We can provide the best professional learning for teachers, but often it doesn’t change what they do in the classroom. In this post, I look at why changing teacher behaviour can be so difficult and what we can do about it.
Tag: Leadership
Why you can’t change someone who believes in balanced literacy
In this blog, I will look at why it can be so hard to get someone to change and four simple steps that we can follow to support them through the transformation in their thinking.
1. Agree on the problem
2. See the world through their eyes
3. Shrink the change
4. Clarify the solution
5 Rules For Using Data Effectively
So much is invested into schools based on data, yet I will argue in this article, a lot of school data isn’t reliable or valid. I will also analyse some of the mistakes many schools make when looking at data. Finally, I will offer 5 rules to follow in order to use data effectively.
Can we create professional learning that works for teachers? (Part 2)
This post will look at what we used for effective professional learning for teachers, how we used it and how it measured up against the Education Endowment Foundations Effective Professional Development guidance report. Finally, I reflect on how effective it actually was and what future recommendations I have.
Can we create professional learning that works for teachers? (Part 1)
Teacher professional learning is one of those things that all schools do, but not many do well. This article looks at why it needs to be done well and how we can do it using the evidence.
My Key Takeaways from Ambition Institute’s Blog Series on What is School Leadership
Ambition Institute recently released a blog series on What is School Leadership. These are my key takeaways.
How To Implement The Science Of Learning When The Rest Of The School Isn’t
More educators are wanting to implement the Science of Learning or Reading but hit a roadblock when trying to implement it across the school. This article explains how to move a Pre-Contemplator through the Stages of Change (Prochaska & DiClemente) and present them with a Theory of Action (Robinson).
The ABCD(E) of Motivation
Coming from a sporting background and then moving into teaching, I have always been intrigued with motivation. Many classes have left me wondering why some students have this drive to do their best, while others will do their best to avoid doing their best! I have come up with this model on motivation as a way of combining the knowledge I have gained from learning about psychology and cognitive science. I feel knowing these five principles are vital for understanding why people do what they do.
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.
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?