Workload by @StuartLock

Name: Stuart Lock
Twitter: @StuartLock
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: Maths
Position: Headteacher
5 Bits of Advice About: Workload

1. Know your calendar, keep a diary, and don’t let deadlines build up. This seems obvious, but is so often a cause of issues.
2. Share lesson plans. You don’t need to plan everything from scratch.
3. Ask for help, especially when things seem unreasonable. You’ll get an idea of what is really important.
4. Consider the benefits and opportunity cost of extensive marking.
5. Don’t volunteer for loads of extra things as a result of your first term’s enthusiasm. Determine if you have space in your established working hours first.

Technology in the Classroom by @mrbeeict

Name: None given
Twitter: @mrbeeict
Sector:  Primary
Subject: All subjects
Position: Teacher
5 Bits of Advice About: Technology in the classroom

1. Use it to support effective teaching and learning. Not just an add on.
2. Be prepared to be told of its diminished value as a learning resource by colleagues or external staff. Use it for the children, not for colleagues.
3. It’s our duty to ensure children are digitally literate by time they leave school. It’s the way of the world; as important as reading and writing.
4. Stay connected. Teach, learn, share.
5. Differentiate. Even with technology.

Classroom Management by @korme_mfl

Name: Kevin Orme
Twitter: @korme_mfl
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: MFL
Position: Teacher
5 Bits of Advice About: Classroom management

1. Don’t always sit your naughty boys next to your quiet girls. Those poor girls probably get that all the time so try something different.
2. PIP/RIP. Praise in public, reprimand in private.
3. Give the most challenging students jobs to do as they often like the responsibility.
4. Build relationships with most challenging students and phone home for positives. They’re less likely to kick off if they like you.
5. Be a broken record. They’ll often comply just so you’ll shut up!

Teaching Powerpoints by @evenbetterif

Name: Kate McCabe
Twitter: @evenbetterif
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: English and Media
Position: KS4 Lead and Head of Media
5 Bits of Advice About: Teaching powerpoints

1. Keep it Clean. Keep it simple. Students cannot process too much information in one slide. Keep it to the absolute essentials.
2. Make it Visual. A visual image is memorable, thought provoking, creates clear link between ideas and text and best of all makes students work harder to make that link.
3. Make it Clear. Your instruction or task command should be clearly stated so that students are in no doubt of what you want them to do.
4. Keep it Consistent. Embed clear routines in your resources that students can learn to expect. It creates that safe, positive environment you are trying to establish.
5. Model Don’t forget to include the text for modelling of your annotation even though students have it on paper. Alternatively, ‘live’ write your model straight onto the slide.

Workload by @Cherrylkd

Name: Cherrylkd
Twitter: @Cherrylkd
Sector:  Special School
Subject: History
Position: AHT
5 Bits of Advice About: Workload

1. You will never get to the end of your ‘to do’ list. Don’t even try. Prioritise and re prioritise.
2. Don’t do anything on the first time of asking no matter who asks. Chances are the new initiative will be forgotten or changed.
3. Don’t go in early and come home late or you’ll burn out, do one or the other. Don’t work more than one afternoon at weekend.
4. If you are getting overwhelmingly stressed talk to your mentor or a middle leader. If no joy go to SLT, they have a duty to look after your well being.
5. Don’t struggle and remember you are not alone. There are plenty of ITT mentors and NQT mentors on Twitter willing to help.

Planning by Fish64

Name: Fish64
Twitter: None given
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: None given
Position: Head of Department
5 Bits of Advice About: Planning

1. Ignore people who tell you to write a script for a lesson and learn it by heart. Teaching doesn’t work like that.
2. No lesson, however well planned, will survive unscathed from a) a wasp in the room and b) a flake of snow outside.
3. Most of us overestimate what we will get through in one lesson when we start out teaching.Timing comes with practice.
4. Don’t feel afraid to say “No questions for the moment” or “I’ll take questions later” There is a time for questions, but there is also a time for concentrating.
5. Run a mile from any school which insists all teachers in all subjects follow a standard template for every lesson. Good teaching involves flexibility.

Speaking in the MFL Classroom by @MeganMogMFL

Name: Megan Mog
Twitter: @MeganMogMFL
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: MFL
Position: Head of Languages
5 Bits of Advice About: Speaking in the MFL Classroom

1. Establish routine and requests in the TL, teach responses and insist on adherence! Don’t overdo gesticulation, they’ll use eyes instead of ears which defeats the purpose.
2. Invest significant time in phonics because if students sound rubbish they won’t talk! Repeat key grapheme/phoneme combos regularly and don’t accept poor pronunciation.
3. Hand out chatty mats; once trained, children use support materials all the time. Use display that supports speaking; phrases, opinions, connectives, etc.
4. Mine #mfltwitterati and relevant Facebook groups; there is a wealth of stuff and FABULOUS teaching tips out there to help you!
5. Don’t correct every error students make, encouraging communication over accuracy, initially. And remember you’re there to teach, not entertain in a foreign language. Enjoy!

Teacher Politics by Anonymous

Name: Anonymous
Twitter: None given
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: MFL
Position: Teacher
5 Bits of Advice About: Teacher politics

1. Keep a professional relationship with departmental colleagues.
2. Don’t get drawn into gossiping, it will come back to haunt you and it’s just not nice!
3. Stay positive. Try to see why decisions are made and why advice is given. It may be hard to hear at first but it will be for the best.
4. Ensure everything you do is beneficial for the students.
5. Enjoy the variety each day brings! Not all jobs have that!

Building Relationships by Anonymous

Name: Anonymous
Twitter: None given
Sector:  Secondary
Subject: MFL
Position: Head of Department
5 Bits of Advice About: Building relationships

1. Mark their work. Often!
2. Give a consequence, then move on.
3. Phone parents with positive things fast. Gives you higher leverage later when the follow up may not be so positive.
4. Be consistent in your application of systems.
5. Smile. Enjoy what you’re doing- it’s infectious!

Online Resources by @splozza

Name: Lorie Dickson
Twitter: @splozza
Sector:  Primary
Subject: All subjects
Position: Associate School Leader
5 Bits of Advice About: Online resources

1. http://www.literacyshed.com – brilliant story starters/videos.
2. http://www.topmarks.co.uk – great collection of interactive whiteboard resources.
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/education – updated site full of resources for all subjects.
4. http://hwb.wales.gov.uk/Resources – Cymru Grid for Learning is packed with resources/lesson,plans each including an interactive starter/main/plenary.
5. http://www.reachoutcpd.com/international/ – develop your science subject knowledge (free trial).