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BBC Live Lessons

17/11/2018

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A couple of months ago I received a message from the Production Team at BBC Teach; they're working hard to create a range of resources designed for teachers at all stages of their careers! The aim is to fill the gap left behind by Teachers' TV: a resource I remember vividly from my own training days.

Alongside their content geared for professionals, they also produce timely and effective lessons, broadcast LIVE, covering all manner of subject areas and events. The most recent one being Remembrance! And some silly sausage asked ME to be part of the panel discussion afterwards!

I cannot even begin to tell you how terrifyingly incredible the experience was. I spent the entire day convinced I recognised EVERYONE "off the telly" and I found myself giggling for no real reason other than at the sheer ridiculousness of it all: a real pinch yourself moment.
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Every single person I met was so kind and generous. It's fair to say - and clear to see - that I was utterly petrified, but every member of the team was so supportive and I was so grateful for their help. I always think that any adventure that makes your heart race is a good one, so this ticked all the boxes. Plus I met some truly inspirational people.

You've never seen such a well oiled machine! Travel arrangements, cameras whizzing, backstage crew, people in the gallery, assistants, make-up people...there was a specific person for every single item on the 'to-do' list. It was astounding. Check out the LIVE LESSON HERE, and catch up on the DISCUSSION PANEL with Ros, Susie and myself HERE.

​Thank you so much to BBC Teach for inviting me to take part in this. I was absolutely honoured. I learnt so much from the experience and I'm so thankful for the patience you took with me. This is easily the scariest thing I've ever done, and I'm so grateful.
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Book Look

10/11/2018

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Our first term together was full of great lessons, both for staff and pupils; learning together is so important - I'm not sure a working day goes by without coming to a new realisation!

As discussed a couple of weeks ago, our first topic was titled Darwin's Delights. You can peruse our Topic Books here. As a result, I received a few requests to browse through the rest of our learning, so here it is! I have used today's date to help me randomly choose the books to show you.

In English this term we have aimed to learn about: colons and semi-colons, layout devices, subjunctive form and passive voice, subordinate and relative clauses to name a few!

To learn about these, we applied them to writing inspired by our text (Sky Hawk, Gill Lewis) and topic (Darwin's Delights), which saw us creating: information texts on ospreys, Darwin and the Galapagos; diary entries from Iris and Darwin; and persuasive, formal letters to the Gambia. Check out the topic books to see the finished products! 
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In Maths this term, we have aimed to learn about:
Number and Place Value (including ordering numbers, comparing numbers, partitioning numbers, negative numbers in the context of money and temperature, finding the difference between positive and negative numbers, and addition and subtraction of positive and negative numbers).

The Four Operations (including formal column addition and subtraction, long multiplication, short and long division, finding common factors and multiples, prime numbers, and using the order of operations - BODMAS - to help solve longer calculations).

(Sidenote - having followed the cohort up from Year 5, I'm finding a lot of the Maths is repeated? It's providing a strong base from which to plan, because I know exactly what we covered last year, but I therefore I also worry I'm missing something? Let me know!)

We are tremendously proud of the children and everything they are achieving on this journey so far! Thoughts and feedback welcome! 
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Resilience

3/11/2018

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Rightfully so, mental health and well being appear to be a high priority focus in many professions at the moment. It's likely a case that our national neglect of this basic facet of healthy living has been ignored for far too long; admission of difficulty has been too easily seen as weakness, thus encouraging people to bottle up and seek further unhealthy vices.

Fortunately, we are lucky enough at school to have an SMSC lead and PE team working tirelessly to find strategies and ideas to help support the mental and physical wellbeing of our staff and children. Growth mindset workshops and frequent exercise programmes have been presented to all members of our school community, and we are beginning to build an impressive artillery through which to promote a healthy mind and body.

Of all the amazing opportunities we have had so far, one thing still stays with me: the resilience questionnaire. At one of our initial Well Being Workshops, the presenter had this tucked away 'in our packs' (a staple CPD phrase). It was never referred to, nor were we asked to complete it, but its existence has popped in and out of my mind on a frequent basis.

"How resilient are you?"
Such an interesting set of statements raising questions such as:
  • Can you adapt quickly to new situations?
  • Are you curious? Do you ask questions?
  • Can you calm yourself down in a chaotic situation?
  • Do you find the humour in rough circumstances?
  • Can you bounce back from difficulty?
It struck me, when reading these, that resilience is one of the key factors in promoting good mental strength. If failures are a process in learning, and appropriate levels of struggle are a natural part of the journey, how do we promote resilience as a coping mechanism for dealing with suitable levels of natural emotions?
Practise being optimistic.
Even if you don't fully believe it just yet, try making your thoughts benefit you, rather than creating further barriers. If there is trouble brewing, you know that making a conscious choice to make it worse isn't going to help. Practise optimism so that it will eventually become habit; make a choice that seeks to improve a situation. At first, it might not remove the barrier, but at least it won't add an extra one! 

Celebrate your success.
In a game of balance, it's vital that you celebrate what you do well! Keep realistic goals and do a little something each day to help you towards them. Celebrate each step you take! Each little action will add a sense of control amongst the chaos that is our lives. Enjoy the positive relationships you are lucky to have and use the support network you have around you.

Embrace failure.
As part of a healthy mind, know that ups come with downs. In fact, it's the downs that make you appreciate the ups! Without them, would we even feel joy in the first place? Use challenges as an opportunity to achieve yet another thing! Don't seek drama because this life is stressful enough as it is. Aim to learn the difference between a destructive reaction and a mindful response; they often have entirely opposite outcomes.

Many emotions are perfectly natural responses, but it's only through open lines of communication that we are going to learn about which emotions come to us all, and hopefully generate a general consensus about 'how much is too much?', enabling us to identify when we need more targeted support using the growing range of resources available. Good luck, friends: you've got this!
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Darwin's Delights

27/10/2018

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It feels like only yesterday I was writing to you about this year's classroom. Blink, and the first term is over! It's been a term of all kinds of progress, both for myself and the children! Our school has recently moved to using the Cornerstones products: a cross curricular, thematic approach built around exciting topics. They give lesson suggestions, supplementary texts that could be included, all sorts! It's safe to say that our team have really enjoyed engaging with our first topic in Year 6 - Darwin's Delights! We've applied so many of our skills to different contexts and we are so pleased with the children's start to the year!

DT, Art, great links with our Science topic, Geography and a few History skills too. I wanted to share their work so far this year. It is my intention to share their learning each term. Almost like an online moderation exercise. All feedback is welcome!

We've tracked Darwin's journey, written in role from the HMS Beagle, explored the Galapagos, sketched the tortoises... Alongside the topic, we read Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis. The text inspired much of our writing. I'll share our English and Maths books in a couple of weeks too if you like?
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Mental Strength

20/10/2018

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It's a mere week away from my relatively regular monthly Well Being Diary. However, put simply, posting one this month would be a total lie; I've not looked after myself in the slightest. Transparency is important at teachmrn.com, so I'm going to continue this trend by giving you a transparent version of my October. 

This month, both personally and professionally, I've come across hurdles that have shaken my need to control every aspect of my realm, and I haven't coped with that well. 

I felt myself crumbling. Then, in this descent into darkness, I actively took further decisions that made things worse: by remaining in a mood, I wouldn't drag myself from bed to complete my morning run. In turn, this meant I wasn't downing my 2 pints of water pre and post exercise; I wasn't focussed on that immediate morning win that came from completing a 5K. My Miracle Morning was in pieces. As a result, my day was starting poorly, having not woken my body up. General motivation was down, which was even more irritating when I considered that I was up at my regular time, yet still achieving nothing. 

As a knock-on, my productivity throughout the day lessened. The effects of this were two-fold. Firstly, it meant there was no sense of satisfaction. Secondly, the work just built. Next, I'd leave work, having not achieved half of what I was used to, and would therefore search for a quick fix: junk food. 
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Whatever it was, it was always a share bag and not good for my body or mind. To counteract the less proactive day, I'd find myself working late into the night (when I should have been recharging), likely surrounded by crisp packets. Obviously, this meant I'd eventually get to bed well into the early hours, with a poor sleep because my body is trying to handle the rubbish it had just consumed, under the foolish assumption it would make me feel better. Body clock would wake me at regular running time (4.45am), which I wouldn't get up and do (after a mix of poor sleep and poor fuel the night before) and the cycle would start again.

With a general lack of pride in myself, home living became more difficult. Simple tasks such as doing my laundry and the washing up weren't completed, which meant I started to live in a space that was just as messy as my negative mindset. Stepping around piles of clothes and looking at an ever increasing stack of dirty kitchen bits were constant reminders of the failures I was quickly notching up, neatly adding to the exercise I wasn't doing and the to-do list I wasn't ticking off.

With the poor food and no exercise came physical changes. Now, there's a chance that these were concocted in my imagination as a way to feel worse, but they were there nevertheless. Fatigue and poor skin made self-confidence decrease to an all-time-low. There were also emotional changes as I found myself being over-sensitive, self-doubting and introvert. Personally and professionally, I was static.

Sinking. A feeling of worthlessness set in.

What was I playing at?
I've worked tirelessly to get where I am professionally. Why am I dragging myself down?
I've worked tirelessly to get where I am personally. Why am I suddenly choosing to believe that I'm not good enough?
I've worked tirelessly to get where I am physically. Why am I now consciously making poor choices to undo my hard work?
I've worked tirelessly to get where I am mentally. Why am I self-sabotaging, choosing weakness over strength?


Tuesday morning hit and I knew I needed to make a change. It wasn't a 5K. Just a walk - 2 laps - around the park. I posted to my Twitter. It's always been a great tool to hold me accountable. I spoke to special colleagues, friends and family; such a fantastic resource that I'm lucky to have. We are most definitely on the up.

For those that saved me, thank you so much. You'll never know what you've done for me. Regular service will resume shortly.
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#WBDSeptember

29/9/2018

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September is coming to a close, so it's time for the first Well Being Diary of the new year! But first, how was your summer? Did you take time for yourself?

Every year I really struggle with the length of summer. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I don't cope with the lack of structure, especially when you still have so much to get done. Having said that, it was a great time! 

So let's begin! Let's return to the #Teacher5ADay steps:

#Connect
At the beginning of July, 2 friends and I took ourselves to Madrid Pride for the weekend. It was a classic story of racing to the airport on a Friday evening, unheard of on a usual week, and returning Sunday night, after a hectic 48 hours of colour and music. While waiting to come home, feeling adventurous, I tweeted about wanting to meet new people over the summer. A couple of polls later, with some dates thrown about, IT HAPPENED! #TeacherSocial took place over 2 consecutive Wednesday lunchtimes, before our return to school, and I'm not ashamed to proclaim how much I absolutely loved it! To the lovely people who came to join me in Leicester Square, London, I'm so grateful for the time you took to travel to come and say hello! I know it was a strange thing to do, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, hearing your stories, and connecting in a way that was more personable than just over Twitter.
#Exercise
Over the summer there were several days where I literally didn't get up from the sofa until about 7pm. As above, I find it hard to organise my own day when so many hours are undecided for you. Perhaps I'm conditioned by such a strict timetable of the working day, that I just don't know what to do without one. I much prefer holiday-days with different errands in different places, because then I can slot jobs and tasks amongst the structure that is already forming for me. Having said that, my return to school has started with a great return to running in the mornings. Thank you for everyone encouraging me. I know the photos are annoying everyday at 5am, but they hold me accountable, and your support means the world.

#Notice
The #TeachingHero team is growing, and I would like to encourage you to read their posts from the weeks gone by! There are still some weeks left, and if you want to have a post all of your own, get in touch! I think it's important we promote those spreading positive messages, rather than listening to complainers constantly. Negativity is equally contagious, and we just can't afford the effect.

#Learn
I'm back to trying to read as much as possible. At the moment, my class and I are studying 'Sky Hawk' by Gill Lewis and we are LOVING IT! It's actually given me ideas for further posts later. Saying that, I also have a bunch of other books to read. I'll review them as usual later on.

#Give
This month I would like to recommend that you sign up for Smiling Mind. It's an Australian site that has LOADS of mindfulness resources and guided meditations, all organised by age group, split into courses. It runs itself, and it's ideal for using in class. Check them out!
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#TeachingHero

26/9/2018

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Our newest #TeachingHero is @samschoolstuff. Read her interview below, with some great wellbeing tips, and get in touch if you've got some answers to share too!

​What motivates you to work hard?
It’s all about the children for me, those moments when they “get it”. You never know what difference you are making to a child, just by turning up and getting on with it. I once ran into an ex pupil on the bus. This particular child had been quite disengaged in class, they had a lot going on at home. One of those children who doesn’t draw attention, does the minimum. For various reasons it hadn't been a great year for me either. Anyway, this is probably seven or eight years later. they get in the bus, recognise me, come over and sit next to me. This in itself surprised me, I expected them to scoot off to the top deck. They tell me that my lessons made a real difference to them, they are doing maths at college because of my maths lessons, the first ones they had enjoyed. At the time I had literally no idea. I’m filling up just recounting it now.

Where do you go for personal and professional support or advice?
I’m really privileged, in my current role I don’t have to worry about lots of the most pressurised things about being a class teacher. Even so, I can get down from time to time. When I've had enough I try to keep things in perspective. It’s human nature to dwell on the negatives and gloss over the positives, and so often in school the 95% of the time when everything was fine is overshadowed by the 5% that wasn’t. I've got a tendency to ruminate and get sucked into negative thought spirals, so if I feel one setting in I make a mental list of the things that went well that day. Helps to drown out the negativity a bit!
What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
Set a cut off point for work and stick to it. Use @fit2teachapp to monitor wellbeing and identify patterns. My school facilitates joint planning time which saves hours of work. I was amazed when I found out that not everywhere does it.

What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up?
Contact the Education Support Partnership @EdSupportUK . They have trained counsellors who can really support you. Don't struggle on alone.

Sum up our profession in 5 words.
No two days the same.
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My Terrible Lesson

22/9/2018

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For all sorts of reasons, the world of Social Media can be a myriad of fairground mirrors: a filtered land of perfection. For many, especially for those starting out, it gives a false impression of whatever the subject of the post is, leading to greater feelings of anxiety and failure when we are - unsurprisingly - unable to match the quality we see.

teachmrn.com has always been a true reflection of my life as a teacher. Granted, always with a positive spin (because that's simply the way I choose to live), but transparent nonetheless. So today I'm going to tell you one of my biggest fails. There's no doubt that this could eventually become a series! 

​THE MATHS LESSON
I'm unsure where the idea came from. I'd like to blame the system, but I also don't like excuses. It was most definitely my responsibility. My NQT year featured an observed Maths lesson. It was definitely before the October Half Term, so it was easily within my first few weeks of teaching. The objective was something to do with identifying regular and irregular polygons. I can't honestly say I'd spent much time on routines and expectations, as I was likely too focussed on getting them to like me, so it's safe to say they weren't ones to settle to work quickly, yet! With all this in mind, I created a lesson where: they were to work in pairs, drawing around a limited number of shapes (due to lack of resourcing efficiently) on a single sheet of A3 paper, which featured a carroll diagram on it. 
Looking back now, the mistakes were clear:
  • Expecting a 'bubbly' class to work in pairs calmly, when I hadn't even prepared them suitably for working alone, was a ridiculous thing to do.
  • Asking them to draw in a Maths lesson was far too exciting a task for a group that were, so far, unable to complete the most basic task to a reasonable level of success.
  • Not supplying a suitable number of shapes meant that many 'finished' quickly, and I didn't yet have the management skills to arrange a further challenge.
  • Asking them to use a carroll diagram should have been a whole separate lesson, and by using the ability groups I had back then, I ended up with tables of no clue, and tables of too much clue, about what to do, with no adjustments for achieving in any direction!

All considered, I'm so pleased it happened. It was a necessary step in my journey that I most certainly learnt from. All mistakes are. 

When browsing through various feeds that we so happily gorge on, likely torturing ourselves, please remember that it might not be all you see. They too would have had a bad day, a terrible lesson. Their airy-fairy quotes and wise tweets may have got a tonne of likes, but they still have a pile of marking they're ignoring, or are nervous about a meeting tomorrow.

We all have imperfections.

One more?
Just this week, undeniably the prompt for this post, I came to the haunting realisation that I was trying to cover too much, too soon. For those in the know, I've gone to Year 6, from Year 5. It's a blessing and a curse, because you're aware of the exact coverage of the previous year: often a topic of contention for the new teacher. However, it became clear to both my Year Partner and I, that we have expected far too much in the first two and a half weeks of our time together. An extensive list of Success Criteria for our first pieces of writing, should have at least been revision on the itemised features first, before any expected application. I fear I've skimmed some important steps. I actually sat my class down to apologise for the pace at which we have been moving, finally taking note of their panicked expressions. This isn't to say, however, that they haven't risen to the challenges set. I still believe in high expectations, and have been exceptionally proud of their efforts. It was a lapse in judgement as I moved away from my fundamental beliefs around teaching in a stepwise, specific manner to ensure understanding over an obsession with coverage. Process over performance always. 

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#TeachingHero

19/9/2018

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Our brand new #TeachingHero is @jesslucyleigh! Check out her inspiring advice below, and get in touch if you want to be featured yourself!

What motivates you to work hard?
There is nothing more motivating than building relationships with young people and knowing you are making a difference to their lives. Some of our students do not have stable relationships in their personal lives, so being a constant safety net for our young people helps me get out of bed in the morning (even when I’ve had 2 hours sleep!)

Where do you go for personal and professional support or advice?
Twitter is a huge support for me. Networking with likeminded people has really helped me. I have a small group of friends at work and we all meet at the end of the day and have a good vent. We also have a group chat which we use on a daily basis! I think the worst part of the profession is the rollercoaster of emotions every single day is. I can go to work in an amazing mood and leave in tears (and vice versa). The way I get through it is knowing that for some students, school is the safest place for them and I am partly responsible for that. That’s what makes me happy and content with my job.

What strategies do you use to manage workload and protect your well being?
To manage my workload, I ensure I have set time to do work. I block out my calendar and hide in classroom away from the hustle and bustle. I try to stay at work instead of bringing work home. Even if that means staying until 6pm. That means I don’t have to bring work home too often. When I do bring work home, I ensure that I do it early in the morning rather than late at night. There is nothing worse than work wizzing through your head at 11pm!! We finish work early on a Friday and our line managers always ensure we go home to enjoy our weekend. It is always something to look forward to during the week.

What advice would you give anyone who felt like giving up?
There are times that I feel like giving up but then I think about certain teachers that I’ll always remember, even now as an adult. I strive to be one of those that my students remember in years to come. It’s easier to be negative than it is to be positive sometimes. I always try to go to work with a smile even if I am crying inside. A student once told me that I always looked moody. I made it my mission to make sure I looked more positive and made a positive learning environment. There have been occasions when students/staff or even parents have made me cry. I have a little cry and then draw a line. Sometimes you can’t help but feel overwhelmed and you have to let yourself get upset once in a while. We’re all human after all.

Sum up our profession in 5 words.
Amazing, exhausting, fulfilling, rewarding and emotional. But the best job EVER.
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My Top 5 - Training

15/9/2018

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Today, I want to share with you my top five tips for succeeding during your teacher training course:
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1. Discuss
There will be so many seemingly endless debates and open questions; you'll be challenged to support your opinion with some form of evidence, and many questions will have no definitive answer. But take the chance to discuss everything. When you leave the course, it's these discussions that subconsciously inform all of your decisions.

2. Read
Although you may find some of them boring, the readings you are given are there for a reason. They work in a similar way to the discussions above; they inform your decisions and give you the fuel for seminars. It sounds silly, but it's genuinely important that you have some idea of what you're talking about. Granted, right now it's a room of likely unresponsive hangovers, but later it'll be an interview panel.

3. Contribute
Now, if you're in a room full of people following 1 and 2, you need to take part. Too shy? Start small (like number one). Feeling ill-informed, or like you might embarrass yourself? Should have followed number two! If necessary, play a character and be devil's advocate. Everyone will secretly enjoy it and you might even learn something. Outside of the lecture hall, join social groups and perhaps even volunteer yourself for whatever student council there is. 
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4. Prioritise
Although there are many jokes about the laziness of students these days, you must understand that you're within a certain percentage of the population because you are deemed to have the capability to achieve something they're offering you. Do everything within your power to reduce the prevalence of such stereotypes. Choose the right time to knuckle down, and tell people you've done so. We know that an embarrassing club story is usually more entertaining, but don't put yourself down by pretending that's all you do. Celebrate the library too!

5. Laugh
Even if you go on to further study, you're only going to do this for the first time once! Make the most of it, both professionally and personally. Make close friends from all walks of life and create memories that you'll laugh about forever. Enjoy yourself and tell people all about it. It'll be difficult at times, because I firmly believe, if you're doing it right, your university days will actually be the busiest time of your life. For now at least...
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