Classroom Teacher

Activities for developing skills

This series of classroom activities will be useful for SENCOs, teachers, assistants and mentors. Each page focuses on a different skill set – from spatial awareness to visual discrimination to semantic knowledge

Developing Citizenship: about the project

Global citizenship and critical thinking were key elements of this three-year collaborative project

Secondary Assembly: ‘Patrick, come back!'

This assembly, timed to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th, takes the form of a Time Travel Interview with Ireland’s Patron Saint. It disentangles fact from legend and shows that Patrick’s story is relevant today, giving opportunity for discussion at key stages 3, 4 and 5

Helping students 'learn for transfer' - activities for developing an ‘inner voice’ to monitor thinking

This e-bulletin and the next will be looking at the crucial role of metacognitive plenaries in helping our students 'learn for transfer'

How can ‘time out’ benefit students’ behaviour?

‘Time out’ should be more than just a sanction. How can we help students who are required to spend periods outside the classroom use this time to make positive changes in their behaviour? Dave Stott looks at the systems schools need to have in place

Primary Assembly: Lloyd Coleman

This assembly asks children to think about the challenges faced by deaf musicians and mentions both Beethoven and Dame Evelyn Glennie

Secondary Assembly: Cheap at half the price

In this assembly, students are invited to consider the cost of bringing up a child in the UK, and to think about whether they personally are offering good value for the money that has been spent on them

Encourage good behaviour with effective student-teacher relationships

We can have a positive effect on students’ behaviour by demonstrating a sense of fairness and consistency and taking time to chat to them outside the classroom, says Dave Stott

Primary Assembly: Treo wins a medal

This assembly tells the story of a bomb-sniffing dog called Treo, an Army dog who did work in Afghanistan, became the 63rd animal to be awarded the ’Animals’ VC‘ – the Dickin Medal.

How do you spot G&T potential in a new EAL student?

Without a system to identify G&T potential, it can take up to two years international new arrivals's language to develop enough to surface in formal written English. This issue, part of our occasional series on inclusion, shows how you can tell an EAL G&T student within six weeks of their arrival

Primary Assembly: New Potatoes

This assembly examines these first signs of spring and also discusses why new potatoes in the UK are now grown under swathes of plastic. It asks children to consider where their food comes from – and the price the countryside pays for it

Ensuring that children get the most out of primary school

Primary Headship looks at those key ingredients that make the experience of school worthwhile, and asks why we don’t always seem carry through those values which make the Early Years Foundation Stage so positive for children

Effective debriefing: making thinking and learning skills visible

This bulletin provides an overview of what is meant by effective ‘debriefing’ – an essential skill for any practitioner who wishes to generate conversations about learning in their classroom

Secondary Assembly: Cheats never prosper?

This assembly considers attitudes to cheating in the light of the news that more pupils are using new ‘technological’ methods in order to cheat in examinations. It considers the pressures that may drive us to cheat and asks questions about the role of conscience

Mobile phones, MP3 players and student behaviour

They’re often the cause of argument, disruption and off-task behaviour. So how can you reduce the negative impact of mobile phones and MP3 players in the teaching and learning environment?

Primary Assembly: He felt he might be needed

Reginald Earnshaw, killed at 14 years and 152 days, was belatedly recognised recently as the youngest serving casualty of World War Two

Secondary Assembly: Sceptical at a cost?

On the general subject of climate change, this assembly invites students to consider how easily we become sceptical, and the effect this might have on the world’s poorest people

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT): helping students solve their own emotional problems

In this third e-bulletin, Tina Rae considers the use of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), which encouragestudents to consider how positive change can be brought about via the principles of 'solution building' as opposed to 'problem solving'

Reflective learners: helping learners make sense of their learning

This week begins a series on how to help young people develop as ‘Reflective Learners’

Are you devoting too much classroom time to behaviour management?

This week’s copy offers tips on raising teachers’ awareness of the amount of time they spend on behaviour management as opposed to teaching, so that they can readjust the balance in favour of more teaching time if necessary

Secondary Assembly: Hope

This assembly reflects on the idea of hope, challenging listeners to engage in hopeful thinking for the future. It refers to the recent events in Haiti, as well as the memorial services recently held to remember the victims of the Holocaust

Primary Assembly: Fund raising and the widow’s mite

This assembly discusses seven year old Charlie’s remarkable fundraising effort for Haiti, highlighting the concerns and efforts of all young fundraisers. It contains a Christian message and a short story from the Bible

Secondary Assembly: Groundhog Day

This assembly for secondary school pupils looks at the tradition of Groundhog Day, considers why we get bored of routine, and why we should think twice about it

Primary Assembly: Haiti Earthquake

The Haitian earthquake of 12th January has been a highly featured issue on every news channel and in every newspaper. This assembly helps teachers explain to children what has happened, why it won’t happen in Britain, and that there are things that are being done to help

Improve your behaviour management with pupil evaluation

Tips on how to solicit and apply feedback/evaluation from pupils to improve behaviour management

Secondary Assembly: When your chewing gum’s lost its flavour

In this assembly Brian Radcliffe invites students to consider an imaginative way to recycle an unsightly and invasive type of litter

Exploring emotional resourcefulness: activities for developing empathy

This issue we continue to look at practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness', focusing on helping students to become increasingly sensitive to other people’s feelings and perceptions

Primary Assembly: Hard winters and reminiscences

Gerald Haigh looks at the effect of hard winters - not only on people, but on the wildlife of our country

Secondary Assembly: We are all 'Time Lords'

In this assembly, Joe Walker considers the extent to which we are all masters of our own destiny, as we begin another decade. The assembly challenges listeners to consider not how the next year might turn out, but how they might shape 2010

Positive thinking to aid positive behaviour II: encouraging positive behaviour

Out last issue advised on focusing on the positive aspects of student behaviour in the teaching and learning environment, without dwelling on negative behaviour. This week’s develops this theme and offers a practical activity aimed at encouraging positive behaviour

Secondary Assembly: What’s the point of advent calendars?

This assembly uses the popularity of advent calendars to consider what our values should be as we prepare for the season of goodwill

Positive thinking to aid positive behaviour

Refocus your thinking and concentrate on the positive aspects of student behaviour. Stop spending time on the negatives and revitalise your behaviour management

Primary Assembly: Is it the thought that counts?

This primary assembly centres around presents, helping children think about the purpose of present-buying, and their own feelings about both giving and receiving

Building a self-concept: positive reframing

The activities shared this week are designed to help students become more aware of the blocks and limiting beliefs that get in the way of that potential, and how these are often reflected and reinforced by the language we use

Using positive behaviour techniques

This Behaviour Matters focuses on how to avoid making assumptions about the behavioural skills of your students. It looks at how to use positive teaching techniques and remind students of boundaries and expectations, rather than a negative model of failure to correct

Building a positive self-concept: emotional resourcefulness

We continue to look at practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness', that is, the capacity for self-knowledge and understanding – and the ability to make the best use of that understanding

Secondary Assembly: Violence amongst teenagers

In this assembly, Brian Radcliffe invites students to consider the rise in incidents of violence between teenagers, even in apparently safe relationships

Primary Assembly: Red Arrows

This assembly looks at the history of the Red Arrows, Kirsty’s historic achievement, and, briefly, the changing role of women in the military

Secondary Assembly: Speaking out against injustice

Joe Walker explores the idea of being prepared to speak out against injustice – even when it could have negative consequences for you

Too many rules

This ezine is a reminder to review the number of rules you expect students to comply with, how they are put into practice, and how effective they seem to b

Secondary Assembly: Darwin’s Book

This assembly marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘The Origin of Species’ by Charles Darwin on November 24th 1859. It tells the story of a book which has greatly influenced the development of science and provides opportunity for further discussion

Threat or sanction?

Effective behaviour management policies and strategies are based on clarity, inevitability and consistency. This article draws attention to the problem of not meaning what you say when implementing policy

Secondary Assembly: Which side of the wall?

In this assembly Brian Radcliffe invites students to consider the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall that began in November 1989

Using a points system to manage behaviour

This ezine is a reminder of the possible benefits, and also the problems, of using a structured points system when managing student behaviour. It shows how points systems can be effective on a schoolwide basis, for smaller teaching groups and also for individual students

Area

Your Role

Classroom Teacher