Category: Teachers

  • Game techniques for use in classes 

    Warming up, knowledge revision and other examples to help get some group interaction (a build trust between class members) in class. The Mind This is a card game where you work in a group of 2,3 or 4 to put down your cards in the correct order. You can see the original card game here. Here’s…

  • The Other Side of Planning

    If you plan out your whole year or semester, are you limiting the quality of your classes before you even begin? It appears to be a ‘fish in a barrel’ decision for management/leadership at a school to ask for planning documents.  The thinking is that if teachers hand over the planning documents, they have at…

  • ‘Creating Space’ and Engagement

    Teachers love direct instruction (I do, we do, you do) because it works most of the time. Teachers know they need to cover the content. It is important to get everything done But covering the content and learning are a little at odds with each other Because the easiest way to cover the content is…

  • Results and Engagement

    Playing Mariokart with my son and daughter this morning reminded me about writing about results and engagement. My son was really eager to play at the start, in fact he suggested it. But as the game went on, he realised that he wasn’t going to win. (He’s 4 years old and his sister is 6)…

  • Theories: Trust and Engagement

    NOTE: this is a follow on from the theories of engagement series. There is more detail on previous theories here. Does the following scenario sound familiar… You walk into your class and check your records to see who has done the homework Less than half the class… Last lesson you set the minimum amount of…