I read today that teaching schools are to help us approach out implementation of the new national curriculum. Oh joy of joys. It seems to me that if there is a problem that has to be solved by schools (usually created by the DfE) then it is teaching schools that has to do this. Why I am so sceptical?
I started my career working at the worst school in the worst local authority, we knew we were dreadful teachers because the deputy head that was appointed from the LA in order to rescue us told us that the reason the school was failing was because of us, the teachers. I must have been a terrible teacher.
Three years later I found myself working in a school that was to become a teaching school. David Hargreaves addressed us. He told us that we were the best group of staff he had come across (or at least that is what I heard).
Hang on, I thought, how can I go from being one of the worst teachers in the country to one of the best?
We can have a debate about what makes one school better than another. That is not what I want to consider in this post, my question is what makes one body of staff better than another? Who is to say that the staff body in a teaching school is the best place to go to for information about curriculum change?
I worry about this with good reason. When I worked in a teaching school we were praised by our management for 'innovation'. In reality the decisions that were made regarding the science curriculum were at best poorly considered at worst disastrous for our students. I would not have wished any of those ideas onto another school.
In my final year at the school I managed to undermine sufficiently the appalling key stage 3 curriculum (although I can't take much credit myself, the other staff saw the results in the poor ability of the GCSE students). They were then going to re-write the key stage 3 curriculum. I didn't see the results, but again the outline plan was not something that I would want to impose on another school. Am I an expert? No. My opinion about the curriculum that this school may or may not have is irrelevant and it is probably working well.
If I were still working there my opinion would be relevant. It would be sought by schools in the area and my interpretation of the new national curriculum would be sold to others schools as being a good one on the basis that I work at a teaching school.
What makes the opinion of the teacher at the worst school in the worst LA worth that much less than the teacher at an outstanding teaching school, when the change between the two is one job application away?
Friday, 1 November 2013
Monday, 21 October 2013
Review of This Half Term (or the reasons why I am so very tired).
I didn't set myself specific targets at the start of this academic year, which is unlike me. However, I did promise myself that I would take opportunities that were presented to me and I would try out some new things in my teaching.
The term started with a lot of things on my to-do, some of which are still there!
I started behind and I have never really caught up as, the first week was extrememly busy in school, doubly so because I am a year 7 form tutor. The term started on Sunday night with a parent's drinks reception. Throughout the week I spent a lot of time talking to parents and checking the girls were where they were suposed to be. It was a positive time, with the Year 7 girls' enthusiasm rubbing off on me.
I also went to Research Ed 2013 at Dulwich College on the 7th September and came into school to enjoy a walk with the girls on the Sunday of the same weekend and have been exhusted ever since.
The first thing that I wanted to do was give 'destroy' a try. Rachel Jones challenged myself and Karen DW to try the activity and I promised that I would at the earliest opportunity. Do have a look at my blog post with a link to Rachel's if you want to know what 'destroy' means. http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/post/61208335587/http-createinnovateexplore-com-learning-destroy-h I think that this went rather well as the students didn't want to leave to go to lunch! And, most importantly the work was excellent. I arranged for three certificates and sweets to be given out in assembly for the work. The activity was completed on a Saturday morning, (all staff teach on three Saturday's per year), again making me more tired as I live 45 minutes from work so the 7.00am wake-up wasn't welcome after the previous busy weekend.
My colleague found the RSC photography competition and we spend two weeks with students wanting to carry out experiments during break and after school in our labs, this was time consuming, but as a head of faculty really positive too. Firstly, I was really happy that a member of my department wanted to contribute to the extra-curricular provision in the department, and secondly that so many girls were keen to give up their time to do an activity in science.
In lessons I used confidence grids for the first time with my Year 11 class. http://geordiescience.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/confidence-grids-mixed-reviews-but-i.html I really like using them, but discovered later in the term not to add too many ideas.
At the end of September my partner and I went to the Cycle Show at the NEC, it was great to get out and do something different.
At the start of October was the As-levels Choices evening with our Year 11 students. I was pleased with the number that were considering science, especially chemistry (as this is what I teach to Year 11). There were a few who were thinking about physics (even better as this is my subject at A-level) and a handful thinking about it seriously. I just hope that they will continue at my school as we have fantastic students.
On 4th October the school hosted their termly lecture. It was by David James who also works at the school filming material for publicity. He was a solider in Afganistan and returned there to live and work. It was fasinating gainin the insight into the people and their problems and how the international intervention is struggling to make any sort of difference and in some cases holding the country back.
In the middle of all this I picked up on a literacy lesson that Clare Nelson (twitter) had taught and asked her for the details. I then made my own physics related version of the lesson. It was to help the students approach 6 mark questions, which they do struggle with. I still have to write a blog post on the activity and do another similar lesson on a different topic to see what impact it will have on the attainment and approaches of the students.
From Monday 30th September to Monday 14th October I hired an incubator, brooder and eggs from Chickenschool.co.uk, both for my own classroom and the Year 6 classroom. The GCSE and A-level students loved it, particularly during the days they were hatching. This was an exhusting time, as I barely got out of my room for students coming to see the eggs and chicks. However, it was worth it especially in building relationships with the Year 6 students.
The second weekend in October is a time I visit Northumberland to help with Alwinton Border Shepherds' Show. A long weekend, with very little time for sleeping (bed at 1am on Friday, up at 6am and then on my feet all day). I am still feeling the effects and it will take some time in the holidays to catch up!
The Saturday just past was the first ASE assembly meeting of the year. A productive meeting, that has put a lot more onto the ever increasing to-do list. (If you don't get time to do it, then it will only get longer).
I have also carried out three performance management meetings (not including my own) and observed three lessons by the department (all very strong outcomes and giving my a lot of faith in my team). I have booked Year 7-10 and any post-16 students who would like to come, into the Big Bang Fair in March and arranged for myself to visit the ASE conference for three days in January. I have completed mock tests with year 10 and 11, and used iSams to complete a progress report on all but 5 of the students that I teach. (If you use iSams then you will know how laborious a process completing reports are). I have also written the annual report on our summer examination results, (which was positive so something that I enjoyed doing for once!).
The last few weeks of term have seen me try some of @kolhmand's ideas from her great blog: http://magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk/ Year 9 have writen on flags and used that work to be publically critqued (work to be done here), http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/using-flags, and Year 11 have been doing a 'come dine with me' activity to get across the main ideas about percentage yield. http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/come-dine-with-me I shared the paper plates/come dine with me activity with the department and they really liked the idea.
On Thursday I attended a lunch with the governors, who are very keen to support the increase in the use of ICT in the school. Then on Friday my family and I joined forces with three Year 10 girls to compete in the parents association annual quiz night. (We did OK).
I feel like I deserve to be tired, and that the pace of the term has been frantic. There is still more that I would have liked to have achieved and will strive to be more organised with lesson planning to allow me to have more time to do the things that I would like to do.
The term isn't over though. I have two days more of teaching and I plan to attend the teachmeet at the Clarendon Academy in Trowbridge on Thursday (only possible because it is half term for me).
I am ready for my break.
The term started with a lot of things on my to-do, some of which are still there!
I started behind and I have never really caught up as, the first week was extrememly busy in school, doubly so because I am a year 7 form tutor. The term started on Sunday night with a parent's drinks reception. Throughout the week I spent a lot of time talking to parents and checking the girls were where they were suposed to be. It was a positive time, with the Year 7 girls' enthusiasm rubbing off on me.
I also went to Research Ed 2013 at Dulwich College on the 7th September and came into school to enjoy a walk with the girls on the Sunday of the same weekend and have been exhusted ever since.
The first thing that I wanted to do was give 'destroy' a try. Rachel Jones challenged myself and Karen DW to try the activity and I promised that I would at the earliest opportunity. Do have a look at my blog post with a link to Rachel's if you want to know what 'destroy' means. http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/post/61208335587/http-createinnovateexplore-com-learning-destroy-h I think that this went rather well as the students didn't want to leave to go to lunch! And, most importantly the work was excellent. I arranged for three certificates and sweets to be given out in assembly for the work. The activity was completed on a Saturday morning, (all staff teach on three Saturday's per year), again making me more tired as I live 45 minutes from work so the 7.00am wake-up wasn't welcome after the previous busy weekend.
My colleague found the RSC photography competition and we spend two weeks with students wanting to carry out experiments during break and after school in our labs, this was time consuming, but as a head of faculty really positive too. Firstly, I was really happy that a member of my department wanted to contribute to the extra-curricular provision in the department, and secondly that so many girls were keen to give up their time to do an activity in science.
In lessons I used confidence grids for the first time with my Year 11 class. http://geordiescience.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/confidence-grids-mixed-reviews-but-i.html I really like using them, but discovered later in the term not to add too many ideas.
At the end of September my partner and I went to the Cycle Show at the NEC, it was great to get out and do something different.
At the start of October was the As-levels Choices evening with our Year 11 students. I was pleased with the number that were considering science, especially chemistry (as this is what I teach to Year 11). There were a few who were thinking about physics (even better as this is my subject at A-level) and a handful thinking about it seriously. I just hope that they will continue at my school as we have fantastic students.
On 4th October the school hosted their termly lecture. It was by David James who also works at the school filming material for publicity. He was a solider in Afganistan and returned there to live and work. It was fasinating gainin the insight into the people and their problems and how the international intervention is struggling to make any sort of difference and in some cases holding the country back.
In the middle of all this I picked up on a literacy lesson that Clare Nelson (twitter) had taught and asked her for the details. I then made my own physics related version of the lesson. It was to help the students approach 6 mark questions, which they do struggle with. I still have to write a blog post on the activity and do another similar lesson on a different topic to see what impact it will have on the attainment and approaches of the students.
From Monday 30th September to Monday 14th October I hired an incubator, brooder and eggs from Chickenschool.co.uk, both for my own classroom and the Year 6 classroom. The GCSE and A-level students loved it, particularly during the days they were hatching. This was an exhusting time, as I barely got out of my room for students coming to see the eggs and chicks. However, it was worth it especially in building relationships with the Year 6 students.
The second weekend in October is a time I visit Northumberland to help with Alwinton Border Shepherds' Show. A long weekend, with very little time for sleeping (bed at 1am on Friday, up at 6am and then on my feet all day). I am still feeling the effects and it will take some time in the holidays to catch up!
The Saturday just past was the first ASE assembly meeting of the year. A productive meeting, that has put a lot more onto the ever increasing to-do list. (If you don't get time to do it, then it will only get longer).
I have also carried out three performance management meetings (not including my own) and observed three lessons by the department (all very strong outcomes and giving my a lot of faith in my team). I have booked Year 7-10 and any post-16 students who would like to come, into the Big Bang Fair in March and arranged for myself to visit the ASE conference for three days in January. I have completed mock tests with year 10 and 11, and used iSams to complete a progress report on all but 5 of the students that I teach. (If you use iSams then you will know how laborious a process completing reports are). I have also written the annual report on our summer examination results, (which was positive so something that I enjoyed doing for once!).
The last few weeks of term have seen me try some of @kolhmand's ideas from her great blog: http://magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk/ Year 9 have writen on flags and used that work to be publically critqued (work to be done here), http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/using-flags, and Year 11 have been doing a 'come dine with me' activity to get across the main ideas about percentage yield. http://helenrogerson80.tumblr.com/come-dine-with-me I shared the paper plates/come dine with me activity with the department and they really liked the idea.
On Thursday I attended a lunch with the governors, who are very keen to support the increase in the use of ICT in the school. Then on Friday my family and I joined forces with three Year 10 girls to compete in the parents association annual quiz night. (We did OK).
I feel like I deserve to be tired, and that the pace of the term has been frantic. There is still more that I would have liked to have achieved and will strive to be more organised with lesson planning to allow me to have more time to do the things that I would like to do.
The term isn't over though. I have two days more of teaching and I plan to attend the teachmeet at the Clarendon Academy in Trowbridge on Thursday (only possible because it is half term for me).
I am ready for my break.
Saturday, 19 October 2013
AfL
Lovely piece of advice from Christine Harrison: if must give grades for pieces of work then first give comments and only grade the redraft of the work.
This means that the students still have to take on board the comments you make.
So simple! Why hadn't I though of this before?
Another suggestion was that you prepare example pieces of work, a high, middle and low. Then get the students to compare their work against them. Ultmately placing their work on the continuum and being able to explain why it would fit there.
This last suggestion is certainly something that I will try after the half term break in order to try and get my students to improve their writing.
This means that the students still have to take on board the comments you make.
So simple! Why hadn't I though of this before?
Another suggestion was that you prepare example pieces of work, a high, middle and low. Then get the students to compare their work against them. Ultmately placing their work on the continuum and being able to explain why it would fit there.
This last suggestion is certainly something that I will try after the half term break in order to try and get my students to improve their writing.
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Confidence Grids. Mixed reviews: but I like it.
I have been inspired by the York Science project (www.yorkscience.org.uk ) to use diagnostic questions with my students. York Science have already produced lots of examples for key stage 3, but after a suggestion about using examiners reports on their blogs I decided to change my attention to GCSE classes. http://yorkscience.org.uk/making-best-use-of-exam-questions/
I made some over the summer as examples for the department, but yesterday and today was the first time that I tried them with a GCSE class. I gave the question in the image above to both my year 11 chemistry classes. It was a review of the last section where they learned about using temperature to change the rate of reaction.
I was really pleased with the results. From my point of view I could see who had misconceptions and might write the wrong thing in an exam: those who did not understand English enough to realise why an answer is wrong. For example the answer 'the collisions are faster gave a lot of debate in the class as to why this did not mean the same thing as 'the collisions are more frequent'.
I asked the students afterwards, a few did not like the activity. They did not want to get the question wrong in the first place and found it hard to understand. A few didn't mind the activity. And some were pleased as they liked that you could see the sort of statements that wouldn't give you marks and therefore know how to avoid them.
I think that this is a great activity to use with a class, and will aim to use them more often.
Thanks a lot to Mary Whitehouse and the York Science Team.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Bowldown Rd,Tetbury,United Kingdom
Thursday, 19 September 2013
"They don't learn anything at key stage 3 anyway"...
I was was reminded of this quote by the high flying key stage 3 coordinator at my last school during a conversation about the new national curriculum this week.
I rarely speak out during the heat of the moment, preferring to swallow my disgust or horror at what people are saying. Mainly because I often say things I don't mean as I fail to express myself clearly during discussions. Many times I have regretted it.
At my previous school we had the most ridiculous key stage 3 scheme or work. Its main aim was for the students to have fun. I am not sure that is a great place to start when designing an entire curriculum. High expectations and clear progression would be my starting point.
It was dreadful and I remember discussing some of the issues around progression from easier to harder ideas and how the curriculum inhibited this.
"They don't learn anything at key stage 3 anyway", from the head of key stage 3 science. My, in my head, not out loud response: "it is your JOB to make sure they learn something at key stage three, not to put in place schemes that mark time".
How I regret not saying anything.
I think those that believe that their students do not pick up learning at key stage 3, need to consider two things: why teach them at key stage 3 at all? Why will it be any different at key stage 4?
The last time I heard this high flying key stage 3 coordinator was a deputy head. I hope his attitude has changed some what.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I rarely speak out during the heat of the moment, preferring to swallow my disgust or horror at what people are saying. Mainly because I often say things I don't mean as I fail to express myself clearly during discussions. Many times I have regretted it.
At my previous school we had the most ridiculous key stage 3 scheme or work. Its main aim was for the students to have fun. I am not sure that is a great place to start when designing an entire curriculum. High expectations and clear progression would be my starting point.
It was dreadful and I remember discussing some of the issues around progression from easier to harder ideas and how the curriculum inhibited this.
"They don't learn anything at key stage 3 anyway", from the head of key stage 3 science. My, in my head, not out loud response: "it is your JOB to make sure they learn something at key stage three, not to put in place schemes that mark time".
How I regret not saying anything.
I think those that believe that their students do not pick up learning at key stage 3, need to consider two things: why teach them at key stage 3 at all? Why will it be any different at key stage 4?
The last time I heard this high flying key stage 3 coordinator was a deputy head. I hope his attitude has changed some what.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Variety is the spice of life... /Exit tickets 2
http://geordiescience.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/exit-ticket-afl.html
I have written before about exit tickets. I have been using them once per week for my GCSE classes. the current year 11 took to them well, and the current Year 10 have been happy to do them too.
I find it very useful. While I mark them formatively, I do record a brief mark I think they would get into my mark book and through last year I noticed an increase in the scores that I was awarding. More than that though it helps the students to consolidate disjointed ideas within a topic. And I learn a lot about where the students are going wrong with ideas and exam technique.
These are my resources for OCR Gateway:
P1:
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Exit-Tickets-for-OCR-Gateway-2012-P1-module-6344086/
C2:
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Exit-Ticket-Worksheet-C2-OCR-Gateway-2011-12-spec-6319894/
However, despite this success, I am concerned that overkill with exit tickets will damped their positive effect if students get bored with them. I fear this because I want to introduce them to my department as a positive activity.
How else can I present 6 mark style questions without calling them such? I don't want to have to mark them out of six and I don't want student to fear them on the exam paper making them a big mental block. Not much to ask?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have written before about exit tickets. I have been using them once per week for my GCSE classes. the current year 11 took to them well, and the current Year 10 have been happy to do them too.
I find it very useful. While I mark them formatively, I do record a brief mark I think they would get into my mark book and through last year I noticed an increase in the scores that I was awarding. More than that though it helps the students to consolidate disjointed ideas within a topic. And I learn a lot about where the students are going wrong with ideas and exam technique.
These are my resources for OCR Gateway:
P1:
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Exit-Tickets-for-OCR-Gateway-2012-P1-module-6344086/
C2:
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Exit-Ticket-Worksheet-C2-OCR-Gateway-2011-12-spec-6319894/
However, despite this success, I am concerned that overkill with exit tickets will damped their positive effect if students get bored with them. I fear this because I want to introduce them to my department as a positive activity.
How else can I present 6 mark style questions without calling them such? I don't want to have to mark them out of six and I don't want student to fear them on the exam paper making them a big mental block. Not much to ask?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Rudgleigh Ave,Bristol,United Kingdom
Saturday, 14 September 2013
Destroy Enrichment
During the summer Rachel Jones challenged me and Karen DW to try and be more creative by setting up a 'destroy' homework. Please do look at her ideas and work here: http://createinnovateexplore.com/learning/destroy-homework/
Karen and I both agreed that we could do famous scientists related to our topics.
I did think that I would set this as the first homework of the year for Year 10 to introduce them to some of the scientists they would come in contact with during their GCSEs. However, in my school we have to teach Saturdays, so last Saturday I decided to set this activity as work for year 10 to do during the morning session instead.
To introduce the topic I showed them a video of Rankin's 'destroy' project for Youth Music to give the students the idea. http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/rankin/home/ Then I showed the students some images I found by searching on google, such as this image of Kylie.
The first thing the student did was research a famous scientist. One from a list or one of their own. I offered a concept map containing a list of who, what, where, when, why, how, questions on it to help structure ideas and condense them from Wikipedia!
The students printed images they found on the Internet that they could cut up later and destroy.
The students has access to printable transparencies, coloured sugar paper, plain paper (A2/3/4), pencils, felt pens, foil, string, cotton wool, glue and scissors. The printer is a colour photocopier, so they could use colour.
The students had about two hours to create the images you see above and below. Some didn't finish and have taken them home to complete.
The students were asking why science lessons were not like this all the time!
Overall, a great experience. I would reccomend this as a way of creating images and posters that tell you something, but do not involve much writing. The students did learn about the scientist and enjoyed themselves too.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Karen and I both agreed that we could do famous scientists related to our topics.
I did think that I would set this as the first homework of the year for Year 10 to introduce them to some of the scientists they would come in contact with during their GCSEs. However, in my school we have to teach Saturdays, so last Saturday I decided to set this activity as work for year 10 to do during the morning session instead.
To introduce the topic I showed them a video of Rankin's 'destroy' project for Youth Music to give the students the idea. http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/rankin/home/ Then I showed the students some images I found by searching on google, such as this image of Kylie.
The first thing the student did was research a famous scientist. One from a list or one of their own. I offered a concept map containing a list of who, what, where, when, why, how, questions on it to help structure ideas and condense them from Wikipedia!
The students printed images they found on the Internet that they could cut up later and destroy.
The students has access to printable transparencies, coloured sugar paper, plain paper (A2/3/4), pencils, felt pens, foil, string, cotton wool, glue and scissors. The printer is a colour photocopier, so they could use colour.
The students had about two hours to create the images you see above and below. Some didn't finish and have taken them home to complete.
The students were asking why science lessons were not like this all the time!
Overall, a great experience. I would reccomend this as a way of creating images and posters that tell you something, but do not involve much writing. The students did learn about the scientist and enjoyed themselves too.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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