No one quite knew what to expect for our first week back in the classroom, but we certainly did not plan for a cyber attack! All use of technology was blocked and it has left us with very little resources... but as with everything there are lessons to be learnt! Thankfully I was organised for the first few weeks with seating plans and all resources printed ready to go. Staff rallied round and shared what resources we had and at the end of the week many staff felt quite invigorated by teaching without technology. Many admitted they had become reliant on the same old resources and it forced them to re-plan around student led activities. Some teachers felt devastated that years of resources have been lost (we are still waiting confirmation on this and are hoping some can be recovered from the cloud somewhere - I am hopeful the Care Bears are looking after them...) and when a teacher was in tears 'but I can't teach without my resources' another teacher said 'of course you c...
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The biggest lesson I have learnt this week has been with my form. A new pastoral structure in the school has given me a Year 11 form, none of which I know or have taught before and with my part-time working means I share the tutor group with another tutor. Thankfully, as tutors, we had an opportunity to meet on the P.D day to agree on our shared expectations but it did not prepare me for that first day being faced with 25 Year 11's who probably hadn't been awake before 9am for 6 months let alone up, dressed and at school... So after me babbling excitedly at them, trying to learn their names or any personal information about them and being greeted with grunts and groans, I knew I needed a new approach the next day! 'Show-me' boards to the rescue! Again, I refer to Tom Sherrington & Oliver Cavigloli Teaching WalkThrus and their 5 steps to show-me boards. 1. Every student has a white-board and working pen Easy - although the picture is not representative of the state o...
After our two P.D. days back at school, I have two lessons to reflect on. My first lesson; our year group bubble system means that our students won’t be socially distancing from one another, but that staff are required to maintain 2m from the students. Whilst one teacher joked ‘Ah, I will finally be able to legitimately spend all lesson teaching by sitting at the front of the room’, another gasped ‘Oh, but circulating the room is what I do!’ I agree with the second teacher but I am also relieved that the students will be sat next to each other and will be able to use ‘think, pair, share’ as it is intended to be used (see my last post). More ideas on how to ‘teach from the front’ to follow in a future post... Whilst most staff seemed happy to return to school there was a feeling of uncertainty and apprehension in the air and that leads me to my second lesson; the need for us to maintain that ‘relentless positivity’ when the students arrive, despite our own feelings....