My YouTube channel

I've been investing a fair amount of time recently in producing revision videos for YouTube. My grand summer plan is to get the videos sorted for all of the topics I teach.

Instead of posting each video here which, if you're not a law student is not going to be terribly exciting, I've decided just to link to my YouTube channel. It includes all of the videos as I put them on, as well as some weird and wonderful Youth Club stuff as well as videos of chickens, which everyone likes.

My YouTube Channel can be found here.

Teacher - no voice

As most teachers do at some point in their career I recently got the flu and lost my voice. I’m not  sure why I was so surprised as it is one of the most common conditions that teachers suffer with, with the exception I suppose of stress, but people don't tend to talk about going off with stress where is they do talk about the trials and tribulations around your voice.

Having felt unwell for a little while I genuinely believed that I was getting better when I'm coughing fits left me with a bruised throat. In an unusual action for me I decided to take myself off to the doctor's, better safe and sorry to be told that if I wanted to avoid permanently damaging my voice I needed to be quiet completely quiet for the next three days. At the mere suggestion that maybe I could go to work and not talk, the doctor was notably unimpressed and I asked whether I was genuinely serious about getting better. At this point I decided it was probably best to start resting and just accept that I had to stay at home and keep my mouth shut for three days.

In my somewhat fever addled brain I believed that I would spend 3 days productively doing all the work that I wanted to catch up on but haven't been able to because other things have been getting in the way. I think I was experiencing something very common for teachers which is the denial of being unwell. I sat down at my desk at home, having emailed everyone I love to tell them what the doctor said, with the intention I'm doing some really fantastic. I planned to spend three days marking with the depth and clarity of feedback that I always want to give. However it became very clear very quickly that I was far too unwell to actually do this. The most I was able to do in those three days was write a detailed email sending in cover work which, in my heart of hearts I know wasn't done, but I felt better knowing that I've done my part of the bargain.

I try not to speculate too much on what if but I can't help but wonder whether, had I given up a little sooner and taken some time off when I first started to feel unwell whether I would have been able to avoid all of this. As teachers, we genuinely believe that are students won't be able to do it without us, that we are indispensable. I do still believed to an extent this is true the reason why I didn't take the time off is because I know how close the A-level exams are. There is the constant pressure both from the students and from above to get the results. Results are key, and you do whatever it takes to get them and that's what I was feeding off. The sad fact is I knew full well but I was putting my health at risk and that I was in danger of doing permanent damage to my voice which is the main tool of the trade because in the forefront of my mind was results and targets. This is just wrong.

I'm a great believer in setting goals and trying to stick to them maybe this is why I was so focused on my achievement data and not allowing my illness to get in the way that I allowed this to happen. So I'm setting myself a new set of goals. I need to stay focused on the results but I also need to see them in context. I can't sit the exam for the students and I am no use if I am unwell and overwhelmed that I can't function. I'm taking this opportunity to have a change of attitude. I became a teacher because I was so stressed and unhappy  that the way sometimes where I really didn't see the point of going on. I need to do everything in my power to ensure that teaching doesn't get like that as well . I'm embarking on a new regime of self-care where are far more strict with myself on what I eat how much sleep and relaxation I get, regular exercise and not allowing my work life to dominate my whole life.

A no preparation technique to encourage creativity

I find that when learning the law students get very few opportunities to be creative. Most times there is a right or a wrong answer, the law is the law and it must be learnt accurately, a small distortion of an offence, for example, can completely change the meaning. I understand that accuracy when learning is a skill which can be invaluable but it's not always the most exciting thing in the world and I love to give my students the opportunity to be more creative.

For teachers of older students creativity often means making a spider diagram on A3 sugar paper with coloured pens. Now I won't have a bad word spoken about this technique, it can be a great way of injecting some interest, especially when it comes to revision.

The revised Blooms taxonomy puts 'creating' at the top of the hierarchy of skills meaning taking existing knowledge and reorganising it into something new and it is from this perspective that I took this new approach which I try to use as often as possible.

Teacher - no internet

This might be an odd moment to write a post bearing in mind that the college computer network is all but dead at the moment.

It started yesterday morning when I arrived at 7:10 to find that my laptop wouldn't connect to the college wireless so, no internet, no documents, no registers, no printer. This isn't overly unusual, things occasionally go wrong over night and it's almost always fixed by about 8:00 but this wasn't the case this time. In fact it's now more than 24 hours later and there's still no internet.

The good
Lack of room to procrastinate has been really good. I've got on to a machine that still works, done the few things I need and got off within about 15 minutes.
In the rest of the time I've been forced to do the less interesting things like filing, marking and paper based admin.

The bad 
Lack of easy access to my documents is problematic. I'm not overly concerned about losing documents as everything I have is stored in the cloud with Google Drive where as those who store everything on the colleges storage system are starting to get that creeping worry about what happens if you never get it back.
I'm not able to choose the order I do things, it's been dictated to me and I'm not finding that very convenient.
I also miss the possibility of the natural segue into a related topic quite restrictive. Yesterday there was a spontaneous discussion about the different uses of the word "squat", most understood it just to mean the hideous gym based exercise and not many had heard of it as a place where people bed down without permission. A couple of quickly thrown together images from Google would have really helped but I couldn't do that and I felt it was an opportunity missed.

The ugly 
It's currently observation season at college and people are fully expecting that 8:30 email to say that they are going to be paid a visit. No internet is causing mass panic as people aren't able to get to their planning, use their whizzy smartboard resources or even access the email to tell them that they are coming.

Overall, it's been an interesting experience. I've found that having my autonomy to choose what order I do things is frustrating as I've ended up with a big to do list of things I must do the next time I can get to a computer. On the other hand, I've also found that I've done everything far more quickly because I'm less distracted and so I've got through the big to do list.

I'm certainly considering having a no-tech day once a week, but I wonder whether I'll actually do it once the WiFi comes back on.

Preparing for 2017 A level exam specs CPD with Andy Homden, Consilium Education

First of all, when I'm going to a continued professional development session I like to have a bit of notice so I can work out how to get the maximum impact from the experience so when I asked asked on Tuesday whether I wanted to go to two, two and a half hour session on Thursday and Friday of this week I felt really wrong footed. I initially said I couldn't go because of working with the BTEC students. I reflected on this over night and changed my mind about this.

This was one of these sessions where there must have been some miscommunication with someone at some stage because I was told that it was going to cover areas to improve extended writing in the curriculum  however, it turned out to be about preparing ourselves and our subjects for the new two year continuous A level programmes which are starting to roll out.

It's a new way of thinking for me, baring in mind that I have never, as a teacher or a student, been involved in a linear way of working. Attending this CPD course has made me realise that our college and the new system has some strengths already which will be heightened with the new system as well as some challenges to over come.

Strengths already present include the students we teach. Out students already have a strong drive to succeed. They are keen to do well and are prepared to do with work required in order to achieve the grades that they need. For some they need time to develop in order to achieve their best. While some arrive at the start of year twelve with the skills required to do their best, generally they need time to develop and grow and the new exam structure gives them this time and space.


Challenges to overcome include the AS exams not counting towards overall grades
On first inspection the decoupling of the AS and A2 looks terrifying. It is going to be a high stakes exam at the end. This certainly would not have suited me as a student because I wouldn't have been able to handle the stress (this worries me as the teacher actually) but this does mean that they are not limited by grade which they have developed as they go along. They will be judge right at the end of the process when they are at their absolute best. Or that's the theory at least.

It's going to be an interesting experience moving across which will require a lot of changes. There is going to be a substantial learning curve and this is inevitably going to have an impact on outcomes and high grades. Currently we are operating within a framework where we can predict with certainty what will be on each exam paper and can coach students for each one. We won't be able to do that anymore and students will be forced to think for themselves.

It is certain to be a challenge but I really and truly believe that our students will be better and stronger for the experience.

Journey to 'recently qualified teacher'

I've been asked to take part in delivering a session to a group of newly qualified teachers who are just finishing their first year teaching. My role is going to be as someone who is a little further through the process and is reflecting on where they have come from to where they are now. I need to have a little think about what I'm going to say without being too teacher-y. There is nothing worse as a professional teacher having a colleague talking to you as if you're a student.

The second year

Teaching is not the first career I've trained for, so I had the benefit of something to compare it to. Before I was a teacher I had gone a fair distance down the road of qualifying as a solicitor, specialising in criminal defence and immigration. I'd spent years of my life and tens of thousands of pounds getting to that point. I worked at three law firms, initially as an unpaid intern and then moving in to paid positions. Six months unpaid is a rite of passage most wannabe solicitors have to go through.

I started at my last first and initially thought:

"I'm not enjoying this, but it's probably because I'm new and it’s difficult not knowing anything". 

After a few months I wasn't new anymore but my feelings hadn't changed. I put on a brave face.

"It's better than nothing". 

Then moving to:

"I don't like this at all". 

Then:

"I really dislike this" 

Finally the slow acknowledgement of what I'd really known all along.

"I hate this"

The point that I realised that practicing law was completely wrong for me was when I noticed that the feeling of dread at going back on Monday would come on at lunch time on Saturday. Something had to change. I distinctly remember sitting upstairs at Coventry Crown Court waiting for a sentencing hearing of a violent mugger with a serious drug additions and it was there and then that I decided that the was going to become a teacher.

Over the past three years, through PGCE, NQT and RQT I've lived in fear of that feeling returning, but it never has. I tell you all of this in the hope that you have no idea what I'm talking about and you certainly can't relate at the moment. If you're sitting there and you relate you need to do something about it, immediately.

NQT year is tough and I was certainly not overjoyed throughout. At first teaching was the only thing that existed in my life. My time was absorbed by making resources from scratch, drafting and redrafting schemes of work, attending CPD and implementing new strategies. There was no room to anything else and what I was doing lacked the polish which comes from using a reflection cycle. During RQT the emphasis moves away from doing everything from scratch towards modifying and perfecting and as a consequence lessons become more cohesive.

Having 12 months employment under my belt I felt more prepared and in control so I'm able to manage my workload better. The only way that I have been able to achieve this is by creating my own rule book. I get to my office at 7:15 and I have an alarm set for 5pm but I aim to have left work before that. If the alarm does go off I stop what I'm doing immediately and go home. The only thing that I take home is marking, no more than one set. No emails after 9pm and no work at all on a Friday night. I allow myself one revision to a lesson plan, and that's it. I eat a proper lunch which I make from scratch and it has to be eaten before I leave (I'm still working on this one, sometimes you'll see me in the car at five past five eating my sandwich because I haven't managed it). 

As an NQT you are going to be sprinting through each half term and then spending the holidays recovering, but this is not a sustainable way to live your life and you're unlikely to survive more than a year like that. It can lead you to feel a bit like the person I described at the start. If anything struck a chord with you, I strongly suggest that you make yourself that set of rules and actually stick to them. I'm a self-confessed work-aholic but my rule book has made sure that college is still important but there is now room for other things and the experiences I describe before, they're a very distant memory.

The problem of concentration or - If I had a pound every time I felt distracted...I wish I had a puppy.

Concentration and engagement is a key issue for every teacher, especially new teachers like me. I realised that you can have the most brilliant, engaging and stimulating range of activities but if there is a huge car accident on the roundabout right outside my classroom window then I'm on to a loser. To try and swing the odds into my favour I've put together a list of tips and tricks which have worked in my classroom that my students can take into other environments.

1. Let them eat cake
Maybe not actual cake, but some sort of non-messy, quiet food which students can munch throughout the lesson. If they're hungry their mind will wander.

2. Let them play
The saying goes that the devil makes work for idle hands and that is certainly true in my classroom. Some students need that external stimulation to allow their mind to really focus on what they see and hear so give them something to fiddle with. If you give them a whiteboard and a dry-wipe pen to 'draw what they feel' about what you're discussing as a group they're engaged and they're fiddling. I know that this is true because I have to fiddle with something during class discussions.

3. Drink, drink, drink...
If they're thirsty they'll be distracted. If they think they might be thirsty in the future they'll be distracted too. Circumvent the issue and request that they bring a drink of water to every class.

4. "I need a tissue"
I get this one all the time and my suggestion that they use their sleeves does not go down well. I'm fitting a toilet roll dispenser in my new classroom and I'm hoping that I can sweet talk the cleaning staff to fill it up on the normal loo roll run. For some, taking a very short break to get some tissue is all they need to refocus and get back to work without leaving the room.

5. Scaffolding
Even asking my 17/18 year old A2's to write a one hour timed essay you see their eye bulge as their brains start to disengage. There is nothing that I can do to change the format of the summative assessment but I can do a lot to scaffold the run up to completing it. Instead of researching, assimilating and writing up all of that information in one huge lump they do tiny little sections over a period of time and build it up. They understand it better and can actually use the information instead of just regurgitating it.

6. Insist on organisation
I nearly broke down and cried when a student asked to borrow a pen and paper two weeks before the final exam. It made me question everything, if they turn up without these absolutely fundamentals to a lesson knowing full well that they have needed them EVERY OTHER LESSON that year then how will they know anything in their exam? Will they remember to get to the exam on time? Will they even turn up to the exam? Ever since then I have insisted on very specific list of resources and a filing system that every student brings with them every lesson and the first activity of the lesson is to get it out of your bag and on to the desk. No faffing during the actual lesson.

7. What's wrong with headphones?
When doing a longer independent task I see no problem with students listening to their music as long as they understand and follow the rules.
a. You must choose a playlist and then listen to it without changing the track.
b. You must use both earbuds so other people can't hear the music
c. You have to keep half an eye open for when I wave frantically at the front if i want everyone's attention.

If it helps someone get into their own little world and really concentrate then I would be mad to stop them!

8. Go with it

I can't compete with a solar eclipse and that's okay. 

There have been so many times that I have put together a carefully considered lesson plans with very specific activities and then I discover that the group wants to take it in a different direction. When I first started teaching I was a slave to the lesson plan, if it wasn't on then I didn't do it but now I've realised that the best way to hold a student's attention is to give them ownership over what they're learning. If they're doing what they want to be doing in the way they want to do it then everyone is happy.

9. Some times it's just a bad day
One of the hardest lessons I've had to learn as a teacher is that you cannot fix every problem that comes your way. In the ten minutes left of first lesson after the recent solar eclipse I don't think I got a single moment of work out of any of my 2nd year BTEC students who were sitting there. Their mind was still squarely focused on what they'd just seen (and that the world had not ended...) and there was nothing I could do about that. You can't always win the room because sometimes the outside stuff is bigger than whats going on in the classroom on that day at that time. And that's okay.

I'm a published teacher - sort of...

The college produces an in house teaching journal called Learning Matters and I was published in the 4th edition. It's not exactly the Times educational supplement, but it's a start.