Practical Teaching Advice, Ideas and Opinion

Archive for December 2011

Our Top 20 Blog Posts of 2011

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Well, it’s been an exciting year for the Creative Education blog. It’s hard to believe we’ve been going just for little over 1 year. We’ve got plenty of exciting stuff planned for 2012 – as I’m sure you do too – but for now I thought it would be nice to look back on our most popular articles in 2012.

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Creating a Not To Do List

It’s coming round to that time of year for New Years Resolutions which valiantly struggle on till late January only to be submerged under a pile of marking and admin. But if we’re looking at how to make a permanent shift in 2012, I couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t as important to make a list of What Not To Do. We all have those activities which are safe and comfortable, but looked at logically don’t really accomplish all that much. They’re the ones you switch to instead of doing the hard but important things. So giving yourself a

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Top 20 Tweeting Geographers

Twitter Geography

  After the success of our top 35 science tweeters post we’re heading into the sunlit halls of the umanities this week, focussing on Geography. If you have any feedback or any others you’d like to suggest I’d love to hear it – either comment below or tweet me @creativeedu You can find the Twitter list for these accounts here.

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Happy Christmas!

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Just a short message to wish you a very happy Christmas. We will be back in the New Year, with lots of exciting things and the usual mix of education news, classroom ideas, and opinion. Look forward to speaking to you then.  

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So I’m a New Governor – What Now?

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If you’re a new governor, particularly if you have had experience of working in schools before those first few meetings can be particularly daunting. Education can be like its own language sometimes that seems to take delight in describing the very simple through the most complicated collection of terms and acronyms possible. With that in mind, here are five top tips to help you hit the ground running quickly as a new governor.

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Work at Creative Education as a Graphic Designer

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Do you have creativity in your soul? Creative Education are looking for a new graphic designer. The role is 3 days a week to full time and is based in our Croydon HQ. If you’d like to find out more, or to apply please read the full advert. And if you know someone who might be suitable don’t forget to let them know!

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Improve Your Presentation Skills

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Arguably, teachers present for a living, but take them out of the confines of the classroom, some find it a difficult – even harrowing – experience. So if you’ve got to lead CPD at your next staff meeting or make a presentation to parents that you’re dreading – here are some useful tips to help set you on the right track.

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Overcoming Homophobic Language in School

homophobic language

In a 2007 report by Stonewall 98% of students and 95% of teachers reported to have regularly heard “that’s gay” and “you’re so gay” used at school. Even three quarters of primary teachers reported hearing it regularly. And the language itself can just be the tip of the iceberg. Almost 2/3 of lesbian, gay and bisexual students will experience bullying of some form in their time at school. Homophobic language in school usually comes in two forms: cultural and direct. Direct is the most concerning – where students use sexual orientation as a specific focus of bullying, understanding exactly what

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Guest Post: Slide or Swing – Which is Better in a School Playground?

slide or swing

Both are playground classics and should provide the same play value, shouldn’t they? In reality, they don’t.

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What Makes an Excellent Teacher

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So after a long search, Sir Michael Wilshaw is grasping education’s poisoned chalice and taking the role of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools. And his opening salvo has already begun. Following the lead of the government white paper it’s not just ‘coasting schools’ that are a target, but ‘coasting teachers’ too. Personally, I dislike the label ‘coasting’. It seems to imply a complete lack of care, whereas I’m sure it’s much more the case that with all the personal and time pressures of teaching some can just get stuck into a bit of a rut.

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10 Top Tips if You’re Looking to Become a Freelance Educator

Freelance

  In these troubled times for school budgets lots of experienced and capable senior leaders are suddenly finding themselves without a role. For lots of them becoming a freelance education consultant can seem an attractive possibility. If you’re thinking of taking the jump here are some factors to help make your venture a successful one.

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How to Deliver the Perfect Assembly

Assembly

Presenting an assembly for any teacher can be an extremely daunting task. Many pastoral leaders who spend a great deal of their time successfully dealing with managing behaviour in group or one to one sessions have many a sleepless night before “performing” in front of a whole year group. In some schools, the trend has been for form tutors and a senior member of staff to “manage” the pupils whilst the assembly is “delivered” by the presenter: an element of group management may well remain necessary, but this section of the course is designed to help you develop your presentation

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How to Excel in Your New Role

American Presidents get 100 days to make an impact before they’re judged on how well they’re getting on. In business they often talk about the first 90 days. For you it will be your first term. When you start a new role in school you’ll have a term to make your first impact. Here’s some guidance on how to make sure you get quickly into the swing of things and become a valued member of the team.

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