Creative writing mini scheme of work

I love teaching creative writing and young people can be so good at it. They have such great ideas which, when harnessed, creates some great pieces of work. I've already shared the Creative Writing Structure Strips which are incorporated into this short scheme of work.   I've used this a number of times, often when …

The cost of focus

  At the start of the year (now nearly three months ago) I made a pledge that 2019 was going to be the year of focus. Read 2019 THE YEAR OF FOCUS here. In 2018 I felt I was starting a lot of new projects, and enjoying working on a lot of different things, but …

“I haven’t got time for that” re-thinking time scarcity

  "I haven't got time for that." "There just aren't enough hours in the day?" How often have you used one of the above phrases? I would guess, knowing the pressures of modern life, especially those for us involved in education, it's fairly frequent. It seems to be a symptom of our modern age that we're …

How to keep your school e-mail under control

I wasn't a teacher before there was e-mail, but I can imagine that it was a different world. Not commenting on that e-mail chain about a particular student's deteriorating behaviour, checking meeting minutes at the weekend or reading back over a conversation you had six months ago. For all the good things e-mail as brought …

The Recovering Creative

  My name is Luke and I'm a recovering creative. We meet every Thursday night, me and the other recovering creatives, down at the local church hall. Together we share stories of past week's temptations. Some overcome with applause, some succumbed to with derision. This week a lady talked of an inventive filing system she thought …

How to cut your mock exam marking time with feedback appointments

Marking mock exams as a teacher can be the most awful and amazing experience all in one. When a student has it right, when they've done everything you've asked and are flying through the paper, it's beautiful. But when you're trying to decode spider-like waffle which is failing to hit the grade criteria at every …

Set boundaries to protect your creativity

  In modern times the idea of boundaries have picked up a bit of a bad rep. You wouldn't be blamed if images of a glass ceiling, elitism or even xenophobia came to mind when boundaries were mentioned. This is the notion that there is a boundary stopping you,  holding you in, or keeping you …

What do YOU want to be when you’re older?

One of my favourite things about teaching is the conversations with the students. The unstructured, random ones that spin from their learning in all sorts of weird, wonderful and insightful directions. Often, I'll finish a lesson a few minutes early just to make time to spend a few minutes to talk, it's always well worth …

Time to stay or go? Try this litmus test to see if you are at the right school

As we get towards the middle of the year, teachers across the country will make the decision to stay at their current school or go elsewhere. Of course, starting a new job is challenging, you've got to work out where the toilets are and learn how to use the photocopier. But as a teacher, those …

Five ways to relieve burnout

Over the few weeks before the Christmas break, I was feeling burned out. To an extent, I know that's normal - the evenings are getting darker, work's busy, and I put myself under pressure to get things done. The result though wasn't nice, I felt irritable, unfocused, tired, lethargic and apathetic. If you've read my …