It’s that time of the year again when students need to do their GCSE exams and this can be extremely stressful not just for students but for teachers as well. All teachers want their students to do well and they will worry if they have taught them everything they need to know and in a way which they will remember it. It is important to help manage student’s worries over exams as it can have a massive effect on them and this can not only affect their performance in the exams but also their mental wellbeing. If a student displays worries about exams that seem a little more concerning that normal then you need to act quick and get them the right help and support they need. Sometimes a quick... Read More »
As a head teacher coming in to a new school, you may worry about the first impressions you make. You cannot go back and redo first impressions so it is vital that you get it right from the get go. The first term is your time to make your mark and you need to think carefully about what, if any changes you want to make. If you have been bought in to a school to turn it around (following a poor Ofsted report for example) then you may need to come in quite hard and fast making a number of big chances very quickly. You will need to be prepared that this may ruffle some feathers and you will often get the impression that you are not well liked but... Read More »
Behaviour in the classroom can have a massive effect on education. Bad behaviour can not only disrupt the education of the child who is not behaving but also of the rest of the class. If as a teacher you are finding that behaviour issues are coming up time and time again then you need to act quickly to avoid further disruption and to get the class back under control. One idea which has been tried and tested at a number of schools is the traffic light system. This allows all the children to start the day or week on a green card. If they behave well then they will remain on green, if they misbehave then they will often be given an orange or amber card. If this behaviour is... Read More »
When starting to work on any new project you should always take time to learn. Often people learn new skills by reading books but for some people they learn better by actually taking part practically in something. Video tutorials are a great way to see how to do something, often being able to have a visual aid makes it easier to learn that reading about it in a book or on a website. Learning a new language is a skill that many of us do over our life time. It usually starts at school where you are often taught the basics of French, German or Spanish and for some people this is then a basis for them to build upon to allow them to be fluent in that language. A... Read More »
As a teacher you will notice that home life can have a massive effect on a child’s ability at school. It may be that they are very quiet, have little confidence or that they misbehave. These things can happen throughout their school life or may only start happening after a recent event. It is important that teachers and parents or carers work together to ensure that the child feels safe and knows who they can talk to should they have any concerns. As a teacher you have a responsibility for the child when they are in your care, but if you worry about things at home which you feel are having an impact on their well-being or education then it is important that you speak up. Sometimes it may just... Read More »
