The Learning Support Assistant (LSA) / Teaching Assistant (TA) is the most expensive resource in the classroom, apart from you of course! It is therefore really important that if you are lucky enough to have one in a class with you, that you deploy them effectively. (Teaching standards 5 and 8) Here are 6 top…
Here are 8 top tips for trainee PE teachers: Ensure you have a broad understanding of all sports to ensure you are capable of officiating a variety of sporting fixtures. Get a small exercise book and write different drills in it to create a drill book. You would be surprised about how many of the…
Here are 5 top tips for developing calculation fluency in maths: Accept that students need instant recall skills around number bonds, times tables etc. and practise these regularly and systematically in lots of different formats. Use manipulatives and representations to develop key concepts before moving on to the symbolic, formal methods. Great websites like mathsbot.com…
Here are 5 top tips for teaching computing in primary schools: Join Code Club to get access to excellent teaching resources and project ideas. https://codeclub.org/ Bee Bots make an excellent introduction to algorithms at KS1. Introduce algorithmic thinking offline before using computers. The CS Unplugged website has lots of ideas for pen/paper and role play…
Here are 5 top tips for teaching science in primary schools: Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers to all their questions. Be honest if you don’t know and turn the question round “Good question, how could we find out?” Someone in the class might know, or it could become a research task or…
Here are 9 top tips for teaching pupils with special educational needs and disabilities: Start with spoken language – we want to be understood! Centre grammar around a text – let children discover aspects within their reading. Encourage investigation and thought – “why did the author write like that?” Teach explicitly when you need to.…
Here are 5 top tips for educational action research: Be curious and interested in your own practice. Ask: ‘What am I really interested in?’ ‘How can this be improved?’ And ‘What happens if …’ Think about how can you incorporate a range of voices in your enquiry including those of learners? What ethical issues must…
Here are 10 top tips for teaching pupils with special educational needs and disabilities: Know the details of any Pupil Passport, One Plan or Provision Map to ensure planning is in line with provision requirements. Assess the classroom layout to ensure the pupil is optimally placed. Carefully consider which pupils will offer a positive learning…
Here are 5 top tips for reflective writing: Be curious about what you see, read and hear. Become a good observer and a good listener. Carry a notebook and pen to note down your thoughts and questions. Try writing from different perspectives, e.g. students or parents, asking yourself, ‘What’s it like to be you?’ Draw…
Here are 10 top tips for behaviour management in the classroom: Remain calm, whatever the challenge. Set clear and manageable behaviour expectations in line with the school behaviour policy. Involve pupils/students in strengthening classroom expectations which support learning. Provide visual reinforcement for the expected behaviours. Remove or reduce distractions which may unsettle pupils with a…