Category Archives: Teaching

What lense do you use when looking at children’s writing?

I looked at this 6 year olds work on thinking and thought of this quote a team leader used at the annual parent information night: “We let children paint their faces, swing around poles, blow bubbles, build cubby houses, go … Continue reading

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What drives your classroom coaching program?

Last year I caught up with Barrie Bennett in Toronto and had the chance to talk through his framework for classroom improvement. It was one of those light bulb moments when it became clear for me what the missing focus was in both … Continue reading

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Leaders talking teaching and learning!

At this week’s leadership meeting I set the context for our reading of John Hattie’s article on building teacher quality. The article lists a number of key strategies [e.g. feedback] that have the greatest effect size on student learning. It concludes: “expert … Continue reading

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Student Leadership

I was talking to the senior students at school this week and used this clip to start the discussion about leadership changing the world We often start in our own backyard so to speak in small ways and the students said by being kind … Continue reading

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Classroom Rules

I found this clip may just in a fun way create a converstaion with students about classrooms rules.

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Multiplication by lines

John Connell and Stephen Heppell are on fire this week with this interesting mathematical problem. I can see it works but I’m still trying to see how.

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Tests are everywhere but this can only be in America!

Thanks to John Connell from Cisco I came across this article on the testing business in America. Businesses make huge profits from selling tests to school districts or states as a result of the NCLB legislation and as it now … Continue reading

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A hoe is that what you want? or Why teach Speaking and Listening skills.

This week I was casually listening to a teacher explain something of a technical nature to colleague and it reminded me of the need to be careful in our use of language in schools particularly when trying to explain a new … Continue reading

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