Is it time to call it a day for behaviour policies?  Learning how to grow veg in Somerset, new ideas for building vocabulary and using role play to teach high school science.  EDITORIAL Writing about education for online publication is a skill worth developing - get started by writing for ITM. “Behaviour” policies Matthew Savage wonders what would happen if we banished the ''B********" word from use in school. Veg, bees and ponds Visiting students from China experience new horticultural and environmental learning in deepest Somerset. Science in-role Wanting more engag ..read more

Writing about education All of us have done our fair share of writing over the years – it really does come with the territory. And you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief at the end of another school year when the computer keys fell silent, reports had been sent, programmes of study submitted and detailed lesson plans could wait for another few weeks. School holidays for teachers are about not writing. Of course, new ways are being found (thank goodness) to relieve the pressure of term-time writing and AI may even present the possibility of not having to write anything at all. Les ..read more

What would happen if we banished the b******** word? In the first of two articles, Matthew Savage questions the assumptions we make about the meaning of the word “behaviour” and the knock-on effect its use has. As a school leader, and now as a consultant working with schools across the world, there has long been one word that always makes my heart sink. The b******** word. When I trained to be a teacher, we had entire modules on “behaviour management”, and the phrase is still widely used today. A vast majority of schools have some sort of “Behaviour Policy”, and concomitant rules and sanction ..read more

Role play – an effective tool for teaching high school science? Faced with an issue of student engagement, Koulla Andronicou stumbled across – and then enthusiastically embraced – a different kind of science pedagogy for older students. High school science – there’s so much to fit in Finding novel and creative teaching methods for upper secondary science lessons is often a challenging affair. Even entertaining the idea of a unique approach to delivering a lesson at this academic level is intimidating, for the most ardent of teachers. There is simply so much to cover. So much to get through, a ..read more

The Three Tier approach to vocabulary development Farzana Iqbal looks back at a lightbulb moment that changed the way she taught and transformed the way her students learned. Shocking discovery Some time ago I was taking a look at the link between vocabulary and reading comprehension when I was appointed the Reading Leader in my school. I was astonished to learn that in order to effectively comprehend a text, children need to be able to understand 95% or more of the words. I shared this statistic with my colleagues, who were equally shocked. If this is right, the implications were as importan ..read more

What are teachers reading? Consililum Education library specialist, Sal Flint continues her column – School Readers – in which she talks to educators about their favourite books. This month’s Reader is Jackie Houghton, Principal of Garden International School in Rayong, Thailand. Why ‘School Readers’?  We all urge kids to read, but how has reading shaped our own personal and professional lives? I want to know which four books have most influenced the people I talk to – an unforgettable children’s book, a novel, a work of non-fiction and a ‘go-to’ book about education. This ..read more

FOBISIA celebrates admitting its 100th school member John Gwyn Jones, CEO of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) reflects on a significant milestone. Beginnings As we celebrate FOBISIA’s remarkable journey and its achievement of reaching 100 Member Schools, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on our rich history and the vision that has brought us here. FOBISSEA First Founders FOBISIA began in 1988 as FOBISSEA (Federation of British Schools in South East Asia), a modest information-sharing and discussion group among five international schools in South East Asia ..read more

The benefits of an international post-graduate teaching qualification Greg Larmouth and Dr Elizabeth Hidson look at how teachers working outside the UK can become qualified to recognised British and international standards. The question of why Simon Sinek talks extensively of finding your why – why do you get up in the morning and do the job that you do? I’m sure we’ve all had days where we wake up in the morning and ask that question. But in the case of the teachers on one of our post-graduate teaching courses, the why goes further still. Why would anyone commit themselves to a 36-week, full ..read more

Learning in an English country garden Cheryl Hudson, Nigel Phillips and Jade Hume look at horticultural and environmental programmes being developed for visiting students from China in the heart of Somerset. Knowle Hall Can there be anything more English than an English ‘country house’? Built in 1831 in the Somerset countryside to the southwest of Bristol, Knowle Hall is just such a house, with its gothic architecture, beautifully tiled reception area and magnificent stairway. After a long history as a private home, hotel, boys’ school and convalescence centre for children, it is now own ..read more

ITM was delighted partnering with IPSEF for the IPSEF Global conference in London on June 27th, 2024. Speakers, panellists and delegates share their insights in ITM.  Keynote Darren Coxon will get things started on generative AI in International Education and award winning architect Harry Hoodless will share a range of options for sustainable school design. Diane Jacoutot, whose recent research paper from Edvectus looks at recent recruitment trends in teacher recruitment, is a member of the Middle East Panel session. IPSEF is one of the UK’s  premier networking events for independen ..read more