The names of the four figures explored in this beginners’ guide - Dewey, Maslow, Bruner and Vygotsky - will be familiar to many teachers, but it is worth reminding ourselves what their work has contributed to education over the past 100 years. So here are short explanations of some of their key ideas and a range of practical examples showing how they can be applied in any school today.
A problem shared is a problem halved, goes the old saying. But what does it really mean? Analysing the maxim helps us to understand why discussion is a powerful tool in the classroom that can help pupils to make significant progress, no matter what the subject.
If we share a problem in the classroom through discussion, we:
Recently, a friend of mine came to me with a problem.
We sat down over a drink and talked about it.
He spoke and I listened. Then I asked some questions and he spoke a little more. After half an hour or so he said that he felt better and could see what he needed to do. Although I had not offered a specific suggestion or solution to his problem, I had given him the opportunity to discuss what was troubling him.
It is regarded as one of the most important parts of teachers’ work and has been referred to in a variety of ways, from mixed-ability teaching to personalised learning. But the teaching approach now most widely referred to as “differentiation” can still be a difficult one for teachers to grasp.
There’s an aspect of teaching that’s rarely mentioned in the adverts and training courses, but it’s something that many, many teachers wade through in desperation: the Fear.
Spring PowerPoint
A presentation about what happens in nature during spring.
Seeds and plant growth
Explore how plants grow with this discovery pack.
From May 2013, all year 6 pupils will sit the new spelling, punctuation and grammar test, which replaces the English writing test previously taken at the end of KS2. The test is part of the Government’s push to make sure all children leave primary school with a sound grasp of essential English skills. And the changes don’t stop with primary; alterations have also been made to GCSE courses so that from 2013 marks will be awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar in key subjects.
How to teach
Phil Beadle
£12.56
If you’re looking for ways to introduce ICT to your lessons without spending a fortune check out this advice from a TES panel of successful classroom practitioners and ICT leaders for recommendations.
In most professions, attending a friend’s hen party on a Saturday night is not likely to result in you losing your job on Monday morning. For increasing numbers of new teachers though, this kind of scenario – when captured on a smartphone, uploaded to Facebook and tagged with your name – has the potential to derail a career.
