Teacher Of The Week

As we crawl towards the summer term finish line, it's all too easy to focus on being exhausted rather than turn our attention towards celebrating all of our achievements. Seeing my fellow NQT receiving Teacher of the Week, however, was a fantastic reminder that, even though we may feel like zombies in the last few days (or…

Poundland Pedagogy

We currently live in a world where school budgets are as tight as Donald Trump's border controls. It is arguable that this lack of funding can make creative and engaging resources hard to afford and access. However, I think it's quite the opposite. Being more cash-conscious means you have to get more creative. You have…

The Power of Positivity in a Primary School – My Optimistic Marigold

There are days that I arrive at school dreading all the little bits and bobs that have been hanging over me for the past week. There are days that I arrive at school with a dark cloud over my head preventing me from seeing any good. There are days that I arrive already bracing myself…

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training

I’ve just completed a two-day course on delivering mental health first aid for young people and am now technically qualified as a youth mental health first aider. Hoorah! The course included coverage of a variety of mental ill health conditions including anxiety, depression, psychosis, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders and provided us with strategies to…

What Makes A Leader?

My friend and I recently attended the Cambridgeshire Festival of Education. One of the predominant themes of the day was ‘Optimistic Leadership’. Whilst perusing (what a great word, am I right?) the brochure for possible workshops, we noticed that a fair few were classified under this category. Furthermore, a vast majority of the keynote speakers…

20 Times Parks and Recreation Summed Up Being A Teacher

1. When you step into the staffroom to discover a table full of calorific snacks: 2. When you leave your class with a supply teacher: 3. When a child back-chats you and doesn't think you've noticed: 4. When you tell your children to stop acting so childish even though they are actually children: 5. When…

Cambridgeshire Festival of Education – A Review

Saturday 1st July marked the first ever Cambridgeshire Festival of Education. I went along with a fellow teacher, who also happens to be my childhood friend, and was blown away by the prominence of invigorating themes such as optimism and well-being. But first thing's first... Upon arrival, I had a flashback to my secondary school…