Building words
We are a creative lot, always discovering new things and combining familiar ideas into new ones. The term COVID-19 is one such term, created to explicitly refer to this pandemic we are all experiencing.
Where to from here?
“Children are always learning.” Rebecca Brooks, The myth of ‘catching up’ after Covid-19 As restrictions continue to ease in NSW, I have resumed some of my support and professional learning with primary schools via Zoom. One of the first things I have been reiterating to teachers is, don’t feel the pressure to ‘catch up’. My…
May the fourth be with you!
It’s Star Wars Day. May the fourth be with you! This contemporary acknowledgement of the classic movie series provides an introduction to the power of those sayings that we often quote, and frequently use to guide – or justify – our behaviour. It’s time to share some of these words of wisdom with our students.…
Exploring Literacy – Talking about learning
As part of Primary Learning’s online professional resources, we are launching the ‘Exploring Literacy’ series of courses for teachers. Each course consists of a reading or research, questions to consider, and ideas for implementation in the learning process; possibilities for our students’ learning are introduced. Each course is available as a ‘stand-alone’, or as part…
Teaching is hard, and learning isn’t easy
Teaching is hard work, and learning isn’t easy. It is time to appreciate the complexity of the job and to talk about the real purpose of education, to improve student learning. Actually, it could be better phrased as to improve an individual’s learning. Something that all teachers work hard to achieve. To help students move…
Slow Teaching
We have slow TV, slow fashion and even slow food, but what about slow teaching?
Teacher learning
I have spent some time this term with Primary Masters of Teaching students who are undertaking their professional experience placements for Semester 1. This has provided the excuse to explore some of the issues of student teacher professional experience, and how the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2018) can inform this experience. Mentor Preparation…
Mental maths in action
Our aim as teachers is to discover what students are able to do, what are the most efficient and flexible strategies they are using, and foster those skills.
How are we going to manage talking and listening?
Talking and listening in the classroom is really the bread and butter of what we do as teachers and learners. While we, the formal assessors, together with the world at large (including parents), might value the written word over talk, and certainly accept the written word for evidence of learning (appropriately constructed, of course), it…