Here are the posts from our #nqtsw sessions. If you like them please share them.
Our ‘Collablog’ – a collaborative blog on teaching over lockdown 2021.
Here are some tips about using apps and sites https://diagnosticquestions.com/Home/ is really good at diagnostic questions, to unpick some of the misconceptions and pre-concepts that pupils have. You can make your own and use prepared ones – its a bit maths biased though. Nearpod and Desmos are fantastic for making interactive activities (gap fills, graphs, … Continue reading Our ‘Collablog’ – a collaborative blog on teaching over lockdown 2021.
Questions at interview
What is your second favourite reptile? Ralph age 9 This is my favourite question this year, but they won’t ask you this sort of thing at interview! If you are practicing your interview technique, set it up on zoom, and record it. Get someone to choose the number of questions in the titles (5-6 in … Continue reading Questions at interview
Questions about induction, employment and supply.
Thanks to everyone who came along to the first #nqtsw session on the 2nd September. We talked about the stages needed to progressing your application to interview to getting a job and how difficult it is to get a good idea about what the school is like in that process. It might look brillinat right … Continue reading Questions about induction, employment and supply.
MFL – Meeting the standards
Meeting the Teachers’ Standards – MFL Standard 1 Watch this video clip from Teachers’ TV about raising expectations. Make notes about the key strategies used. https://uob-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/edhma_bristol_ac_uk/EcQCy0-4_pdAnU1X7DENW5QBsMRe_voRU1MmnT1BpYuSqg?e=mZie7c Read the blog post below and make a list of 8-10 key ‘take aways’https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/stretch-and-challenge-in-your-classroom/ Read the 2018 Sutton Trust report ‘Potential for success’ and write a 600-word summary of the main points … Continue reading MFL – Meeting the standards
Getting more out of research
If you ask a teacher how they evolve their classroom practice, you’re likely to receive an enormous range of answers. There’s no shortage of sources for inspiration: School colleagues, Twitter, CPD courses, and INSET days, to name just a few. One source is likely to be conspicuous in its absence. Educational research, and in particular, … Continue reading Getting more out of research
Philosophy over Fear
How scenarios and using the nature and philosophy of science might help with challenging pupil questions… R D Hodges The problem Stepping into a science classroom can feel like stepping into a field filled with a beef herd – all the heads turn towards you as you speak, and you don’t know which step you … Continue reading Philosophy over Fear
Amazing Space, how sweet the sight
In a recent online chat, we talked about classroom displays and spaces to inspire students. The range and quality of what was shared was staggering, so I’ve compiled some of the most impressive displays into this blog. Thank you to everyone who provided photos of displays and links to resources, which have no doubt taken … Continue reading Amazing Space, how sweet the sight
Games in science lessons
Games are a valuable tool the can help embed models, linking the domain of the observed/real to the domain of the unseen/theoretical. They break up a lesson, encourage participation and allow children to let off steam. Most of all, they are fun! But, which games work and which ones are best left in the box?
5 columns of exam success
When I did my A levels we did not really look at the exam papers until the end. There was very little support for the students on ‘how to do’ exams. My teachers focused on what we should learn and then expected those who had learned the most, doing the best. I’m not sure I … Continue reading 5 columns of exam success
Invitation to Science PST training, development and consultation meeting
This is a remote access meeting Dear PST You are invited to attend a Science PST training, development and consultation meeting on Tuesday 10th December. This year, to enable people at a distance to participate, we are piloting a Skype for Business meeting. The process will be: Email me directly L.Hetherington@exeter.ac.uk from the email address … Continue reading Invitation to Science PST training, development and consultation meeting
Resource round-up
One of the things I love about twitter is that there is some much great teaching buzzing about. Some lovely ideas and resources that I like to flag and come back to. The problem is I flag so many tweets on twitter that I can’t ever find them again. So from the end of June, … Continue reading Resource round-up
Power cut cook book – Technology free lessons
I once worked in a old crumbling school in Sussex, which was next door to a site where they were building a new school. Yes, it was noisy, but not as noisy as having building work going on in the classroom above.
Guide for Guest Bloggers
Thank you for your interest in writing for Better Science. I hope this guide is useful. You can tweet me and I’ll set you up as an author. Then you can write your blog directly in wordpress. Or you can email over your word.doc. Plan your blog before you start writing Consider what you want … Continue reading Guide for Guest Bloggers
More recipes from the power cut cook book: technology-free maths lessons
Back in November, I wrote about the maths lessons I ran when we had no power. I spoke about them at the MathsConf8 speed dating too, and found there was lots of interest in the idea.
thinking about behaviour: Tourists, residents and first attention.
If you ask my teacher trainees on day one of the course what they are most concerned about, the winning answer is behaviour.
What does it matter if students have less creative subjects in their timetable?
It was about this time last year that I had to take part in The Big Timetable Meeting. This was the meeting where I successfully argued that there was no way that I was going to be able to deliver all that new subject content to the new cohort if I stuck to the old timetable. I needed … Continue reading What does it matter if students have less creative subjects in their timetable?
How I wish I’d taught the Maths in my science lessons
There is loads of maths in science. We know that science involves loads of formulae as well as manipulations and practical applications of the maths we teach in maths lessons. But I don’t really know what science teachers are doing with maths, or how they are doing it. For students to make good progress in … Continue reading How I wish I’d taught the Maths in my science lessons
Now that is a great question
In this blog, I want to share some of the great adaptations I’ve seen for maths questions. This was the theme for my session at a recent conference, where I tried to squeeze as many adaptations into the session as possible, like an over-enthusiastic smoothie maker! Up front I need to say, these are things … Continue reading Now that is a great question
should we set pupils in year 7?
Most schools set their students in or around Year 7 but there is still a large number of teachers who choose not to, some of whom are quite vocal on their reasoning. See mixed attainment maths, for example. We discussed it in a recent #mathschat too, when we looked at plans for next year’s Year 7. … Continue reading should we set pupils in year 7?
A conversation about conversions
In summer, I had the pleasure of accompanying some students on a school trip to Europe. Mr Mattock kindly stepped in to look after #mathschat while I was away. This is a blog that I’ve had on the back burner since then. While we were waiting at a public travel hub in France (a place … Continue reading A conversation about conversions
Dialogic teaching
outline / content
Science capital
?Outline / content
Learning formula just takes a bucket.
I’ve written a lot about great teaching ideas or great assessment ideas that I’ve seen in action when visiting school and teachers. This term I have been visiting my training teachers in their placement schools and stumbled across a fantastic idea for teaching formulae. Allow me to introduce the formula bucket. Trainee teachers have both the benefit and … Continue reading Learning formula just takes a bucket.
Practical Science – outline of research
research outline Trainee research
Relating Research to Practice
Practical Science (*) science capital Dialogic Teaching
A good department leader… listens
I remember a while ago having a discussion with my sister, she is the engineer and for a while she had a job making sure the wings stayed on aeroplanes. I know, you’d think that this post was already filled. I was reminded of a conversation we had about how engineers make decisions about complex … Continue reading A good department leader… listens
Teaching Maths teaching to science teachers
I teach a lot of different learners: primary children, secondary children, post-16 students, teachers and NQT teachers. But on a Tuesday during the Autumn term I got to go up to the big city and teach the new ITT trainees at a university. I was asked to take a session with the science trainees on improving numeracy. … Continue reading Teaching Maths teaching to science teachers
Helping pupils get stuck
I first saw the ‘head, heart, hand’ approach used when I was a student. At the time it was mostly used in relation to developing ecoliteracy and to encourage people
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