A monthly overview of the top things that I have read, listened to, seen on social media and learnt about teaching and education.
Author: Brendan
It’s not the footballers’ fault they make dumb decisions
Why do we continue to see young footballers making such poor decisions off the field? This article looks at why it is happening and what we can do to support them better.
Zooming out to Zoom in on Elaboration Theory
Elaboration Theory is an instructional design theory that is more than just zooming out and then zooming in. It requires teachers to follow a structure that assists schema development. This post looks at how teachers can best use Elaboration Theory to help the learner build connections in their knowledge base.
Can students learn effectively from home?
This article looks at the difficulties that schools and families face during remote learning, as well as how we can help students learn more effectively from home.
Teacher attitudes towards professional learning
Teachers are passionate about learning, but not necessarily good at it. School leaders need to create the right culture and environment that enables teachers to learn. This article looks at how cognitive biases affect us all and where we sit on the Dunning-Kruger curve. How can we get The Personal Trainer, The Chef, The Train Driver, The Carpenter and The Card Collector all collaboratively working towards school improvement?
Teaching purposefully in physical education
Teaching purposefully means taking the time to think about what you want the students to be learning and then putting together the most effective lessons to help them achieve those learning intentions. What are our overarching values and themes that we want our students to be gaining from our lessons? Previously, I have written about curriculum design for the whole person and how we need to have an understanding on what sort of young person we want walking out our doors when they finish school. As a PE teacher, how can our PE lessons lead to developing this sort of person?
How to create a positive classroom culture
Part 1 – Curriculum design for the whole person Part 2 – Overcoming the barriers to learning: Creating a positive classroom culture If you’re reading this blog article, there’s a good chance that you’re a bit of a “learning-nerd” like me. You probably get excited over how you have just planned the perfect lesson with…
How I am teaching with more purpose and meaning this year – Part 1: Curriculum design for the whole person
In schools, we can fall into the trap of working in silos. That might be individually, only as Stage groups or in faculty teams. If this is the case, it is even more important that as a school, every teacher knows what the end goal is. What sort of person does our school want to have walking out the doors on their last day as a student? Importantly, do the school’s goals align with what the students want? Too often I have seen school leaders pushing for academic results when it is quite clear that the majority of the students are not that way inclined.
Why we need systems to optimise learning
When you sign up to become a teacher, no-one ever tells you that one of the most important things you need to teach students is how to enter a classroom! Every teacher joins the profession to make a difference in the lives of young people. Teachers want to inspire and motivate! They definitely do not dream about how exciting it’s going to be putting their class into a seating plan! However, if you can get your routines, structure and organisation right, you might just be able to teach that amazing lesson that you prepared!
How the Dunning-Kruger Effect continues to get me!
Have you ever walked into a cafe and been disappointed with the service and overall experience? You look at the costs of their products/services and think, “How hard could it be?” That’s basically the Dunning-Kruger effect. It’s been described as “a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific…