Writing
Once I was…
Once I was a girl whose hair flapped back as I bounced on a chair, or so I’m told. Once I was a girl whose
On friendship
I am a starfish staring upwards into the still hope of an endless sky, the starfish of a loved one stretched nearby. Hands lift me
Accessibility
A collection of articles, technologies and guides to creating accessible content online and beyond. View and explore
Accessible by design
A few years ago, I started work with a colleague who uses a wheelchair. One day, we travelled down to London together. It was in
Singapore in spring
We landed in Singapore eating skittles from a bag. One more leg to go before arrival in Oz. Planning our days, our tasty meals, our
Leading words
Well, I’ll be honest, this was unexpected. I know I’m unexpected to you too, when you were anticipating that man who looked a bit like
A conversation with a lamp…
ME: New years: they’re kind of a lot of pressure. To be more, to do more, better yourself… LAMP: I guess it’s simpler for me.
I remember…
I remember your rough, work-worn hands as they pull me tight into a hug as if squeezing all your love into me. I remember you
Reading in 2020
Ever since the days of Biff, Chip and Kipper, I have loved escaping in the endless number of worlds offered by books. There was a
Nurturing a garden of knowledge
I recently revisited my Gallup Strengths Finder results to focus a magnified lens on my strengths. One of my strengths is that of ‘Input’. I
Embracing your ancestry
There is complexity in the faces of your ancestors and the jobs they held: manager, milliner, miner. The pastimes they enjoyed: dancing, writing, walking. The
Online communities
A collection of articles, research, blogs and videos exploring effective practice in the creation of online communities within the education sector and beyond. View and
Early Career Framework
A spreadsheet of the Early Career Framework. Useful for CPD and mentoring activity planning. View, download and use
Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework
A spreadsheet of the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework created by Lizzy Ford at Summit Learning Trust. Useful for planning. View, download and use
What’s in a pause?
As we enter another period of national lockdown, I reflect on the power of a pause. Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and scribbling all
Quality online learning
Having worked in a Further Education College for many years, I’m all too aware how the gears of the quality department will already be ramping
What do you see?
When asked the question, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ What do you see? You seek an answer but archaeologist, artist,
Next time you see a tandem…
Walking. One foot in front of the other. Lost in a world before or after. The jangle of a bell pulls you back to the
Curating what I consume
I recently took some time away from the land of Twitter with its discriminatory algorithm, warring factions and complex ideas distilled into soundbites with the
Fighting the algorithm
August has featured the word ‘algorithm’ far more than most months in living memory, especially for those of us working in the world of education.
Urgent and important
A continuing journey with workload and delegation. When I was a teacher, I was largely able to dictate my own workload around my timetable; when
On connection and learning in this strange world
Today, I was invited to be on a panel for FutureLearn’s Festival of Education. I sat alongside other ‘How to Teach Online‘ course mentors in
One foot in front of the other
Growing up, we would walk. Holidays would see us trek from our campsite to not so nearby places for lunch and back again, whatever the
The joy of disconnecting
As I sit under the boughs of a large oak tree, I gaze upwards through the sun-dappled leaves and catch a glimpse of possibility. It’s
The magical actions that make a difference are close to nothing at all
‘The magical actions that make a difference are close to nothing at all’ (Poynton, 2019). These words have been imprinted on my soul since I
Online discussions for learning
At work, I design, create and facilitate online learning for teachers. There are many challenges to be overcome when you’re a teacher who’s unlikely to
The right kind of 10% braver?
I’ve realised that for a long time, I was doing 10% braver all wrong. I’m writing this in case some of you are doing it
The making of a MOOC
The scenario of being asked to use a virtual learning environment, a set of laptops or devices, or indeed an interactive whiteboard is likely to
One year on
One year ago, I was leaving a job that had me trapped in a cycle of despair and a fight with values that were not
2018: A year of reading
2018 saw the completion of my library at home and a commitment to more reading. Being an English teacher had lead to far less reading
A Necessary Journey
My awareness of race and the need for representation in both education and society were not inherent in me at an early age, rather it
#WomenEd Unconference 4
Today’s WomenEd Unconference was to be an event unlike others I’d attended previously. It wouldn’t be my first, I wouldn’t be presenting, I wouldn’t be
Monthly Twitter Collections
Each month, I collate blogs, research papers, and reflections from the education community on Twitter. I began doing this for participants and mentors on the
Where can teachers and educators locate existing research?
Open access unless otherwise indicated. An ever-growing list. BES (Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis) The New Zealand Ministry of Education’s best evidence synthesis iterations draw
Design for how people learn
In recent months, I’ve become more engaged with the field of cognitive science and what it has to teach us about effective learning. This began
Embracing Difference
30 days ago, I started working at the Chartered College of Teaching. This time has absolutely flown by and I found myself arriving at the
2017: The year of the coach
Imagine, if you will, a small Quentin Blake sketch of a woman. She’s eagerly skipping around the empty page of a book – leaving sparks
Guest Post – Understanding Depression and Low Mood in Young People
This guest post comes from Emma Currie, a tutor mentor who writes about her recent completion of an online course via Future Learn. After recently
Guest Blog – Technology: A propaedeutic enchiridion!
One of my favourite things to do if I get a free(!) bit of time at work is to talk to Ken Crow (Games Development
Guest Blog – What good schools know and do
Monday 6 November 2017 and John Hattie was going to be in Sheffield. It would be an opportunity to meet the man himself. Unfortunately (or
Guest Blog – A Day Out at Google HQ
This guest blog comes from Nick Hart, a Lecturer in Engineering at The Sheffield College. He and colleagues have recently made the move to Google
An Experiment within an Experiment, Informed by Evidence within Evidence #CPDinFE
The feeling I experience at this moment in time will be familiar to many an educator. It is the end of the first half-term of
Developing Evidence-Informed CPD in FE and Skills Settings
When I read about the CPD taking place with staff at Oldham College and the fab Rachel Irving (read about it here), I was thrilled to
Guest Blog – Positive praise and reward reaps success!
This guest blog is written by Jane Wilson who works in the SEND team at The Sheffield College. Context I have worked within the College
Crush Your Gremlin #WomenEd
A few months ago, I’d seen the advert online for WomenEd looking for workshop facilitators. I flagged the form for that evening, resolving that I
Working with ‘Novice’ and ‘Expert’ Teachers – David Weston
This is a rather delayed write-up of my notes and reflections on David Weston’s (@informed_edu) workshop at The Telegraph Festival of Education. Having heard David
Guest Post – Effective Collaboration of Teaching Staff and Learning Support Assistants in the Classroom
In 2016/2017, colleagues at The Sheffield College were encouraged to participate in a Big Learning Project. A collaborative small-scale research project that would lead to
Dr S Miah – Overcoming the Challenges of Extremism
In July, a colleague in our maths department approached me and shared that he’d had an idea for an event. One that might support staff
Top 5 Reasons to Hold an Open Classrooms Week
First published in Teachers Matter Magazine, New Zealand in 2014 The best kind of professional development is that which is accessible, engaging, and provides sufficient
The right climate can allow students to blossom
First published in TES Magazine 22/09/16 Follow these tips to create the perfect ‘weather’ in your classroom and help your budding learners thrive. It’s reached
Get your new beginning off to a flying start
First published in TES Magazine in 2016 If you’re moving jobs, follow these six rules to ensure that you become a champion of your new
Teacher Wellbeing – Day 2
After Day 1 of this wellbeing CPD, offered by The Chartered College, I was really excited to meet up with everyone again, spend a day
How to Build a Culture of Professional Learning-Bridget Clay- #EducationFest
Seeing Bridget Clay was the first action of the first day of this year’s #EducationFest. Whilst some slots during the Festival posed a next to
Teacher Wellbeing- Day 1
On Friday 9th June, I got up at a ridiculously early hour and headed down to Cambridge for the day – all in pursuit of
Transforming Teacher Education – Reflective Practice and Research
This is the final set of notes from my Transforming Teacher Education course at Sheffield Hallam University, in partnership with The Education and TRaining Foundation.
Transforming Teacher Education – Mentoring
A few weeks ago now, I completed the ‘Transforming Teacher Education’ course with Sheffield Hallam University and the Education and Training Foundation. Week 1- From
Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes That Stick- Week 5
This was to be the final week of my Coursera course from Match Education. I knew when I began this learning that coaching was an
Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes that Stick- Week 3
Clarity of Instructional Vision A reminder of the equation- Teacher change as generated by coaching = clarity of instructional vision of the coach X quality of
Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes that Stick- Week 2
A few weeks ago, I completed week 1 of the coaching teachers MOOC from Match Education. I’ve known for some time that I need to
Getting Better at Feedback
The last few weeks have seen us progress through each of our Cornerstones of Teaching & Learning at The Sheffield College with drop-ins from the
Transforming Teacher Education – Technology
This was one of the online weeks for our ‘Transforming Teacher Education’ programme and one of the easier weeks for me to engage in. It
Coaching Teachers: Promoting Changes that Stick – Week 1
You can still sign-up to the MOOC here Learn about Match Education’s case for a student-facing rubric here A story Our first video depicts a
Practise, Practise, Practice
In my previous two blogs (part of a series of 4), I’ve been confident enough about my own practice to share reflections on planning learning
Engagement
Over the years, I have seen engagement take a variety of forms. When I first began teaching, I was an Associate Lecturer and was therefore
Transforming Teacher Education – Week 2
You can read about week 1 here In this face-to-face session as part of the Education and Training Foundation funded programme, delivered by a number
How do you plan your lessons?
Whenever I ask colleagues the question, ‘How do you plan your lessons?’ I never get the answer I expect to get. Their immediate starting point
Back to School
Yesterday saw me go back to school. I had preconceived ideas about how it would feel to be back in school but none of this
Promoting British Values
Ever since I attended the development day @sheffcol on how to have conversations about Prevent and British Values with students, it occurred to me that
Revision
It’s that time of the year when teachers and students alike enter a frenzied state of revision, revision, revision. With many FE courses incorporating exams
Transforming Teacher Education – Week 1
Last week saw me start a new learning journey- because the journeys of- Teaching new spec GCSE English Doing my job Photography …weren’t quite enough
10 things I learned from my first #WomenEd event
Image available from here This week marked International Women’s Day. The theme was #beboldforchange I took this to heart and pushed myself to be (even
#TSCornerstones opening speech
In planning the opening speech for our March Development Day, I planned it, changed it all, added to it, shared it with some educators on Twitter,
What makes great teaching? A student perspective
This is a blog written by my current work experience student, Ellie Townsend. It is her first blog. Please read, share and comment! @ellietwnsnd Relationships
Why we still need feminism #IWD17
I’ve had these words (most of them at least) sat in my phone notes for some months now; never feeling bold enough to post. It
GCSE English Language (WJEC Eduqas)
For much of this year, I spent a significant amount of time wrestling with how to organise my online learning environment for students. In September,
British Values
Most of us want to prepare our learners for life and British Values gives us another opportunity to do that. Although I’ve not heard any
Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development
‘Every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better.’ Dylan Wiliam. Last year, a
The best teachers I know…
Are easily identifiable. In my current role I, rather luckily, get to see many of them in action and there is one thing they all
‘Measuring Progress’- It’s Messy!
When we planned this year’s Learning Festival, we made sure that sessions were being offered on areas of practice departments knew they needed development in.
Learning Festival 2017
2017 had finally arrived and the day of my second Learning Festival at The Sheffield College. The first one would always be a hard act
Being 10% Braver
Today was a Development Day packed with the sharing of practice, the celebration of great work and plenty of festive fun. It also contained a
A Further Education
I’ve always known, as a teacher of English (and sometimes maths, ICT and study skills) that there was a whole world of FE I didn’t
Mind the crevice
In recent months, I began to feel – so acutely – the distance between me and what Further Education is really all about, widening. I
My Technical Journey- Chris Phillips
During my 23 years at the Sheffield College, technology has changed at an alarming rate. When I first started, the College still used electric typewriters
The Big Learning Project
After the trial of the Mini Learning Project in the summer term of last academic year, we’re finally about to begin the Big Learning Project:
Meetings Kits
Earlier on this year, as I sat twiddling my thumbs and checking my emails in yet another meeting, I began to wonder if there was
CPD Inspiration and Research
Over the last couple of years I’ve become a bit of a sponge when it comes to reading about CPD; continually seeking more to ensure
Being Evidence Informed
In recent months, I have become more aware of how research, science and evidence informs my practice- both as a leader and as a teacher.
20 things I learned from #ukfechat
Journeying 1- Clapham is not the same place as Clapton. Definitely not. Not remotely. This doesn’t stop me from being convinced Clapham is where we’re
Be…assertive! Be, be assertive!
You can read about week 1 (managing your own behaviour) here and week 2 (rules and routines) here and week 3 (making praise personal) here. What
Praise: make it personal
This week’s learning challenged me to think about how I show my appreciation to students. I am aware of how I demonstrate it to colleagues
‘A great lesson starts at the door’
Week 2 of ‘Managing Behaviour for Learning‘ from Future Learn is focused on the importance of routines, boundaries and expectations. All teachers have them but
‘If you have great lessons, you never have behaviour problems, right?’
‘If you have great lessons, you never have behaviour problems, right?’ Paul Dix says this in one of his opening videos for the Future Learn
What could you learn from Future Learn? Leanne Loosemore
This post has been written by Leanne Loosemore, sharing her experiences of learning online with Future Learn. I have completed several online MOOCs with http://www.futurelearn.com.
Positive Engagement from Day 1- Dawn Griffiths and Sallyann Turner
Dawn and Sallyann have worked together for 16 years and work in the ESOL, EFL and Essential Skills department at The Sheffield College. In this
ClassDojo to motivate and reward students- Simon Kershaw
Simon Kershaw, Lecturer in the ESOL, EFL and Essential Skills department at The Sheffield College, has been making use of Class Dojo at the start
Investing Time in Development Part 1- Ideas Meetings
December of 2015 not only meant a new job for me but also a new city, a new house and staff to line manage for
Mini Learning Project Journal
Between April and July, a number of The Sheffield College staff volunteered to participate in a project that would help us to trial what will
Learning Festival 2016
Tuesday 12th July had finally arrived. The Learning Festival. My first development day in my new job at a new college. We had made the
#ShapingCPD- Shaping a Learning Culture
Mirage ‘The Mirage describes the widely held perception among education leaders that we already know how to help teachers improve, and that we could achieve
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