30 minute Holiday reading for teachers. Nothing new but many teachers are yet to see these important resources.

READING No.1

Although challenged by some, this summary of what works and what doesn’t is divided into student learning behaviours, home-life, and teacher behaviours that have impact or not. 

This is a good resource to use with your team when considering why students are achieving or not.

Task: Plan what activity you might do with your team on how they are developing and measuring what they do, especially the dark blue indicators in the teaching and students sections. 

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READING No.2

A full rubric for developing teaching, learning, and the classroom.

Task: Choose one row of the rubric at a time and plan what activities you might do with your team to agree on which of the 4 stages you have reached and what would shift the department to the next level of a particular row/issue.

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READING No.3

King’s College (London) Assessment Reform Group.

This is a 30 minute read on the impact of testing and other issues when wanting to motivate students to succeed.

Task: Consider what you would present to your team from this report and what it would mean to assessment and motivation within your courses. What sections from the report would you summarise / share with your team?

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A VIDEO

Video : Death by Powerpoint – Better teaching slides = better student results. (20 Minutes)

It would be great if schools used slides a little less but if you are going to use them, the layout of Teaching Slides has a huge impact on how the information is received and the extent to which it sinks-in with the students. Quite often our slides overwhelm students and reduce focus on the specific aspect being talked about by the teacher. It requires no more time to do slides properly and time invested now to redesign the slides will be gained back when students are showing more understanding on the course and less follow-up is needed. 

Task: Make and edit your teaching slides to increase the amount the class can focus on what you are explaining.