Support: helping a colleague because you care how they are coping.
OR
Support: something you are threatened with when things aren't going well?
It is (usually) good to hear about good practice in your teaching and hear about an initiative you might want to incorporate into your teaching. However, the pressure on teachers is huge at the moment. We can't work hard enough, we can always do more.
All of this is really important because ofsted will put you in special measures or in our case we won't be able to attract new students.
Focusing on targets, exam grades, attracting students etc can seem like a treadmill you can't get off and every step takes more effort than the last one. I know that there is a lot of people feeling pressure in schools at the moment.
How did we start the term? A focus on the strategic plan and some ludicrous suggestions about how we will track students without using levels?
We started with the school vicar asking us to consider each other and not to be afraid to show our vulnerabilities. This is just not something I would ever expect to hear in the previous schools I have worked at. As with every body of staff there are teachers facing issues bigger than being three weeks behind with their marking. To start the year with a focus on each other and supporting each other is a real comfort to me and my colleagues. Having worked at schools where competition between staff is encouraged and requiring support is a bad thing the presence of the vicar is very welcome.
Of course, the vicar isn't necessary for this to happen, a school that encourages support and honesty between staff doesn't have to be religious. Perhaps it is the presence of the outside/non-teacher that helps. Yes, she sees her job as trying to evangelise us so that we can gain eternal life through belief in Jesus. ("I am the way..." etc was quoted today). Yet, compassion and consideration for others is also something she brings as part of her job.
As someone who is not religious I am not sure I would go to the vicar directly for support and comfort, but it is nice to know someone has our welfare as her priority.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 6 January 2014
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Nurture 13/14
I am trying to get a better balance of work and the rest of my life, so I hope my nurture 13/4 post reflects this. Science teaching is a passion, but I want to be more than just that.
13 reflections on 2013
1: LEL
The best thing about 2013 was the summer holiday. During that time Richard cycled the epic cycle ride from London to Edinburgh back to London in 112 hours. There was a lot of building up to it. I tried to be as supportive as I could during the year. I paid for his dynamo hub wheel at the start of spring, and I was glad that I did as it came in useful and meant Richard could afford to buy a GoreTex jacket. At the time his was riding I was very nervous as I wanted him to complete the ride inside the time limit, and also be safe. It was such a massive achievement for Richard, stepping up from cycling 400km once before to deciding to cycle 1200km, and I was incredibly proud that he did it. My only disappointment was how upset he was that his achievement was largely ignored by his senior colleagues at his own school.
2: Gromit Unleashed
During the summer Bristol and the surrounding areas had a Gromit trail. (a) I found all 50 Gromits, which I was more pleased with than I should be at 33. (b) The Gromit trails also meant that Lucie and Dominic had an excuse to visit, it was great to see them and drag them around Bristol. (c) And another group of twitter friends met up to search for the Gromit statues in central Bristol and we ended up in zero degrees with Karen getting a tour so she could explain microbreweries to her year 11 triple science class. This was great fun. (d) My mam also came to stay and we also went Gromit hunting. I don't see her enough and it was lovely to be able to show her Bristol. (e) Part of the hunt also meant we had an excuse to go to London for the day as a family to see the one at Paddington station and go to the science museum.
3: Joanna Lumley
At the end of the 2012/13 school year Joanna Lumley spoke at our school speech day. She was everything I expected her to be. She told the girls to "be beautiful, be brave, be kind, be clever, be happy". Qualifying all these with descriptions. The last piece of advice was for the girls not to be slaves to the mobiles. (That advice fell on deaf ears!) It was good for me, the parents and girls to hear that exam results aren't everything. As a school it is what we believe, and hope to produce well rounded young ladies with an interest in the world.
4: ASE conferences
I have been to 3 ASE conferences this year. I helped to organise the regional one. I really feel they are the best CPD a science teacher can have. Apart from the sessions, the ASE conferences are an opportunity to network with the best people in education. I am terribly grateful to the ASE that through their conferences I was able to talk to Brenda Naylor (Keogh - the concept cartoon lady). I am responsible for upper key stage 2 science (despite being a secondary science teacher) so I asked her "what is primary science all about?". Brenda was so sweet to me and answered me so concisely, but helpfully and inspired me to do well and see the importance in teaching my Year 6 class science. This is just one example of the power of the ASE conferences. Rest in Peace Brenda, you touched a lot of people and having only had two conversations with you I can see why you were such an important part of primary science education.
5: New Head Teacher
In January we got a new Head Teacher. The year has been interesting as a result. She is the best Head I have worked for. However, it hasn't all been plain sailing. It is fantastic to be lead with someone with such passion for the development of the young people in our care, they are her focus. We came runner-up recently in a ranking of pastoral care. My focus continues to be STEM education as we need to produce the female engineers and scientists of the future, but I know that I have the support of the Head in this (although she perhaps doesn't know the extent of my passion!) and I feel it isn't at odds with the Head's aims.
6: Laptop
One of the worst things this year was my laptop dying. I haven't been able to afford a new one yet. I use my iPad as my main computer now, but it isn't easy and I feel my efficiency slipping.
7: Car
The other really bad this was that my car needed £2500 spent on it in April. The head gasket. Savings cleared out.
8: Escapism
While Richard can escape his problems by riding 300/400/600/1200km through the day and night, it is not my cup of tea. I look to more sedate activities. As a student and young teacher I used to go to the cinema on my own every week. (for a year with my friend Naomi). I stopped when I got together with Richard and after a couple of years I got frustrated and forced ourselves to get back into the habit. I am pleased that we have been to the Curzon cinema in Clevedon about 12 times in 2013 (and other cinemas on top of that). Reading is also something I enjoy, so last Christmas Richard gave me a kindle, and I have read 31 books using it since then. I love it and have already pre-ordered quite a few books for 2014. I have never read quite so much as last year.
9: Step-daughter
I am delighted with the way that my step-daughter is growing up. Year 8 was hard for her, she was bored, bullied and unhappy in school. She can draw (and explain) electron shell diagrams, she is reading Tolstoy, yet her teachers didn't recognise it. However, she didn't allow her negative experience of school to put her off learning, and now she is in Year 9 her love of school is returning. The thing that impressed me most about her this year was when we went to visit my friend Vivienne in Scotland. We walked up the side of a mountain (a big hill anyway) and she didn't complain one bit because that evening she wanted to go out in Viv's sea Kayak with Matt, Viv's boyfriend whom she had never met. Her determination to try new things is so strong that she is an inspiration to me.
10: Controlled Assessment
I am pleased that I took the advice of those who said we should do controlled assessments with the students in one whole day. We have done this three times now and it makes a huge difference to the time management, focus, preparedness and results of the students.
11: New Appointments
This year I have appointed a new chemistry teacher and a new technician. Very exciting appointments and the chemistry teacher especially is a fantastic edition to the school. She is an inspiration to me and spurs me to be a better leader and teacher.
12: Extra-curricular science
I hired an incubator and eggs before half term. It was so exciting to see little lives come into the world and the girls loved it. The girls and staff were extremely supportive, a community pulling together. I recommend it to everyone. In March we put in place some activities to celebrate science week, and it was a great success with the girls, especially the assembly. In June year 9 completed science projects and presented them to the head and other teachers, which was great fun.
13: Exam results
After a full academic year working at my school and leading the science department the results came in. I was worried, what if the controlled assessments were marked too highly? (They were in planning but not enough to pull down our results overall). What if the final exam had high grade boundaries to pull down the percentages of students passing? However, our results were great. Not all students were delighted, but no results were lower than I expected and many were higher than I expected. I take no credit for this, the girls at our school work hard and have high expectations for themselves. However, it was a great validation of the work that I am doing and my importance to the success of the department.
There is more, there is so much more. Eating out, going for long walks, trying a new recipe every month thanks to the Waitrose recipe cards and using the slow cooker we got for Christmas last year to good effect, seeing my brother pick his life up after hitting rock bottom, having good friends move into the village, buying some beautiful new dresses, my uncle doing better after cancer, the birth of my cousin's new baby girl, meeting sex education Alice, talking with Christine Harrison, reading 'magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk' and trying new teaching ideas out, instagram, #ASEchat, Sarah and Ali who run ASE in the west with me, being able to spend quality time with Dr Dav, Andy Murry and Chris Froome and all the other great sporting moments of 2013, Diane my supportive Assistant head at school, my department who are great fun, Joan and Cat who are the Year 7 team with me, the school Christmas party, the winter wonderland lights show at Westonbirt Arboretum, attending the October Science Museum lates, going to Slimbridge and buying binoculars, every time I go to Folyes in London, Alwinton Show, the inspiration I get from the York Science project, the ideas and resources of Lucie, the positivity and friendship of Karen, the science TV and radio guide, research Ed 2013, teachmeet Clevedon, teachmeet Wilts, Ed Walsh's keynote at the ASE west conference, the Cheltenham Science festival, the Bristol festival of nature, Rev Alice's assemblies, staff choir, the girls performances in lunch time concerts, all the EAL girls at the school adding to my life experience, school in general as it is such a happy place.
14 things for 2014
I don't think that I can write properly about 2014 until I have been to the ASE conference in January, but here goes.
1: Richard will be 50 in 2014, I want to mark the occasion appropriately, but I don't know what that is yet.
2: I have some tickets for the commonwealth games in Glasgow, I am really looking forward to them as I love watching live sport. I hope we can see some world cup track cycling too, and we aim to see the Grand Depart of le Tour.
3: We moved into our house in 2011, and we still haven't decorated our bedroom yet (any of the upstairs in fact). I want to at least strip the awful wallpaper in 2014!
4: I want to make more of an effort to visit Westonbirt Arboretum more often. I drive past it each day and I have never been during autumn. I must rectify this in 2014.
5: In 2013 I managed to lose 6lbs during the summer, I have put 2 back on, but I want to lose another 10-12lbs during 2014 to get back to the shape I was once proud of. Will power is necessary!
6: I need to save money in 2014 to be able to buy myself a new laptop. I would love to save enough to be able to afford a trip to Hong Kong, but I think this may be beyond me.
7: The new national curriculum provides an opportunity I want to make the most of, I just don't known he details yet!
8: I really hope my A2 physics students get the results they need to get to university.
9: The more involved I get in the ASE the more I realise its power and importance. I want to continue to contribute to it, and I will.
10: I keep finding white hairs in my brown ones. 2014 is the year that I am going to have to face doing something about them.
11: I am organising to take the whole school to the Big Bang Science Fair and I hope that the trip is a success that puts science week onto the school calendar as a permanent event. I want to start the engineering education scheme up in school in 2014/15 with year 12. I want to put STEM on a stronger footing within the school and attract more post-16 students who want to student STEM subjects at university. To me the value of studying science is clear and this is something I want to ensure comes across in my teaching and the teaching of the rest of the department.
12: I have no more excuses not to apply for my CSciTeach accreditation in 2014. I should be working on the application instead of writing this.
13: I want to be more organised, my time, my resources, everything! I want to be organised enough to make the most of all the opportunities I am given.
14: In terms of improving my teaching practice and making resolutions for my department I will wait until after the ASE conference. The event always inspires me and connects me to the right people to point me, my teaching and my department in the best direction. I am especially looking forward to seeing Mary and talking York Science!
Life in 2013 was busy, but I had a good time. I hope 2014 is another good one. There is so much more to look forward to.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
13 reflections on 2013
1: LEL
The best thing about 2013 was the summer holiday. During that time Richard cycled the epic cycle ride from London to Edinburgh back to London in 112 hours. There was a lot of building up to it. I tried to be as supportive as I could during the year. I paid for his dynamo hub wheel at the start of spring, and I was glad that I did as it came in useful and meant Richard could afford to buy a GoreTex jacket. At the time his was riding I was very nervous as I wanted him to complete the ride inside the time limit, and also be safe. It was such a massive achievement for Richard, stepping up from cycling 400km once before to deciding to cycle 1200km, and I was incredibly proud that he did it. My only disappointment was how upset he was that his achievement was largely ignored by his senior colleagues at his own school.
2: Gromit Unleashed
During the summer Bristol and the surrounding areas had a Gromit trail. (a) I found all 50 Gromits, which I was more pleased with than I should be at 33. (b) The Gromit trails also meant that Lucie and Dominic had an excuse to visit, it was great to see them and drag them around Bristol. (c) And another group of twitter friends met up to search for the Gromit statues in central Bristol and we ended up in zero degrees with Karen getting a tour so she could explain microbreweries to her year 11 triple science class. This was great fun. (d) My mam also came to stay and we also went Gromit hunting. I don't see her enough and it was lovely to be able to show her Bristol. (e) Part of the hunt also meant we had an excuse to go to London for the day as a family to see the one at Paddington station and go to the science museum.
3: Joanna Lumley
At the end of the 2012/13 school year Joanna Lumley spoke at our school speech day. She was everything I expected her to be. She told the girls to "be beautiful, be brave, be kind, be clever, be happy". Qualifying all these with descriptions. The last piece of advice was for the girls not to be slaves to the mobiles. (That advice fell on deaf ears!) It was good for me, the parents and girls to hear that exam results aren't everything. As a school it is what we believe, and hope to produce well rounded young ladies with an interest in the world.
4: ASE conferences
I have been to 3 ASE conferences this year. I helped to organise the regional one. I really feel they are the best CPD a science teacher can have. Apart from the sessions, the ASE conferences are an opportunity to network with the best people in education. I am terribly grateful to the ASE that through their conferences I was able to talk to Brenda Naylor (Keogh - the concept cartoon lady). I am responsible for upper key stage 2 science (despite being a secondary science teacher) so I asked her "what is primary science all about?". Brenda was so sweet to me and answered me so concisely, but helpfully and inspired me to do well and see the importance in teaching my Year 6 class science. This is just one example of the power of the ASE conferences. Rest in Peace Brenda, you touched a lot of people and having only had two conversations with you I can see why you were such an important part of primary science education.
5: New Head Teacher
In January we got a new Head Teacher. The year has been interesting as a result. She is the best Head I have worked for. However, it hasn't all been plain sailing. It is fantastic to be lead with someone with such passion for the development of the young people in our care, they are her focus. We came runner-up recently in a ranking of pastoral care. My focus continues to be STEM education as we need to produce the female engineers and scientists of the future, but I know that I have the support of the Head in this (although she perhaps doesn't know the extent of my passion!) and I feel it isn't at odds with the Head's aims.
6: Laptop
One of the worst things this year was my laptop dying. I haven't been able to afford a new one yet. I use my iPad as my main computer now, but it isn't easy and I feel my efficiency slipping.
7: Car
The other really bad this was that my car needed £2500 spent on it in April. The head gasket. Savings cleared out.
8: Escapism
While Richard can escape his problems by riding 300/400/600/1200km through the day and night, it is not my cup of tea. I look to more sedate activities. As a student and young teacher I used to go to the cinema on my own every week. (for a year with my friend Naomi). I stopped when I got together with Richard and after a couple of years I got frustrated and forced ourselves to get back into the habit. I am pleased that we have been to the Curzon cinema in Clevedon about 12 times in 2013 (and other cinemas on top of that). Reading is also something I enjoy, so last Christmas Richard gave me a kindle, and I have read 31 books using it since then. I love it and have already pre-ordered quite a few books for 2014. I have never read quite so much as last year.
9: Step-daughter
I am delighted with the way that my step-daughter is growing up. Year 8 was hard for her, she was bored, bullied and unhappy in school. She can draw (and explain) electron shell diagrams, she is reading Tolstoy, yet her teachers didn't recognise it. However, she didn't allow her negative experience of school to put her off learning, and now she is in Year 9 her love of school is returning. The thing that impressed me most about her this year was when we went to visit my friend Vivienne in Scotland. We walked up the side of a mountain (a big hill anyway) and she didn't complain one bit because that evening she wanted to go out in Viv's sea Kayak with Matt, Viv's boyfriend whom she had never met. Her determination to try new things is so strong that she is an inspiration to me.
10: Controlled Assessment
I am pleased that I took the advice of those who said we should do controlled assessments with the students in one whole day. We have done this three times now and it makes a huge difference to the time management, focus, preparedness and results of the students.
11: New Appointments
This year I have appointed a new chemistry teacher and a new technician. Very exciting appointments and the chemistry teacher especially is a fantastic edition to the school. She is an inspiration to me and spurs me to be a better leader and teacher.
12: Extra-curricular science
I hired an incubator and eggs before half term. It was so exciting to see little lives come into the world and the girls loved it. The girls and staff were extremely supportive, a community pulling together. I recommend it to everyone. In March we put in place some activities to celebrate science week, and it was a great success with the girls, especially the assembly. In June year 9 completed science projects and presented them to the head and other teachers, which was great fun.
13: Exam results
After a full academic year working at my school and leading the science department the results came in. I was worried, what if the controlled assessments were marked too highly? (They were in planning but not enough to pull down our results overall). What if the final exam had high grade boundaries to pull down the percentages of students passing? However, our results were great. Not all students were delighted, but no results were lower than I expected and many were higher than I expected. I take no credit for this, the girls at our school work hard and have high expectations for themselves. However, it was a great validation of the work that I am doing and my importance to the success of the department.
There is more, there is so much more. Eating out, going for long walks, trying a new recipe every month thanks to the Waitrose recipe cards and using the slow cooker we got for Christmas last year to good effect, seeing my brother pick his life up after hitting rock bottom, having good friends move into the village, buying some beautiful new dresses, my uncle doing better after cancer, the birth of my cousin's new baby girl, meeting sex education Alice, talking with Christine Harrison, reading 'magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk' and trying new teaching ideas out, instagram, #ASEchat, Sarah and Ali who run ASE in the west with me, being able to spend quality time with Dr Dav, Andy Murry and Chris Froome and all the other great sporting moments of 2013, Diane my supportive Assistant head at school, my department who are great fun, Joan and Cat who are the Year 7 team with me, the school Christmas party, the winter wonderland lights show at Westonbirt Arboretum, attending the October Science Museum lates, going to Slimbridge and buying binoculars, every time I go to Folyes in London, Alwinton Show, the inspiration I get from the York Science project, the ideas and resources of Lucie, the positivity and friendship of Karen, the science TV and radio guide, research Ed 2013, teachmeet Clevedon, teachmeet Wilts, Ed Walsh's keynote at the ASE west conference, the Cheltenham Science festival, the Bristol festival of nature, Rev Alice's assemblies, staff choir, the girls performances in lunch time concerts, all the EAL girls at the school adding to my life experience, school in general as it is such a happy place.
14 things for 2014
I don't think that I can write properly about 2014 until I have been to the ASE conference in January, but here goes.
1: Richard will be 50 in 2014, I want to mark the occasion appropriately, but I don't know what that is yet.
2: I have some tickets for the commonwealth games in Glasgow, I am really looking forward to them as I love watching live sport. I hope we can see some world cup track cycling too, and we aim to see the Grand Depart of le Tour.
3: We moved into our house in 2011, and we still haven't decorated our bedroom yet (any of the upstairs in fact). I want to at least strip the awful wallpaper in 2014!
4: I want to make more of an effort to visit Westonbirt Arboretum more often. I drive past it each day and I have never been during autumn. I must rectify this in 2014.
5: In 2013 I managed to lose 6lbs during the summer, I have put 2 back on, but I want to lose another 10-12lbs during 2014 to get back to the shape I was once proud of. Will power is necessary!
6: I need to save money in 2014 to be able to buy myself a new laptop. I would love to save enough to be able to afford a trip to Hong Kong, but I think this may be beyond me.
7: The new national curriculum provides an opportunity I want to make the most of, I just don't known he details yet!
8: I really hope my A2 physics students get the results they need to get to university.
9: The more involved I get in the ASE the more I realise its power and importance. I want to continue to contribute to it, and I will.
10: I keep finding white hairs in my brown ones. 2014 is the year that I am going to have to face doing something about them.
11: I am organising to take the whole school to the Big Bang Science Fair and I hope that the trip is a success that puts science week onto the school calendar as a permanent event. I want to start the engineering education scheme up in school in 2014/15 with year 12. I want to put STEM on a stronger footing within the school and attract more post-16 students who want to student STEM subjects at university. To me the value of studying science is clear and this is something I want to ensure comes across in my teaching and the teaching of the rest of the department.
12: I have no more excuses not to apply for my CSciTeach accreditation in 2014. I should be working on the application instead of writing this.
13: I want to be more organised, my time, my resources, everything! I want to be organised enough to make the most of all the opportunities I am given.
14: In terms of improving my teaching practice and making resolutions for my department I will wait until after the ASE conference. The event always inspires me and connects me to the right people to point me, my teaching and my department in the best direction. I am especially looking forward to seeing Mary and talking York Science!
Life in 2013 was busy, but I had a good time. I hope 2014 is another good one. There is so much more to look forward to.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 17 November 2013
On blogging....
Laura McInerney wrote a blog post about the perceived lack of women bloggers here: http://lauramcinerney.com/2013/11/17/the-very-few-thoughts-i-have-about-being-a-woman-blogger/
I didn't make it to the list that Old Andrew wrote in his comment.... Oh well.
I can't speak for other women, as the initial image of Laura's blog post shows, I think that it is unfair to generalise the experience of one/some women to that of many, in the same way that if I said the male bloggers all come across as trying to sound clever by quoting international eduction researchers it wouldn't be fair either as I read many blogs by men that don't.
Personally I feel that arguing the toss via blogs and twitter is a waste of my time, and I should be planning/marking/enjoying my life etc. Perhaps many women feel the same. I read with interest (and some alarm) this blog post: http://www.learningspy.co.uk/learning/know-oh-hang-know/ and found the debate thoroughly ridiculous and totally irrelevant to me.
As a member of the science teaching community I have a voice via the ASE and SCORE back into government. I know many of the people personally who represent me as a science teacher, and make decisions on my behalf. I trust them. You only need to see the work that Ann and Brenda did on the primary curriculum to know that faith is not misplaced, and have heard Stella Paes from AQA say at the ASE summer conference that the UK had the world's experts in science education.
I am content with the purpose of my subject and know that there are very many people out there who know much much more than me. You only need to be in a room a short while with Ed Walsh, Christine Harrison, Pete Robinson, Robin Millar, Sally Howard, Jane Turner, Mary Whitehouse, Steve Marshall, Chris Colclough, Linda Needham, Ann Goldsworth James Williams and Stuart Naylor to know that anything I would write should not be accepted as an authority.
I don't blog to make myself feel like I have a voice and that I am influential. I don't blog to share my authority in my subject. I don't blog to justify my teaching style. I don't need to care that I didn't make it to Andrew's list.
Why do I blog? I blog to share what I have done, what I am thinking and what is challenging me. I hope that my posts support others and support me.
If you are a woman, who doesn't think they can blog because they are a woman, you surprise me. If you have something to say then set up a blog and go for it.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I didn't make it to the list that Old Andrew wrote in his comment.... Oh well.
I can't speak for other women, as the initial image of Laura's blog post shows, I think that it is unfair to generalise the experience of one/some women to that of many, in the same way that if I said the male bloggers all come across as trying to sound clever by quoting international eduction researchers it wouldn't be fair either as I read many blogs by men that don't.
Personally I feel that arguing the toss via blogs and twitter is a waste of my time, and I should be planning/marking/enjoying my life etc. Perhaps many women feel the same. I read with interest (and some alarm) this blog post: http://www.learningspy.co.uk/learning/know-oh-hang-know/ and found the debate thoroughly ridiculous and totally irrelevant to me.
As a member of the science teaching community I have a voice via the ASE and SCORE back into government. I know many of the people personally who represent me as a science teacher, and make decisions on my behalf. I trust them. You only need to see the work that Ann and Brenda did on the primary curriculum to know that faith is not misplaced, and have heard Stella Paes from AQA say at the ASE summer conference that the UK had the world's experts in science education.
I am content with the purpose of my subject and know that there are very many people out there who know much much more than me. You only need to be in a room a short while with Ed Walsh, Christine Harrison, Pete Robinson, Robin Millar, Sally Howard, Jane Turner, Mary Whitehouse, Steve Marshall, Chris Colclough, Linda Needham, Ann Goldsworth James Williams and Stuart Naylor to know that anything I would write should not be accepted as an authority.
I don't blog to make myself feel like I have a voice and that I am influential. I don't blog to share my authority in my subject. I don't blog to justify my teaching style. I don't need to care that I didn't make it to Andrew's list.
Why do I blog? I blog to share what I have done, what I am thinking and what is challenging me. I hope that my posts support others and support me.
If you are a woman, who doesn't think they can blog because they are a woman, you surprise me. If you have something to say then set up a blog and go for it.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Levels: tracking attainment or supporting progression
After reading through the tweets that arose from this tweet I start to see why a lot of people are happy with the demise of levels.
I am really upset that levels have gone in the new national curriculum. I used 'identify, describe, explain, use key ideas, link key ideas' in the first 7/8 years of my teaching career, and now I use the APP grid.
However, I am not using the levels to report on the attainment of students but to help them progress. And I am very confident it works (for me).
I see and accept all the possible issues around using levels in reporting and the inconsistency from one teacher/subject/school to the next. However, I still want level descriptors to help me understand the increasing complexity of the work I set students and their explanations of it.
I know many readers will say that I can still use the APP grid or 'identify, describe, explain, use key ideas, link key ideas' as nothing us stopping me, others will use SOLO taxonomy etc.
The issue that concerns me is what will everyone else do? Are heads of department expected to understand the progression in challenge of ideas individually in order to separately support their staff in knowing how to improve the work if their students?
Maybe it is intuitive to everyone else, but as a student teacher and NQT it was not to me. It also wasn't to the AST I worked with in 2006, to who 'identify, describe, explain, use key ideas, link key ideas' was something she learned outside our school and brought it back to us. (I was astounded as I knew from my previous LA advisor). It wasn't to those who developed a key stage 3 scheme in my previous school either.
My question is this: without level descriptors how will teachers successfully support the progression of their students? And don't say 'SOLO taxonomy', a) isn't that just levels without the numbers and b) how will everyone know it is there as a tool?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, 2 November 2013
2014 Key stage 3 national curriculum - working scientifically
I have had a lot of people looking at my blog for my interpretation of the draft version of the national curriculum. It is over a month now since the final draft has been published, so it is about time that I commented on that too.
In the images above I have coloured the comments green that are the same as the draft version and made the changes yellow.
I am delighted with the first change. It represents an acknowledgement to the language of measurement book from the ASE that the examination boards all use now too. I am grateful. Even if we might not like the definitions, everyone using the same ones does make life easier.
I think that most, if not all, science departments were trying to develop the use of this language into their key stage three schemes as preparation for GCSE, so it doesn't represent a major change.
I really like the 'scientific attitudes' section, and I am pleased that this part of the national curriculum isn't just about investigations, so we haven't lost the element of how science works that was introduced in 2008.
The next question is how to develop these skills in our young people and what the desired outcome at the end of year 9 would be. And of course how to assess it.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 1 November 2013
Teaching Schools Will Solve the Problems the DfE Create (apparently)
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?
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?
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.
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