Director of Education and English @advschools. Married to Sonar's Ghost, parent to two little people, and fan of the Oxford comma.
Sep 27, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Am I the only person who thinks there is a big difference between teaching that something (inc a political or ideological viewpoint) exists, and using resources or inviting speakers in to schools who actively promote such a viewpoint? 1/5
As far as I can see the guidance does not mean we can no longer teach An Inspector Calls because it’s the English curriculum and as far as I know Penguin books aren’t an anti-capitalist organisation, are they? 2/5
Sep 19, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
This year I find myself in a parent WhatsApp group (I know, I shouldn’t boast) and it is really making me reflect on how schools communicate with parents. It’s a large group with most parents of one year group involved. My reflections are...
1 lots of people just don’t seem to read anything at all from school. Not sure if they can’t or won’t but they seem to find it much easier to ask the group...
May 1, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
From the (admittedly tiny) sample of school principals/heads I've spoken to this week, it feels like even families that were formerly coping well have really struggled this week. This, in turn, means they have turned to schools and teachers more for help. 1/5
This is a good thing and shows not only the important role of schools and how trusted we are to help when things are hard BUT I think it does suggest this may have been a particularly exhausting week for many school leaders and teachers, many of whom are also parents 2/5
Mar 14, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
This story has really played on my mind. I do think this is worth considering as part of school closure contingency planning and I think there are some things we can do to reduce the chance of something like this happening again. 1/7
When schools close, it won't be like the school holidays: we know some small children will be at home with carers who have a significant chance of falling ill. This story is the worst case scenario, but other carers may feel very unwell and be unable to care for children. 2/7
Mar 4, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
I wrote these two blogs a while back, but I think now may be a good time to re-share. Some odd and possibly harmful things are being done in the name of knowledge. thedustytsundoku.wordpress.com/2018/12/31/cur…
Sticking 100 pointless questions in front on a student and calling it retrieval practice is NOT a knowledge rich curriculum - it isn't a curriculum at all! thedustytsundoku.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/cur…
Jan 29, 2020 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
Today I read my students' books, and had one of those moments where you feel humbled by what lovely work they are doing. Here's a thread on why it seemed significant:
I've been teaching for thirteen years now, but still feel like I am learning so much... 1/14
Teaching English @bedsfreeschool and the culture of professional learning @advschools means I have become far more intentional about what I do. This is partly because I am weighing up all I am learning about how people learn, and partly because... 2/14
Nov 4, 2019 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Tonight's professional learning @bedsfreeschool is focused on knowledge rich lessons but @MJBurnage starts of telling us there is no such thing - there is only the lesson's place in a knowledge rich curriculum.
Now he is explaining the importance of brightening lines within the lesson to ensure students are 100% attentive
