Keeping Track of Inspiration

I frequently find my phone packed full of interesting and inspiring educational ideas. My photo roll is crammed with Twitter screenshots, my notes page is stuffed with blog links and my favourites tab is quite frankly overflowing with sites to peruse. My main problem is that I can never locate them easily enough as they…

My Transition Activities

Two weeks ago, I had 'Move Up Morning' with my Year 4 class. Next Monday and Tuesday I also have the pleasure of being with them just prior to the summer holidays. Having two and a half days of 'transition' to plan is an incredibly exciting yet open-ended task. Much like all other areas of education,…

One Thing I’ll Never Change

I've learned an incredible amount during my first ever teaching position. There are many things that I will adapt so they can work in the context of my new school. There are other approaches I haven't had the opportunity to try yet fully, which I look forward to exploring. There are also a handful of…

Maths Reasoning: ‘I Noticed That…’

Let's be honest: I feel a fragment of my soul wilt away every time I see a child completely disregard key information in a reasoning question. Throughout my one and a half years teaching maths reasoning, I have tended to just feel frustrated until I point out the crucial piece of information to them so…

16 Times Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Has Summed Up Being A Teacher

1.  When a child asks what the date is when it's always clearly written on the board: 2. When a child asks whether they can put the dried-up whiteboard pen in the bin: 3. When you forget to give a child an accident slip at the end of the day and feel guilty about it…

Mindfulness and Meditation – Teaching Pupils Wellbeing Techniques

Let's get one thing straight: the children's health and wellbeing are paramount. If they leave my class at the end of the day smiling and content, that's a win. There's always another chance to practise multiplying pairs of fractions, to use apostrophes correctly or to improve that painting technique...but they should never pass up the…

“This Was The Best Day Ever”

These six words were uttered out of a child's mouth on Friday afternoon so I thought I'd record and share what had happened that day: We were coming to the end of our Learning Journey week. This is a week off of our usual timetable (pfft..what does that even mean!?) in which we provide our…

The Power of Twitter For Educators

Twitter has been one of the most invaluable sources I have utilised during my time as a teacher so far. It's intuitive, dynamic and best of all - it's free! Here are just a few of the benefits I've reaped by using Twitter:   Sharing My Practice I've been able to share my own practice…

Talk For Writing – What I’ve Learned

Talk For Writing, pioneered by literacy idol Pie Corbett, is an approach designed to predominantly develop children as writers and foster a true love for writing. It's backed by great testimonials from teachers and pupils. A number of case studies also provide reliable data as to the positive impact it has on children's progress. This…

The Strictest Teacher In School

Last year, a handful of my pupils called me the strictest teacher in school. I thought it was just a fluke until it happened again just recently this year. Pfft. Me? The teacher who is happy for the children to take their shoes off if it makes them more comfortable? The teacher who doesn’t mind…