Short story blogs!

Loving your short story blogs, guys!

Reflection: Using your blog effectively

Having read through a number of your lesson evaluations and other blog posts, it's clear that you are becoming more effective in analysing your own teaching and considering how to develop your professional practice further.

In my experience, the busy life of a teacher (and that of a trainee teacher), makes it difficult to find time to reflect. It's a luxury not always afforded by the planning, teaching and marking that the profession demands and is often pushed aside in favour of 'getting jobs done'. Ironically, reflection is probably the most valuable 'job' that any teacher can undertake, as only through considering the things we've done, what went well and what didn't, can we make improvements to the experiences offered in our classrooms.

Your blogs offer the ideal space for you to reflect.

Reflections don't have to be long-winded, evidence-based lesson appraisals, but rather a brief consideration of a task, activity, or even pupil-teacher conversation that you've experienced.

The links below offer some insight into reflection, though I'd say that you'll only appreciate the benefits once you give it a try.

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/reflective-teaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice

http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/index/networking/about-online-community/video-introductions-to-online-networking/capturing-and-sharing-professional-reflections.htm

(And no, I've not picked the second one just because it's about cycling...)


Thanks,

Matt.

Resources for session 2 - planning

Find below the resources for session 2 - planning

Sample lp 1 (y11 poetry) from M Taylor

Sample lp 2 (y12 lit) from M Taylor

5minuteplan from M Taylor

5 min lesson_plan_for_visual_planners from M Taylor

Your blogs...

Well done to those of you who've managed to create your blog. Over the next week or so you'll see a link to you page appear on the right, enabling you to look at (and reflect on) each other's professional practice, and enabling Vanessa and I to monitor your progress.

Remember that your blogs should act as both a record of the work you complete as part of the course, as well as a space for you to reflect. You need to remember that collaboration is a key part of any successful team, so make use of the comment function as you see fit. Also remember that your blog will form part of the evidence base throughout the course, so treat it accordingly...

You can always send me an email if you have any problems with Blogger. I can't promise to know the answer, though I'll usually try (and have been known to accept bribes in the shape of biscuits in the past).

Welcome...

...to the Biddulph High School Schools Direct English blog! On this blog you'll find material from the subject sessions, links to suggested resources and links to other blogs from the programme.