New Ideas by @susansenglish

Name: Susan Strachan
Twitter name: @susansenglish
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): English
Position: KS4 Leader of Learning
What is your advice about? New Ideas

1. Think carefully about the impact on you (or staff) before implementing.
2. Think carefully about the impact on students before implementing.
3. Allow your common sense to rule (so as not to implement something without careful thought).
4. Make sure ‘the idea’ is a manageable expectation for you and for your students.
5. Don’t over complicate ideas, therefore keep it simple.

How to actually enjoy a sports/athletics carnival by @mikesalter74

Name: Michael Salter
Twitter name: mikesalter74
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): Latin, French, Greek, German
Position: Teacher
What is your advice about? How to actually enjoy a sports/athletics carnival

1. Remember that it only happens once a year.
2. Devise some random, geeky games to play with your stopwatch.
3. Secure some time on the loudspeaker, during which you can make disparaging comments about your colleagues’ dress sense on the day.
4. Gravitate towards like-minded colleagues throughout, no matter where you’ve been “assigned”.
5. Bring your own lunch. Canteens at sports venues are hell on earth.

Planning by @smanfarr

Name: Sam Williams
Twitter name: @smanfarr
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): English
Position: Assistant Head
What is your advice about? Planning

1. Plan for impact and not just activities to do.
2. Spend time planning what matters e.g. Your questioning is more important that how a presentation looks.
3. Don’t plan in isolation- other people’s ideas / experience can really help.
4. Planning is part of the process and should be informed by how well students were able to access/ complete the work set.
5. Plan to take time off! Rest is important too!

The benefits of using blank slides by @rufuswilliam

Name: Rufus
Twitter name: @rufuswilliam
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): Maths
Position: Lead Coach
What is your advice about? The benefits of using blank slides

1. A key question to ask oneself as a teacher is ‘where should the attention of my students be now?’
2. Whatever presentation tool you use, there are benefits to having things written on it during the lesson. For example, I start my lessons with a ‘Do Now’ on the board for students to do immediately as they come into the room.
3. There are many parts of the lesson where what is written on the board is not useful and can become a hindrance to learning. For example, when I want the students to be concentrating on what I’m saying, I don’t want them to be distracted by what is still on the board.
4. Turning the interactive whiteboard off and rubbing off what’s written on the whiteboard are good strategies to focus the attention of students on one’s explanations. When using presentation tools, I’ve found the best strategy is to use a blank slide when I want the attention on me.
5. This should not be confused with dual coding. Dual coding is when you use a pictorial representation to augment an explanation. If this is done well then a slide with this picture can be good during an explanation.

Using mini white boards by @cjshore

Name: Chris Shore
Twitter name: @cjshore
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): Maths
Position: Director of Maths
What is your advice about? Using mini white boards

1. Check you have enough boards, working pens and erasers before the lesson. Note: tissues make fine erasers if you are short.
2. Check the boards are clean and free from swear words etc. This can be done as you give them out.
3. Establish routines and stick to them. Decide before hand who will give the equipment out, what doodling you will tolerate etc.
4. Tell students beforehand of your expectations for no penis drawings and no swear words written on the back of the board. Saying at the start minimises the chance they will appear later on.
5. When the boards are packed away, make sure it is you who collects them in so that you can check they are all clean in readiness for the next teacher.

Managing workload by @steelemaths

Name: Jason Steele
Twitter name: @steelemaths
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): Maths
Position: Lead Practioner
What is your advice about? Managing workload

1. Plan for learning not individual lessons. Start at the end and plan how you will sequence your lessons.
2. Get a 2 week timetable on A4. Give an overview of your lessons, but also plan in what you’ll be doing in PPA and afterschool.
3. Find a time when you work best (morning/evening), and use this time effectively.
4. If something isn’t going to have an effect on teaching or learning, question, is it worth the time?
5. Don’t reinvent the wheel, leave your ego at the door. Plenty of good free resources out there, find what works for you.

When you become a Literacy Coordinator by @davowillz

Name: David Williams
Twitter name: @davowillz
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): English
Position: KS4 Coordinator English
What is your advice about? When you become a Literacy Coordinator

1. Read a lot and visit a lot of schools. Be highly suspicious of government advice/resources/frameworks; they will often waste your time for no real benefit.
2. Remember any piece of bureaucracy (including audits) you ask teachers to complete may lower standards and reduce wellbeing for little gain. Always question what the opportunity cost of such activities is and whether it is really worth it.
3. Define simply what whole school literacy means in the context of your school. Promote simple strategies for improvement and never, ever shoehorn.
4. Invite parents of targeted children in for a coffee evening and explain how you intend to help their child. If you get them on board with helping in the right way, your pupils will fly.
5. Stick to you guns: SLT may ignore your advice and even do the opposite of what your knowledge and expertise tells you is the right thing to do. Be calm and patient; they will learn.

Behaviour management by @Trudgeteacher

Name: Alex Jacqies-Williams
Twitter name: Trudgeteacher
Sector: FE
Subject taught (if applicable): Maths
Position: Head of Maths
What is your advice about? Behaviour management

1. Problem class – 2 lesson plans, one for subject other for behaviour.
2. Identify yr behaviour objectives! What behaviours are you seeking/not seeking. Eg. Not talking during teacher talk.
3. What will you accept and not accept? Decide before where your boundaries are.
4. What will you do if x happens or if y is not done. How does it fit with school policies/exoectations/rules?
5. Have your sanctions and language rehearsed. Avoids reactions and unnecessary confrontations.

Making your Form a great place by @mrsduffyenglish

Name: Sam Duffy
Twitter name: @mrsduffyenglish
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): English
Position: Teacher
What is your advice about? Making your Form a great place

1. Try and find at least one thing about each pupil that is non school related. Pupils want to feel like you care and want to know them as individuals.
2. A positive note on a post it once a term, individual to that pupil goes a long way in making pupils feel valued.
3. Notice the small details. A compliment on a new hair cut can really make a pupil’s day.
4. If you feel comfortable with it, share what you find interesting. This is a great opportunity to expose pupils to a world outside the curriculum, if you are passionate this spreads.
5. Build a team spirit, encourage pupils to support each other, get involved and most importantly smile every Form time (even if it is the last Monday of the half term).

Books I wish I’d read in my first year of teaching. by @MissSayers1

Name: The Passionately Boring Teacher
Twitter name: MissSayers1
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable):
Position: Teacher
What is your advice about? Books I wish I’d read in my first year of teaching.

1. Making Every Lesson Count by Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby
2. Making It Stick by Peter C. Brown and Henry L. Roediger
3. Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham
4. The Reading Mind by Daniel Willingham
5. More books which would have concreted and expanded my subject knowledge.