Adaptive teaching may be tricky to define, but we must define it well, and exemplify it, otherwise it will prove an empty buzzword.  I’ve tried to characterise it into broadly two types of adaptations: It is helpful to have examples of adaptive teaching, but also to present ‘non-examples’ of what it isn’t too. This is […] The post Adaptive Teaching: Scaffolds, Scale, Structure and Style first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

Is oracy the next big thing? Are we destined for interminable arguments about it in the coming months or is there a healthy debate to be had about oracy?  I have lots of questions. For me, as a former English teacher, it feels like oracy – or speaking and listening – is just part of […] The post Questions about oracy first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

Teachers in England spend hours marking pupils’ work and in the final mile run up to national exams teachers are often exhausted by their efforts. A key challenge appears to be how we ensure pupils work just as hard as their teachers and taking responsibility to manage their own learning.  Common issues I hear regularly […] The post Supporting Exam Preparation: The Final Mile first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

Teaching and learning can be prone to shifting trends. Some aspects of teaching may suffer from waning popularity, but we cannot lose sight of them because they are so integral for successful learning. Formative assessment is one such aspect that demands our focus – or a refocus – on its central importance.  Just before the […] The post 4 Reasons to (Re)Focus on Formative Assessment first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

Dyslexia is an issue that can evoke a mix of fear and some confusion for teachers. Every teacher can recognise the crippling damage wrought by struggling to read, but, as a label, dyslexia is too often a mystery. As a result, teachers may miss the opportunity to make a positive difference for their pupils.  A […] The post Making the Difference for Pupils with Dyslexia first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

There is not a week that goes by without hearing about a new technology tool or AI resource that is going to impact education. But what it is that makes so many experienced teachers and people in education sceptical about the legion of technology promises? It is normally a matter of experience.  Robert Conquest, a British […] The post Should we throw the tech out the classroom? first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

“The main role of feedback, at least in schools, is to improve the learner, not the work. The idea is that, after feedback, students will be able to do better at some point in the future on tasks they have not yet attempted.”  Dylan Wiliam Giving some pupils timely and effective feedback on their writing […] The post Feedback: Improve the learner, not the work first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

One of the most enduring teaching strategies, for almost every classroom at every key stage, is the explicit teaching of morphology: the structure of words and their meanings.  Teaching word parts, including the history of the word (etymology), can prove much more than a mere curiosity. It can be vital knowledge to unlock the school […] The post Mighty Morphology – 5 Resources first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

“Sir, I don’t know where to start with this Scrooge essay!” “Neither do I…” “How many paragraphs do I need to do again?” “What does redemption mean?” Even the best laid lesson plans of expert teachers go awry. Regardless of deftly planned schemes of learning, teaching is not merely imparting knowledge in linear, formulaic fashion. […] The post Adaptive teaching: What is it anyway? first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more

“All international assessment data like this is a starting point for discussion, though people tend to use it as an end point.” Professor Christian Bokhove, in TES article, ‘UK’s PISA scores fall in maths, science and reading’ It is difficult for a busy school teacher or leader to process legions of headlines about international education […] The post Reflections on PISA 2022 Results first appeared on The Confident Teacher ..read more