Teaching is like plate spinning...its all about keeping your focus and making sure nothing gets out of sight long enough to hit the floor!
One of my classes today proved this point. Its been quite a while since I have taught them due to holidays and other events before half term so I was trying to work out exactly where we had got to. The last time I taught them there were only 4 of them left as the rest went off for a treat for good behaviour...so its about a month since I've seen them as a full class.
They came in and I was sure we were at the stage for the assessment so I launch into the opening gambit and begin to outline the plan for the next two lessons and one IM (Independent Mission...new name for homework...I still think it should be MI as its still 'Mission Impossible' to get it in!). About 10 minutes in the blank faces are beginning to concern me.
I stop and ask them whether they had remembered they had an assessment today? They said yes...so why the blank faces?
'Sir' a small voice says 'We have been doing conservation as a topic.'
Sounds of metaphoric crashing as the plates hit the floor...I was introducing the assessment to the wrong year group!
I'll get my coat...
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Thursday 11 February 2010
R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-runaround!!!!!....
As a kid I used to love the show 'Runaround' with Mike Reid. For those of you not old enough to remember him winding kids up with:
'Are you ready! Are you steady! Wait for it! G-g-g-g-goooooo, runaround now!!'
It involved a group of kids dressed in yellow t-shirts who were asked what seemed ridiculously easy questions and had 3 answers. They then - when told - ran to a particular answer and stood in a circle in front of it. They then had a chance to change if they wanted, jumping to another circle if they felt they were wrong.
Correct answer - yellow ball (red ball on some questions -worth 2 points)
Wrong answer - dungeon cage for rest of that round
The round continued until there was one child left then everyone came out and off you went again.
Most points wins state of the art (late 70's) prizes.
So where am I going with this...I'm not sure....
Oh yes. So I am in the process of resurrecting this for use in the classroom - unfortunately I wont be able to resurrect the gravely voiced Mike Reid but it cant be perfect!
I will fill you in on my progress.
Monday 8 February 2010
Vision is...
'A moment of clarity when the hopes of tomorrow become touchable and the route to your dreams becomes clear'
Friday 5 February 2010
Thinking through lessons
I have challenged one of my classes to spend some time at the end of lessons thinking about their thinking.
We had a discussion about the fact that quite often students drift through lessons and don't commit to the learning because they are switched off due to outside influences/situations, time of day, subject etc. We then talked about how it feels to be in a classroom where the experience is good and we don't drift and they said it felt:
We then talked about the barriers to this in happening in all lessons and decided that both the student and the teacher were potentially a barrier.
Students:
Teachers need to be ready to give up some responsibility to the students for their own learning BUT students need to show they are ready to take on that responsibility through positive attitude and effort in other lessons with that teacher.
It was really good to put aside some time and just discuss the learning experience of the students and look to see how we can overcome some of the issues facing them and their teachers each day.
We had a discussion about the fact that quite often students drift through lessons and don't commit to the learning because they are switched off due to outside influences/situations, time of day, subject etc. We then talked about how it feels to be in a classroom where the experience is good and we don't drift and they said it felt:
- challenging
- exciting
- worthwhile
- like they had learnt something
- valuable
- made them want to come back / continue the lesson
- positive
We then talked about the barriers to this in happening in all lessons and decided that both the student and the teacher were potentially a barrier.
Students:
- Unmotivated
- Carrying in issues from break / home / previous lessons
- peer influence
- poor attitude
- Same style every lesson
- controlling - no sense of 'freedom' in their learning
- scared to let go
- carried issues from previous lessons into the next one
Teachers need to be ready to give up some responsibility to the students for their own learning BUT students need to show they are ready to take on that responsibility through positive attitude and effort in other lessons with that teacher.
It was really good to put aside some time and just discuss the learning experience of the students and look to see how we can overcome some of the issues facing them and their teachers each day.
Thursday 4 February 2010
Inspiration point...
Keep this sites link safe as it will inspire, challenge and encourage you...
http://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk
...its a diamond in the rough and I value it greatly.
http://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk
...its a diamond in the rough and I value it greatly.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Overhaul
Got bored looking at same colours gave site an overhaul...will probably do the same tomorrow.
Looking through my photos I felt that this guy at the remnants of the wall in Berlin probably agreed with my statement at the top of my blog by my title...but he then went and did something about it!
Looking through my photos I felt that this guy at the remnants of the wall in Berlin probably agreed with my statement at the top of my blog by my title...but he then went and did something about it!
Thinking and laughing
(I cannot take credit for this idea - Mr Fleetham!)
Pen behind the ear by Tim Vine can be used as an example of perseverance!
Hockey stick behind the ear by Tim Vine can be used as an example of progression of skills! (That one is mine!)
Pen behind the ear by Tim Vine can be used as an example of perseverance!
Hockey stick behind the ear by Tim Vine can be used as an example of progression of skills! (That one is mine!)
Tuesday 2 February 2010
100 up!
Favourite Films: 1941
Often overlooked and not that well known. I love this Spielberg classic spoof on the USA during the period after Pearl Harbour as paranoia runs wild that the Japanese are coming to invade.
Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi are fantastic and the whole things culminates in a mad final battle.
To celebrate my 100th post thought I would change the colour scheme a bit!
Watching those watching you...
Interesting experiment.
I have a class working at the moment on an independent learning project in GCSE Humanities based around the Vietnam war.
I am watching them from the sidelines and listening to conversations, making notes for group feedback and interacting when and where needed.
Next step...get them to feedback on my input and whether they think I could have done more...or possibly less...to input into their groups.
They are very protective over the work they are producing and incredibly focused in completing the task.
Great learning environment...
I have a class working at the moment on an independent learning project in GCSE Humanities based around the Vietnam war.
I am watching them from the sidelines and listening to conversations, making notes for group feedback and interacting when and where needed.
Next step...get them to feedback on my input and whether they think I could have done more...or possibly less...to input into their groups.
They are very protective over the work they are producing and incredibly focused in completing the task.
Great learning environment...
Monday 1 February 2010
Time to step out...
I have never been any good at saying 'I did this!' So after some nudging and feeling like a hypocrite at saying to some students today stand up and be proud about what you did I feel I need to come clean.
This poem appeared on my blog a couple of days ago:
'Time winds its way through a repetitive process of hours, minutes, seconds
The partitions of it seem so heavy and time is lost in the relentless darkness of this life
Days become blurred into periods of day and night, good and bad, illness and death,
As we move through the process of routine and towards the conclusion of it all.
I used to love the song of the birds, but now there is only silence
They know not to be here, where life is measured in usefulness and names replaced with numbers.
Through the small bars I see the clouds and the shapes they take gives me a moment of escape from all this
Which is soon lost
The time for death is upon me, moved into this pen, herded with so many to await those who would seal our fate.
But I am calm.
If hell exists then it is here, where I am, but soon I will be free.
What is 'free'?
Its release from the monotony of time, from the routine of fear.
Death does not scare me for with it will come peace, a freedom they cannot take away from me.
What is 'free'?
I am.'
Shawn Skellon (2010)
Well...'I did this!'
There I said it...as I creep back into my hole.....
This poem appeared on my blog a couple of days ago:
'Time winds its way through a repetitive process of hours, minutes, seconds
The partitions of it seem so heavy and time is lost in the relentless darkness of this life
Days become blurred into periods of day and night, good and bad, illness and death,
As we move through the process of routine and towards the conclusion of it all.
I used to love the song of the birds, but now there is only silence
They know not to be here, where life is measured in usefulness and names replaced with numbers.
Through the small bars I see the clouds and the shapes they take gives me a moment of escape from all this
Which is soon lost
The time for death is upon me, moved into this pen, herded with so many to await those who would seal our fate.
But I am calm.
If hell exists then it is here, where I am, but soon I will be free.
What is 'free'?
Its release from the monotony of time, from the routine of fear.
Death does not scare me for with it will come peace, a freedom they cannot take away from me.
What is 'free'?
I am.'
Shawn Skellon (2010)
Well...'I did this!'
There I said it...as I creep back into my hole.....
Moving on up
I had a conversation with a student today about option choices.
'Its really confusing' they said, 'I have so many things I would like to do but so little room to choose because of what others want me to do.'
My advice...choose what you want to do.
I think its a shame that we put so much pressure on Yr9 that they end up thinking a wrong decision will destroy their futures. If we're honest all they are doing are choosing the keys to allow them open a door so they can move on after GCSE.
'Its really confusing' they said, 'I have so many things I would like to do but so little room to choose because of what others want me to do.'
My advice...choose what you want to do.
I think its a shame that we put so much pressure on Yr9 that they end up thinking a wrong decision will destroy their futures. If we're honest all they are doing are choosing the keys to allow them open a door so they can move on after GCSE.
Follow this!!!
This is a great blog to follow, lots of interesting articles, well explained and detailed (is that enough Ian?) and its by someone who just fab!
Seriously have a look...
http://secondaryemotion.wordpress.com/
Seriously have a look...
http://secondaryemotion.wordpress.com/
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