outcomes while reducing their workload and most will probably answer the same – no.
However, a new book by Robert Powell called Live Feedback explores strategies that promise to engage learners, raise attainment, and reduce the time spent on detailed marking of students’ work.
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.
For teachers up and down the country, 2020 has been an interesting year to say the least. The coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdown threw our education system into disarray, with millions of parents forced to tackle the challenge of home-schooling.
During this time, teachers themselves became key workers and had to provide pupils with schemes of work that could be delivered remotely. But now teachers must overcome a new obstacle – helping students catch up on work missed during the six-month stretch of school closures.
Beyond the logistics of schools themselves, such as government decisions, the following trends and predictions could soon be part of your regular routine.
If any of the following concepts feel somewhat unfamiliar, your school could be falling behind others in terms of its approach to education and support for teachers.
Many teachers will learn that assessment is either summative or formative. But how many actually know the etymological meaning of the word ‘assessment’?
According to Evangeline Harris Stefanakis (2002), “The word assess comes from the Latin assidere, which means to sit beside. Literally then, to assess means to sit beside the learner.”
For some, the start of a new year means healthier eating and more exercise. For others, it represents an opportunity to set goals and be more successful.
So, what about teachers? Well, it’s fair to say that most in education will have a number of hopes and fears for 2020, which are likely to include the following.
What does the run-up to the festive season look like at your school? Several teachers will integrate the 12 Days of Christmas into their lesson plans as a way to keep children engaged, as attention spans are usually at their shortest point of the year.
But why should teachers miss out on all the fun? Here’s an education-inspired 12 Days of Christmas, with a reading recommendation for each.
A few years ago, a US study suggested that teachers should stop using red pens because the colour is associated with ‘warning, prohibition, caution, anger, embarrassment and being wrong’.
The research revealed that students think they’ve been assessed more harshly when their work is covered in red ink compared to other colours. It could even have a negative impact on teacher-student relationships and learning outcomes.
News of the report was met with ridicule by many, including Tory MP Bob Blackman who said: “It sounds to me like some petty edict which is nonsense. It is absolutely political correctness gone wild.”
Did you know that a quarter of teachers in England work more than 60 hours a week, far in excess of their counterparts elsewhere in the world? Recent research found that teachers in England work 47 hours a week on average during term time, including marking, lesson planning and administration, going up to about 50 hours in the summer during the exam season.
It goes without saying that finding the time for anything other than your daily duties is extremely difficult. But what about helping trainee teachers who are taking their first tentative steps into schools? How can established teachers ensure that the next generation have the best experience possible?
What would you say is the most important characteristic of a great teacher? Listening skills? Passion for the job? Or perhaps friendliness and approachability?
For many, it is the ability to communicate effectively. But this isn’t limited to the words coming out of your mouth – communication is about about when you say it, how often you say it, who you say it to and what your actions are saying.
So, if you want to communicate better, here’s 4 things you should be saying.