Mark's Learning Log- Wondering if all teachers in training and graduate teachers are being taught to instruct all students in reading as though they were in the red? September 29, 2024I have this wondering that we are teaching all students in the class – as a whole class lesson – in the junior years as though they all needed the intensive phonic instruction and frequent repetition. Yes some explicit instruction … Continue reading →mwalker
- Why Why is the question we all need to answer! May 31, 2024In my work with school educators this is the question I ask them to resolve for themselves. What drives you to lead / teach young people and why? What happened to you and why is that important. I was reminded … Continue reading →mwalker
- Wondering if all teachers in training and graduate teachers are being taught to instruct all students in reading as though they were in the red? September 29, 2024
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Category Archives: reflections
Jason Day tells how he made it to number 1 in the world and more …….
I have listened to this clip several times now as he describes during his childhood experiences he found a passion for golf and family. It’s worth a listen for anyone either interested in golf or wanting to get better at … Continue reading
Posted in coaching, Leadership, professional learning, reflections, sports, Video Clips
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Reading Debates Continue: But what happens in classrooms?
It’s a long article on reading instruction but I think one worth some time and subsequent reflection. It purports that cognitive scientists again and again have proven that students need phonics to become “good” readers. It then goes on to … Continue reading
Posted in Instruction, Reading, reflections, Uncategorized
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features of a wise leader
I was recently going through my email and found this from a close Scottish colleague. THE TEN FEATURES OF A ‘WISE’ LEADER Holds unshakeable values which define their being; Translates their ‘way of thinking’ into the ‘way they do things’; … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, school
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Why become a teacher? part two – my story
Some people can pinpoint a single incident or person that answers this question – for me I need to tell a story as I came to my moral purpose quite late. I went as a young 5-year-old to Corpus Christi, … Continue reading
Posted in reflections, school, teacher efficacy, Teaching
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A School Farewell
This week I was very humbled to attend my farewell assembly at school. There were students, teachers, parents and some returning parents of former students, former and current colleagues, representatives from the Department of Education and my family. Farewell’s are … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, school, Video Clips
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The Wounded Leader
Recently I recalled a book I read a few ago called The Wounded Leader by Ackerman and Maslin-Ostrowski. In the book they suggest schools have leadership resistant architecture typically “the conspiracy of busyness: where there is little time for leaders to … Continue reading
Prioritising your workload
I recently read a short article in the January ASCD “education update” by Elena Hegland, an English teacher in New York, on the topic of prioritising work. It got me thinking about principal’s priorities. Elena lists her top 5 priorities as Student … Continue reading
Posted in reflections, school administration, Teaching, Uncategorized
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EPS data wise team reflections
This is the last post in the series by the 4 teachers overseas inquiring into the data wise process. As our trip draws to a close, we spent time reflecting upon and synthesising our learning both from the Data Wise … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Data Wise Program, Harvard, Instruction, Observation, reflections, school
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The ‘learning pit’ of Harvard: a data wise inquiry into what next!
We are at the end of our time at Harvard having had our presentation both acknowledged by the facility and celebrated by our American colleagues.It felt gooood! Our thinking was then sharpened over the remainder of the course to focus … Continue reading
Posted in Data Wise Program, Harvard, Instruction, Leadership, reflections, school, Teaching, Travel
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The plus delta of an ipad overseas.
This is just a small post on what I love and find frustrtaing using the ipad as a work tool overseas. Yesterday we visited a school in Cambridge (John Tobin) and I took some photos. The ipad was great (compact, … Continue reading
Posted in reflections, Technology, Travel
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“learning as a social process through which understanding is achieved”
The title of this post comes from a book titled “Schools and Communities: working together to transform children live’s” by West-Burnham, Farrar and Otero. Pictured above is George Otero, a co author of the book and Co-President of the Relational Learning Centre … Continue reading
Posted in curriculum, reflections, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Reflections on ‘Learning Intentions’ of classroom lessons
Over the past 3 months I have been honoured to observe instruction by teachers in classrooms across a number of schools. One of the indicators of effective instruction is that each lesson has a clear learning intention stated up front to … Continue reading
Posted in Instruction, Instructional Rounds, reflections, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Feeling mixed emotions on ANZAC Day.
This recently discovered photos of Aussies in the trenches in World War 1 brings another special memory to ANZAC Day celebrations this year in Melbourne. I’ve just finished watching the ANZAC Day parade here in Melbourne and how the next … Continue reading
Posted in Family, reflections, Uncategorized
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Race to Nowhere – a film about the pressure to get good grades – coming to you.
I stumbled on this clip from Scott Mcleaod’s blog to a movie that touches on an extreme, that if normalised in schools would spell disaster for a generation of students. The pressure to perform on tests – to get high … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, reflections, school, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Reflections on closing the school year
Now that the school year has closed for 2010 and we start to unwind and prepare for the festive and summer holiday period with family and friends its an opportune time to sit back and reflect on the last month … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, Uncategorized
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