Search results for ""Independent Thinking Press""

It peers through the "Autism Lens", allowing us to understand autism effect change in terms of the way we deal with autism as a society and in education. It delivers evidence-based support and strategies that enable us to develop young people's abilities to interact with the social world, removing much of the anxiety that often accompanies it. An essential read for anyone working with children, and young people on the autistic spectrum and it will also prove to be a useful parents' guide to their child's mental health and emotional well-being.

Read more less

Part of Phil Beadle's How to Teach Series. If you buy only one book on metacognitive strategies for the last ten minutes of the lesson this year, make it this one! The Book of Plenary is part of Phil Beadle's How To Teach series, in which he examines in detail every aspect of the modern classroom. The first half of this volume gives interested teachers a series of easy-to-set-up activities that make plenaries engaging and worthwhile. The second half is a detailed and almost serious examination of metacognition in the classroom. It seeks to give teachers the stimulus to prepare and research plenaries fully so that they actively seek to develop the metacognitive experience, knowledge and self regulation of students. Distanced from glib 'learn-to-learn' programmes, this book engages with available research about metacognition and presents its relevance to the classroom in a lively, although sometimes childish, manner.

Read more less

Written by Ginny Bootman,Independent Thinking on Being a SENDCO:113 tips for building relationships, saving time and changing livesis an informative guide that identifies simple, tried and tested ways to build and cement strong relationships between all those who work with children with additional needs, whether they a

Read more less

Foreword by Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes. Regardless of one's plans for the future, many people's careers are founded on a series of chance encounters, experiences and serendipity. School, college, university, jobs, family, sports, hobbies, friends, relationships - these are all fertile grounds for career-related conversations and explorations.What if we teachers, guides, mentors, parents and peers started to notice these seemingly unconnected happenings and, indeed, started to engineer and encourage them to happen? Using the mantra 'every adult is a careers teacher', The Ladder will inspire teachers to explicitly link their subject area to students' futures, both in school and outside its walls, and support them in doing so. Bernie draws upon his 30-year career in education and business development to bring clarity, focus and ideas to educators as to how they can best start students on their own ladders to success. Ultimately, in writing this book, Bernie's aim is to bring young people's futures to life with some personal skills reflection and forward planning designed to help them as they embark on their fulfilling futures - regardless of their upbringing, academic achievements or ethnic background.

Read more less

Written by Richard Evans, Independent Thinking on Emotional Literacy: A passport to increased confidence, engagement and learning shares an approach that will help educators boost their pupils' emotional literacy, with the broader aim of nurturing a more grounded, engaged and intrinsically motivated child. Foreword by Ian Gilbert. Do teachers truly understand their pupils? And do the pupils themselves really understand their own needs? In Independent Thinking on Emotional Literacy, Richard Evans reminds every school educator that behind every child is a set of circumstances so entwined - and within them a set of emotions so involved - that to ignore them is to be complicit in any educational failings experienced by that child. Richard equips educators with a collaborative 'passport' template designed to improve pupils' emotional literacy and promote discussion of the often-unspoken issues that prevent children from making progress at school. It enables staff to steer young people to greater emotional understanding of themselves, so that they can better manage their route through the school system. Furthermore, Richard provides a detailed tutorial as he walks you through the subtleties and wide-ranging possibilities of its use. Colour copies of the passport are also made available for free download as a complimentary feature of the book. If the passport is aimed at anyone, adult or child, it's those not altogether happy with the system; those not convinced it provides as much breadth and meaning as it could; and who sense that education is as much about the acquisition of self-knowledge as it is about that of knowledge per se. Ultimately, the result of the enterprise is deeper understanding - whether it's of the girl who falls asleep at the back, the boy who needs constant support, or those pupils who need extra careful attention at parents' evening. Suitable for all educators in both primary and secondary settings.

Read more less

The Complete Learner’s Toolkit enables schools to transform their pupils’ learning and make a positive impact on their personal and emotional development. The book has been divided into three sections – emotional intelligence, learning to learn and values for life – and offers teachers a comprehensive collection of activities that will help nurture truly independent learners, confident and resilient in their ability to learn and to learn well. It includes 40-plus lessons designed to last up to one hour, with each lesson being accompanied by a full set of teacher’s notes. All of the activities included have been devised to develop the habits of metacognition associated with academic progress, and this revised edition also features new material relating to growth mindset and the responsible use of social media. Suitable for use with pupils aged 7–16.

Read more less

Crista Hazell's Independent Thinking on MFL: How to make modern foreign language teaching exciting, inclusive and relevant takes teachers on a tour of how to get the teaching of a new language right. Foreword by Ian Gilbert. Learning a new language has the power to transform a life, as well as help break down the barriers that seem to be re-emerging between nations, cultures and people. In the UK, MFL teaching has always had to battle with the 'everyone speaks English' argument, not to mention that, for so many, all that remains of their years learning a foreign language is bitte, por favor or s'il vous plait. But with teachers like Independent Thinking Associate Crista Hazell at the front of the class, things can be very different. Drawing on her many years of experience as an MFL teacher and head of department, Crista shares tips, techniques and inspirational ideas geared to help teachers build confidence, increase enjoyment and improve outcomes as they take their MFL teaching to a whole new level. Crista provides a range of strategies from how to hook students in the minute they enter the classroom to ensuring that the vocabulary sticks designed to help learners develop confidence, take risks and enjoy the challenge that learning a new language brings. She also offers ideas and advice on how to make learning new vocabulary and grammar a great deal more effective and empowers teachers to open up the benefits and enjoyment of learning a language to all students, not just those in the top sets. Ultimately, however, her book sets out to help teachers create engaging, relevant and memorable learning experiences in the MFL classroom and encourage their learners to become lifelong and passionate linguists. For MFL teachers and heads of languages departments in primary schools, secondary schools and colleges. Independent Thinking on MFL has been shortlisted for the Educational Book Award in the 2021 Education Resources Awards!

Read more less

Shares high-impact guidance on how to maximise the potential of every square inch of the learning environment. Classrooms are private places. A lucky few - consultants and inspectors amongst them - get to visit hundreds of classrooms a year, yet many teachers never get the opportunity to see how other teachers `do it'. In Dynamically Different Classrooms Claire Gadsby and Jan Evans take away the guesswork by providing a visually striking masterclass on how to design and use the space within classrooms to enhance pupils' learning experiences. Packed with a variety of practical ideas, this inspiring book takes teachers on a unique journey of classroom discovery - from `sacred spaces' to `pit stops', and from `enable tables' to `independence stations' - and gives them an instant shot of creativity as well as a thought-provoking point of comparison with other schools and phases of education. Teachers will be inspired, intrigued and compelled to take action - literally moving the furniture and clearing the walls in order to `spring clean' their practice. Suitable for all teachers, senior leaders, trainees and teaching assistants in all phases of education.

Read more less

The Monkey-Proof Box is a manifesto on how to dismantle the curriculum we’re told to deliver and construct in its place the curriculum we need to deliver. A group of monkeys. A box full of nuts. A lever on its front that releases the nuts down a chute. The monkeys excitedly poke at the box with rocks … nothing happens. Meanwhile, one monkey sits to the side observing. But when the others wander off, he gets up and, with a curious push of his palm, presses down on the lever. Immediately, the nuts tumble down the chute. He can’t believe his luck and eats them all up. He then presses the lever again and again, each time getting more and more nuts. In the early years, our youngest learners get to have a go at such a monkey-proof box on a daily basis, but then as they get older – and as learning becomes more formal – we ditch the monkey-proofing for the path of least resistance. They are suddenly given the nuts on a plate, and their curiosity and creative thinking begins to fade. But what if it didn’t? What if we kept hold of some of that monkey-ness? In The Monkey-Proof Box, Jonathan Lear sets out how teachers can deliver a curriculum rich in authentic learning experiences that enable children to learn from one another and grow into empowered, knowledgeable and creative thinkers driven by insatiable curiosity.

Read more less

You can buy in the best behaviour tracking software, introduce 24/7 detentions or scream 'NO EXCUSES' as often as you want - but ultimately the solution lies with the behaviour of the adults. It is the only behaviour over which we have absolute control. Drawing on anecdotal case studies, scripted interventions and approaches which have been tried and tested in a range of contexts, from the most challenging urban comprehensives to the most privileged international schools, behaviour training expert and Pivotal Education director Paul Dix advocates an inclusive approach that is practical, transformative and rippling with respect for staff and learners. An approach in which behavioural expectations and boundaries are exemplified by people, not by a thousand rules that nobody can recall. When the Adults Change, Everything Changes illustrates how, with their traditional sanction- and exclusion-led methods, the 'punishment brigade' are losing the argument. It outlines how each school can build authentic practice on a stable platform, resulting in shifts in daily rules and routines, in how we deal with the angriest learners, in restorative practice and in how we appreciate positive behaviour. Each chapter is themed and concludes with three helpful checklists Testing, Watch out for and Nuggets designed to help you form your own behaviour blueprint. Throughout the book both class teachers and school leaders will find indispensable advice about how to involve all staff in developing a whole school ethos built on kindness, empathy and understanding. Suitable for all head teachers, school leaders, teachers, NQTs and classroom assistants in any phase or context, including SEND and alternative provision settings who are looking to upgrade their own classroom management or school behaviour plan. When the Adults Change Everything Changes was a silver winner 2017 Foreword INDIES Awards in the Education category. Named one of Book Authority's best education reform books of all time. Named one of Book Authority's best education books of all time. Click here to read the review on Humanising Language Teaching. Click here to read the review on Schools Week. Click here to read the review on 'Saved You a Spot' blog.

Read more less

Edited by Peter Worley with chapters by: Harry Adamson, Peter Adamson, Alfred Archer, Saray Ayala, Grant Bartley, David Birch, Peter Cave, Miriam Cohen Christofidis, Philip Cowell, James Davy, Andrew Day, Georgina Donati, Claire Field, Berys Gaut, Morag Gaut, Philip Gaydon, Nolen Gertz, A. C. Grayling, Michael Hand, Angie Hobbs, David Jenkins, Milosh Jeremic, Lisa McNulty, Sofia Nikolidaki, Martin Pallister, Andrew Routledge, Anja Steinbauer, Dan Sumners, Roger Sutcliffe, John L. Taylor, Amie L. Thomasson, Robert Torrington, Andy West, Guy J. Williams, Emma Williams, Emma Worley, Peter Worley. Imagine a one-stop shop stacked to the rafters with everything you could ever want, to enable you to tap into young people's natural curiosity and get them thinking deeply. Well, this is it! Edited by philosophy in schools expert, Peter Worley and with contributions from philosophers from around the world, The Philosophy Shop is jam-packed with ideas to get anyone thinking philosophically from children and young people to adults. For use in the classroom, at after school clubs, in philosophy departments and philosophy groups or even for the lone reader, this book will appeal to anyone who likes to think. Take it on journeys and dip in; use it as a classroom starter activity, or for a full philosophical enquiry - it could even be used to steer pub, dinner party or family discussions away from the same old topics. Suitable for adults and children. Winner of the Education Resources Awards 2013, Educational Book Award category Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner, Philosophy (Adult Nonfiction) There is also a hardback edition available, ISBN 9781781350492.

Read more less

In Messy Maths: A Playful, Outdoor Approach for Early Years, Juliet Robertson offers a rich resource of ideas that will inspire you to tap into the endless supply of patterns, textures, colours and quantities of the outdoors and deepen children's understanding of maths through hands-on experience. Juliet believes being outside makes maths real. In the classroom environment, maths can seem disconnected from everyday reality - but real maths is really messy. Lots of outdoor play and engaging activity along the way is a must, as being outside enables connections to be made between the hands, heart and head, and lays the foundations for more complex work as children grow, develop and learn. Following on from the success of Dirty Teaching (ISBN 978-178135107-9), Messy Maths reimagines the outdoor space through a mathematical lens - providing a treasure trove of suggestions that will empower you to blend outdoor learning into your teaching practice. It is not a `how to' guide, but rather an easy-to-use reference book replete with ready-to-use games and open-ended ideas designed to help children become confident and skilled in thinking about, using and exploring abstract mathematical concepts as they play outside. Many of these ideas and activities are also beautifully displayed in full-colour photographs throughout the book, making it even easier to jump straight into outstanding outdoor learning opportunities. Topics covered include: general advice; exploring numbers; number functions and fractions; money; measurement; time; pattern; shape and symmetry; position, direction and movement; data handling; routines; and the mathematical garden. Each chapter features a section on topic-specific vocabulary and expressions to help you integrate terminology into each area of study, while suggestions for embedding maths into routines are also provided to assist in the development of creative, progressive and flexible approaches to everyday situations. Messy Maths is suitable for early years educators (of ages 3-6) who want to shake up their usual classroom practice and make the most of any outdoor space - whether this be a nursery, playgroup, child-minder's back garden or a nature kindergarten - as a context for maths.

Read more less

From Ancient Greece to the present day, Trivium 21c explores whether a contemporary trivium (Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric) can unite progressive and traditionalist institutions, teachers, politicians and parents in the common pursuit of providing a great education for our children in 21st Century. Education policy and practice is a battleground. Traditionalists argue for the teaching of a privileged type of hard knowledge and deride soft skills. Progressives deride learning about great works of the past preferring `21c skills' (21st Century Skills) such as creativity and critical thinking. Whilst looking for a school for his daughter, the author became frustrated by schools' inability to value knowledge, as well as creativity, foster discipline alongside free-thinking, and value citizenship alongside independent learning. Drawing from his work as a creative teacher Robinson finds inspiration in the Arts and the need to nurture learners with the ability to deal with the uncertainties of our age. Named one of Book Authority's best education books of all time.

Read more less

The book also shines a spotlight on the role of the teacher and how he or she can do the right things to get the absolute best from students. Some of the best learning takes place when, rather than imposing on young people a pre-determined curriculum, you find the stimulus that is relevant and engaging for them and build from there. Then the curriculum starts to emerge in a way that simply hooks students into learning almost despite themselves. There is nothing for them to push against ('What's the point?!', 'This is boring..!') as they have helped shape the direction of the lesson in a way that makes it real and useful to them. All this without them even realising what is going on! They have been 'lured into learning' and the process is shared with teachers in this book, with examples as to how it can be done and how the author has done it. Reading this book will support teachers in developing ideas that motivate everybody in the classroom, from infants to secondary and beyond. Whether you're new to teaching or have vast experience you will find in this book inspiration to raise achievement, improve behaviour and enhance creativity in the classroom; and you will change the way you approach lesson planning forever. Shortlisted for the Education Resources Awards 2013, Secondary Resource - non ICT category Oops Book Launch, Waterstones, Sheffield, May 2012: Photography by Jane Hewitt www.janehewittphotography.co.uk

Read more less

There is a behavioural nirvana: one that is calm, purposeful and respectful. Where poor pupil behaviour is as rare as a PE teacher in trousers and where relationships drive achievement. Annoyingly and predictably, the road is hard and the ride bumpy and littered with cliches - but it is achievable. And when you get there it is a little slice of heaven. A revolution in behaviour can be exciting, dynamic and, at times, pleasantly terrifying. But revolution is short-lived. In After the Adults Change Paul shows you that, after the behaviour of the adults has changed, there is an opportunity to go wider and deeper: to accelerate relational practice, decrease disproportionate punishment and fully introduce restorative, informed and coaching-led cultures. Paul delves into the possibilities for improvement in pupil behaviour and teacher-pupil relationships, drawing further upon a hugely influential behaviour management approach whereby expectations and boundaries are exemplified by calm, consistent and regulated adults.

Read more less

This book includes valuable strategies, such as: How to shift a staff culture in order to embed AfL (engaging hearts and minds) Effective use of learning objectives and success criteria Peer and self assessment Talk for learning Activating pupils as owners of their own learning Formative feedback How to work effectively with parents Using AfL to demonstrate pupils' progress to Ofsted This is a simple how to guide for implementing sustainable Assessment for Learning in your school.

Read more less

Written by Debra Kidd, A Curriculum of Hope: As rich in humanity as in knowledge explores how good curriculum design can empower schools to build bridges between their pupils' learning and the world around them. A great many schools are wondering how they can build a curriculum model that meets the demands of government policy as well as the needs of the children and communities they serve. In A Curriculum of Hope, Debra illustrates how teachers can deliver learning experiences that genuinely link knowledge to life. Working on the premise that a strong curriculum is supported by five key pillars of practice coherence, credibility, creativity, compassion and community she presents a plethora of examples that demonstrate how schools, parents, pupils and the wider local community can learn together to build from within. Debra enquires into the ways in which schools can create units of work that are both knowledge- and humanity-rich, and challenges the view that the role of children is simply to listen and learn instead advocating their active engagement with local and global issues. She does so by delving into the role of pedagogy as a means of empowering children, and by exploring some of the more overlooked pedagogical tools that can have a great impact on children's learning and well-being story, movement and play as well as some of the recent research into memory and retention. Towards the back of the book you will find case studies demonstrating how teachers can work with both their own and other subject departments across the school to plan in ways that allow for pupil choice, autonomy and responsibility. Furthermore, there are some accompanying planning documents for these examples provided in the appendix (The Seed Catalogue) which you may find useful, and these documents are also available for download. Suitable for teachers and leaders in all schools.

Read more less

Written by Hywel Roberts,Botheredness:Stories, stance and pedagogyis a funny, engaging and rapturous read that will inspire teachers to reclaim their professional imagination and reignite the excitement they felt when they entered the teaching profession. It's about botheredness - a made-up word that everyone

Read more less

The Expert Teacher presents an engaging, research-informed view on which teaching strategies work best to provoke long-term learning in students. `But what does this look like in a classroom?’ This question generally occurs to interested practitioners when they enquire into evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning. And it is often the case that they get to the end of a teaching manual only to find that the answers still escape them. In The Expert Teacher, however, Darren Mead provides many of the answers. A highly respected teacher, Darren has devoted his professional life to attaining pedagogical excellence – and in this book he shares effective tools and techniques that have been tried and tested over many years in the classroom, much to the long-term benefit of his pupils’ learning. A warning though: this book is not for teachers seeking quick fixes or superficial tricks. The Expert Teacher is for educators who are eager to experience the excitement of knowing and teaching their subject masterfully.

Read more less

One of the keys to a happy and creative classroom is getting out of it and this book will give you the confidence to do just that. Drawing on academic research, Juliet explains why learning outdoors is so beneficial and provides plenty of tips and activities to help you to integrate outdoor learning into your teaching practice, providing a broad range of engaging outdoor experiences for your students. There is no need for expensive tools or complicated technologies: all you need is your coat and a passion for learning - oh, and you'd better bring the kids too! Topics covered include: forest schools, learning outside the classroom, outdoor education, nature activities, caring for the environment, play in schools, investigative play, urban outdoor activities, problem solving, creative thinking and strategies for supporting curriculum objectives. For all primary practitioners who want to shake up their usual classroom routine and discover the benefits of teaching outdoors. Dirty Teaching was a finalist in the Non-Fiction People's Book Prize Winter 2014 collection.

Read more less

Part of Phil Beadle's How To Teach Series. Its author is an expert in teaching children how to speak and write well, and has transformed the oral and written communication skills of many thousands of students. In Literacy he shares how he does it and what he knows about this most important of all skills and reveals what every teacher needs to know in order to radically transform literacy standards across the curriculum. The stories, anecdotes and insights into the many practical activities in this book are, in turn, and often in the same sentence, heart breaking, inspiring, shocking and, as ever, funnier and more readable than those in an education book have any right to be.

Read more less

In `The Working Class: Poverty, education and alternative voices`, Ian Gilbert unites educators from across the UK and further afield to call on all those working in schools to adopt a more enlightened and empathetic approach to supporting children in challenging circumstances. One of the most intractable problems in modern education is how to close the widening gap in attainment between the haves and the have-nots. Unfortunately, successive governments both in the UK and abroad have gone about solving it the wrong way. Independent Thinking founder Ian Gilbert's increasing frustration with educational policies that favour `no excuses' and `compliance', and that ignore the broader issues of poverty and inequality, is shared by many others across the sphere of education - and this widespread disaffection has led to the assembly of a diverse cast of teachers, school leaders, academics and poets who unite in this book to challenge the status quo. Their thought-provoking commentary, ideas and impassioned anecdotal insights are presented in the form of essays, think pieces and poems that draw together a wealth of research on the issue and probe and discredit the current view on what is best for children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds. Exploring themes such as inclusion, aspiration, pedagogy and opportunity, the contributions collectively lift the veil of feigned `equality of opportunity for all' to reveal the bigger picture of poverty and to articulate the hidden truth that there is always another way. This book is not about giving you all the answers, however. The contributors are not telling teachers or schools leaders how to run their schools, their classroom or their relationships - the field is too massive, too complex, too open to debate and to discussion to propose `off-the-shelf' solutions. Furthermore, the research referred to in this book is not presented in order to tell educators what to think, but rather to inform their own thinking and to challenge some of the dominant narratives about educating the `feckless poor'. This book is about helping educators to ask the right questions, and its starting question is quite simple: how can we approach the education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in a way that actually makes a difference for all concerned? Written for policy makers and activists as well as school leaders and educators, The Working Class is both a timely survey of the impact of current policies and an invaluable source of practical advice on what can be done to better support disadvantaged children in the school system. Edited by Ian Gilbert with contributions from Nina Jackson, Tim Taylor, Dr Steven Watson, Rhythmical Mike, Dr Ceri Brown, Dr Brian Male, Julia Hancock, Paul Dix, Chris Kilkenny, Daryn Egan-Simon, Paul Bateson, Sarah Pavey, Dr Matthew McFall, Jamie Thrasivoulou, Hywel Roberts, Dr Kevin Ming, Leah Stewart, (Real) David Cameron, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, Shona Crichton, Floyd Woodrow, Jonathan Lear, Dr Debra Kidd, Will Ryan, Andrew Morrish, Phil Beadle, Jaz Ampaw-Farr, Darren Chetty, Sameena Choudry, Tait Coles, Professor Terry Wrigley, Brian Walton, Dave Whitaker, Gill Kelly, Roy Leighton, Jane Hewitt, Jarlath O'Brien, Crista Hazell, Louise Riley, Mark Creasy, Martin Illingworth, Ian Loynd, David Rogers, Professor Mick Waters and Professor Paul Clarke. Click here to listen to The Working Class on Spotify - It covers all the music mentioned in the book plus a great deal more of working class music from across time and round the world!

Read more less

A book full of tips, insights and practical approaches pooled from little-known educators with big ideas and all geared towards making a difference for your pupils in your setting.

Read more less

A book for educators who find themselves torn between a government/Ofsted narrative around behaviour, attendance and attainment, and their own passion for supporting square pegs and their families.

Read more less

Written by David Dixon, Leadership for Sustainability: Saving the planet one school at a time is a stirring and informative greenprint to help school leaders play their part in making their schools more environmentally friendly and better places to learn for all.

Read more less

Explains how schools can establish and sustain a behaviour management approach rooted in values, acceptance and a genuine understanding of children's behaviour. Written by Dave Whitaker, The Kindness Principle: Making relational behaviour management work in schools advocates a behaviour management approach rooted in values, acceptance and a genuine understanding of children's behaviour. In an education system that too often reaches for the carrot-and-stick approach to dealing with poor pupil behaviour, an approach built on kindness and compassion might just provide the cure. The Kindness Principle begins with the idea that relationships should be at the heart of behaviour management and culture, and sets out the ways in which the adoption of relational approaches can help create safer and happier schools. Schools where all staff and learners are valued and understood, where expectations and standards are high, and where kindness and acceptance matter. Dave Whitaker explores why it is so important to understand children - offering techniques and advice on how to work effectively with all children (even the most challenging and troubled ones) without resorting to zero-tolerance, no-excuses and consequence-driven practices. Dave also shares a wealth of real-life experiences from some of the most challenging schools in the country, along with research-informed insights that will help teachers understand children's behaviour in a new light. To this end he provides a wealth of guidance to help develop effective practice and learn from people who have actually walked the walk and don't just talk the talk. Furthermore, the topics covered in the book include: restorative approaches, unconditional positive regard, building personal resilience, structures and routines, and the ins and outs of rewards and sanctions. Suitable for teachers, school leaders and anyone working with children.

Read more less

In Don't Send Him in Tomorrow, Jarlath O'Brien shines a light on the marginalised, disenfranchised and forgotten children of today's schools. The percentage of children achieving the government's expected standard in benchmark tests is national news every year. The progress that children with learning difficulties and SEN make is never discussed, because it is not understood. That is a problem. The bone-crushing infrastructure which professionals have to negotiate is a problem. The fact that so many parents have to fight tooth and nail so that the needs of their children are met, something the rest of us would consider a basic entitlement, is a problem. This book describes how the system and can be improved if and when these marginalised children are given higher priority by the powers that be. There is a widespread lack of understanding about special schools, the work they do, and the children they educate - the sector is largely invisible. Jarlath O'Brien has become increasingly frustrated by this, and the varying quality of provision for children with learning difficulties and SEN in mainstream schools.The successes of special schools and pupil referral units in Ofsted inspections are just not celebrated or analysed in the same way that mainstream schools' are. While, mainstream schools have their hands tied by fears over progress measures. There is a human cost to the accountability culture that reduces schooling to data and judgements: this is felt most profoundly by children with SEN and their families. Jarlath shares some of the problems he's witnessed with inclusion and exclusion: mainstream schools actively encouraging children with SEN to look elsewhere, parents reporting their children have been formally or informally excluded from school and socially excluded by the parents of other children, children asked to leave their mainstream schools because of their behaviour - usually behaviour that is caused by their needs not being adequately addressed, children who are in school but isolated from their peers. If a child can't participate in activities or trips with the rest of the class, or spends much of the day working one-to-one with a teaching assistant, is this really inclusion?The Pupil Premium has been established to ensure that children in receipt of free school meals are not disadvantaged - why does something similar not exist for children with SEN?Every health and wealth indicator that you could use to measure people with learning difficulties and special educational needs (SEN) reveals something alarming. They die younger. They work less. They are more likely to live in poverty or end up in prison or face mental health difficulties. They are much more likely to be excluded from school. They are more likely to be bullied at school. This has to end. We all have to choose to commit to recognising that society, as it is today, is a difficult place for young people to thrive. When you have autism, or Down syndrome, or any physical or learning difference, it's even harder - and the system as it stands isn't helping. We need to acknowledge that this is not right; that such a state of affairs must change; and that we all have a part to play in making that change happen. Jarlath offers suggestions for politicians, Ofsted, local authorities, head teachers, SENCos, teachers and teaching assistants about what they can do to make a difference.For all politicians, head teachers, SENCOs, teachers and parents.

Read more less

In fact, as Ian Loynd demonstrates, if you are just learning the right answers, you are missing the beauty, challenge and real-world applications of the subject. Cultivate a classroom environment that establishes a culture of consistently deep, meaningful and reflective learning, chose from a range of tips and strategies to nurture key skills and mindsets in your learners, and you will deliver consistently outstanding maths lessons.

Read more less

Guerrilla Teaching is a revolution. Not a flag-waving, drum-beating revolution, but an underground revolution, a classroom revolution. It's not about changing policy or influencing government; it's about doing what you know to be right, regardless of what you're told. It's sound advice for people on the ground: people in real classrooms, working with real children, trying to make a real difference. Guerrilla Teaching by Jonathan Lear is packed with ideas to refresh teaching practice combining direct teaching with creative child-led learning and forge cross-curricular links to create engaging, motivating and fun learning experiences. Ultimately, Guerrilla Teaching is about making a difference. It's a book Jonathan Lear never meant to write, but it was just too important not to. Guerrilla: to be a member of an unofficial group of combatants using the element of surprise to harass a larger less mobile target. Guerrilla teaching: To put children, and their learning, at the heart of lessons. To embrace problem-solving and risk-taking in the classroom. To be adaptable and creative. To think about the skills and knowledge children will need in the future. To stand up and make sure children get the education they deserve (even if it means subverting the system!). Filled with thoughts, ideas and strategies that will help to develop creativity and creative thinking in the primary classroom, Guerrilla Teaching is for trainee teachers, new teachers, teaching assistants, experienced teachers and head teachers there's something for everyone!

Read more less

When you are a teacher and new technology is all your pupils and colleagues are talking about it can feel like the loneliest, hardest place in the world to be, but it doesn't have to be this way. No one knows this better than author Simon Pridham, who faced with this problem set about improving his skillset as a head teacher and also developing a mobile device programme in his school. Drawing on his own experience, as well as other teachers and colleagues he has worked with, Simon openly discusses why this is so important in education and what to do when that tablet device is handed to you for the very first time by your head teacher or colleague. Simon will also take you on a journey which will highlight how empowered you feel when you reach the other side of the Digital Bridge. The book is the first of its kind in the education market as you are able to use your tablet or smartphone to scan images and QR codes to access screencasts, interviews, the Freaked Out YouTube channel and much more. Freaked Out is packed full of information and useful tips as well as essential small steps, video tutorials and the story of Simon's journey to taking his school to be one of the leading tech schools in the UK. The book covers everything from anxieties around taking that first step to empowering your pupils to become Digital Leaders so that this is a digital journey you all take together. In among the expert advice and practical tips, Freaked Out instils confidence, gives clear direction and a step by step guide on how you become an effective 21st century facilitator of learning in modern education. Inspire, engage and enthuse by reading Freaked Out today. You can use the Aurasma app to scan the front cover of the book and view Simon's introductory video. Here's how it works. Education Resources Awards finalist - Best Educational Book 2015.

Read more less

Dave Keeling's Independent Thinking on Laughter: Using humour as a tool to engage and motivate all learners is an uplifting manifesto packed with tips and techniques to help educators unleash the power of humour and laughter in the learning environment. Foreword by Ian Gilbert. Education is too important to be taken seriously: everyone in our schools from the youngest learner to the, ahem, 'most senior' teacher likes to laugh. And beyond the many stress-busting and morale-boosting benefits that laughter brings on an individual level, the collective rewards of laughter in the classroom setting are also numerous such as enhancing openness and teamwork, stimulating imagination and creativity and, above all, strengthening the student-teacher relationship. No one is more familiar with the power of classroom conviviality than 'stand-up educationalist' and Independent Thinking Associate Dave Keeling, who in this book takes readers on an enlightening journey into the part that humour can play in improving the learning experience for all concerned. Writing with his trademark wit, Dave shares handy hints acquired from his experience in the world of comedy and offers a veritable smorgasbord of activities for use with learners all proven to generate laughter, enhance learning and make the teacher look great. The teacher's mission, if they choose to accept it, is to take these ideas and exercises and adapt, enjoy, explore and generally mess about with them to their heart's content. An inspiring read for all teachers and educators. Independent Thinking on Laughter is an updated edition of The Little Book of Laughter (ISBN 9781781350089) and is one of a number of books in the Independent Thinking On series from the award-winning Independent Thinking Press.

Read more less

Jackie Beere's Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning: Developing independence and resilience in all teachers and learners is a practical guide full of educational wisdom to help teachers make a genuine difference to the lives of every young person in their classroom. Foreword by Ian Gilbert. All the evidence shows that the most valuable asset in any classroom is the teacher at the front. No matter what changes are made to systems or to the curriculum, one certainty remains: children will be helped or hindered in their learning, job prospects, life chances and, indeed, happiness by the teachers they come across during their time in the education system. In this all-encompassing book on teaching and learning, Independent Thinking Associate Jackie Beere draws on her many years' experience as a teaching assistant, primary teacher and secondary head teacher to re-energise every teacher's passion for their profession. She champions both children and teachers as learners, and together with expert advice on how to instil the habits of independent learning in all pupils shares great practice that delivers outstanding outcomes for all educators. Jackie encourages teachers to embrace challenge and change, and suggests ways in which they can provide a model for their pupils when it comes to developing independence and resilience. She also offers expert guidance on how teachers can build rapport with their students and cultivate with them a sense of co-ownership of their learning journey so that they work hard, value their learning and fulfil their potential. Essential reading for all teachers and school leaders who wish to make an impact on the teaching and learning in their school. Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning contains some material previously published in The Perfect Lesson (ISBN 978-178135244-1) and The (Practically) Perfect Teacher (ISBN 978-178135252-6), and is one of a number of books in the Independent Thinking On ... series from the award-winning Independent Thinking Press. Independent Thinking on Teaching and Learning has been shortlisted for the Educational Book Award in the 2021 Education Resources Awards!

Read more less

Written from the personal experience of a parent and his three children, Independent Thinking on Loss: A little book about bereavement for schools details the ways in which schools can help their pupils come to terms with the death of a parent. A child loses a parent every twenty-two minutes in the UK. Childhood bereavement brings with it a whole series of challenges for the children involved challenges they will deal with all their lives. The research shows teachers want to help, but don't know what to do. This book is a start. Written by Independent Thinking founder Ian Gilbert together with his three children, Independent Thinking on Loss is a personal account of the way educational institutions tried and succeeded, tried and failed and sometimes didn't try at all to help William, Olivia and Phoebe come to terms with the death of their mother. Several months after their mother's death, BBC's Newsround aired a brave and still controversial programme in which four children talked about their losses. This prompted Ian and his children to sit down and think about their own experiences and draw up a fifteen -strong list of dos and don'ts that could help steer schools towards a better understanding of what is needed from them at such a difficult time. The warmth of reception of this handout led the family to expand their advice and suggestions into what has now become Independent Thinking on Loss, the proceeds of which will go to Winston's Wish, one of the UK's leading children's bereavement charities. Ian, William, Olivia and Phoebe encourage educators to view death and bereavement as something that can be acknowledged and talked about in school, and offer clear guidelines that will make a difference as to how a school can support a bereaved child in their midst. They also explore how conversations and actions little ones, whole-school ones, genuine ones, professional ones, personal ones in the school setting can make an awful scenario just that little bit easier for children to deal with. Suitable for anyone working with children and young people in an educational setting. ?Independent Thinking on Loss is an updated edition of The Little Book of Bereavement for Schools (ISBN 9781845904647) and is one of a number of books in the Independent Thinking On series from the award-winning Independent Thinking Press.

Read more less

Jim Roberson believes that school should be the place where you learn all you need to learn to succeed in life, whatever form that success may take. Most importantly, in his view, you have to learn discipline. For Jim, behaviour is the 'B-word' and he forbids mention of it. Discipline, on the other hand, is neatly described not as something others do to you to get you to behave nor even as something you do to yourself, but rather as 'what you do for yourself'. What Jim advocates is a partnership between children and schools, whereby schools open up to teaching children everything they will need to prosper at and beyond school, no matter what career or life choices they make. In return, children will start to acquire and then implement the strategies and benefits that come with self-discipline on an ongoing basis. Jim has worked with some of the most challenging young people in the UK and, whether he's working with experienced classroom practitioners, struggling supply teachers, students themselves or even the police, he delivers powerful, practical, common sense strategies that bring the best out of some of the most demanding and hard-to-reach young people.

Read more less

Open The Brain Box and find out: How an essay is like a sandwich. Why the majority of people will say carrot when asked to name a vegetable, and red when asked to name a colour. How to get over a major case of CBAS (Can't be Arsed Syndrome)! Packed with doodles, games, quotes, quizzes and activities which your students can fill in and keep, and interesting facts and questions to keep the grey matter going, The Brain Box is the essential guide to learning, revision and motivation. Perfect for secondary and further education students.

Read more less

In this groundbreaking book, Justin Robbins and Karen Dempster offer a unique approach to the holy grail of parental engagement for the 21st century. Rather than setting it as a separate activity, they consider parental engagement as a planned, sustained and integral part of the whole-school approach: an approach which starts with the school vision and positions parents and schools equally as fundamental to student learning. The authors describe the challenges of successful parental engagement encompassing both traditional approaches and the use of technology and examine these challenges through their four pillars model of knowledge, environment, culture and communication. They recognise that before any school can expect parental engagement as a 'given', there must be knowledge of the what, why, when, where and how concerning effective interaction and in this book they cover all bases, providing a toolkit of tried-and-tested approaches and strategies to choose from. After all, the evidence shows that when families engage with the school's vision and provision, it is the children that ultimately benefit.

Read more less

Jam-packed with enlivening ideas to help teachers make the subject of English more intellectually challenging for students – and to make it fun too! This artful addition to Phil Beadle’s How To Teach series is the work of a man whose humility fails to hide his brilliance, providing English teachers with a sophisticated yet simple framework to hook their lessons upon. Covering poetry, grammar, Shakespeare and how to teach writing, Chris Curtis has furnished every page with exciting ideas that can be put into practice immediately. Each chapter presents a store of practical strategies to help students in key areas – providing apposite examples, teaching sequences and the rationale behind them – and has been accessibly laid out so that teachers can pinpoint the solutions they need without having to spend an age wading through academic theory and pontification to find them. Suitable for all teachers of English.

Read more less

Hywel Roberts and Debra Kidd’s Uncharted Territories: Adventures in learning is a book of prompts, provocations and possibilities designed to nourish creativity and generate ideas that will get teachers and pupils excited about learning. In this time of high-stakes testing, growing mental health issues among young people and increasing pressure on teachers to focus on rote repetition and practice papers, we have to step back and ask: “What is the purpose of education?” If you think it is to get children through tests, then this book is probably not for you. If, however, you think it is to develop wisdom in children – the capacity to think, to apply knowledge, to empathise, to weigh up evidence, to consider consequences and to make informed choices – then this book is most definitely for you. Rooted in practice and grounded in research, Uncharted Territories invites a reassessment of what curriculum coverage can look like and provides an abundance of hooks into exploratory learning that place learners – of whatever age – knee-deep in dilemma, so that they are thinking deeply, analytically and imaginatively. These are not knowledge organisers or schemes of work; rather they are inspirational forays into imagined contexts for learning which, as fantastical as they may appear, always have the real world as their destination. Signposted by story starters and inductive questions – not to mention the beautiful illustrations which are sure to fire children’s imaginations – Hywel and Debra’s innovative routes to learning will help teachers stray from the beaten track of the curriculum and instil in learners a sense of purpose as they discover, manipulate and apply knowledge and skills across a range of collaborative, cross-curricular problem-solving contexts. Each chapter focuses on a different place – such as a remote castle or a mysterious cave, where the learning will be applied and challenged – and is packed with starting points and “what ifs …?” to establish rich landscapes for exploration and a wide range of opportunities for discussion and writing. To help map out the territory ahead, Hywel and Debra guide the teacher around the key learning landmarks linked to each context’s overarching concepts and lines of inquiry, and point out the many different curriculum areas to which the explorations naturally lend themselves to. The authors go further by offering transferable ideas which can be adjusted to work with whatever age group, as well as a variety of context-based tasks to enable the teacher to explore how elements of, for example, literacy and/or numeracy could be incorporated in order to save curriculum time. While Uncharted Territories is a rallying call to arms for the imagination, in each of its chapters Hywel and Debra also delve into the why in order to present the teacher with a comprehensive debrief of the learning processes and the theoretical and academic underpinning. Furthermore, the authors provide a helpful listing of drama techniques and relevant books and poems that can be incorporated into the learning journeys, as well as useful advice on how to assess and evidence their outcomes. Designed for use with learners of all ages, from early years to secondary.

Read more less

It states in the Teachers' Standards that all teachers must 'demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy, and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher's specialist subject'. In The Secret of Literacy David Didau inspires teachers to embrace the challenge of improving students' life chances through improving their literacy. Topics include: Why is literacy important? Oracy - improving classroom talk How should we teach reading? How to get students to value writing How written feedback and marking can support literacy

Read more less

Revised and updated to cover the changes resulting from the new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, this book will empower your school to embrace the national changes which came into force in September 2014, by showing how to support every teacher as a teacher of children with special educational needs (SEN). Over recent years, the job of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) has become more strategic and will now include provision mapping, working in partnership with parents, supporting other colleagues, commissioning services, demonstrating pupil progress and ensuring value for money. In essence, it is a role which contributes significantly to whole-school improvement. The Perfect SENCO provides guidance for SENCOs and other senior leaders on working in a strategic way to support improvement. It will be of use not only for potential or newly appointed SENCOs, but also for those who are more experienced and wish to keep their day-to-day practice up to date. Including key information and practical tips, The Perfect SENCO is a useful point of reference for busy senior leaders. The book can be used to encourage reflection of current policy and practice, to support cultural or systemic change and to consider ways of coordinating SEN provision to successfully raise the achievement of pupils with special educational needs. This revised and updated edition is referenced against the Children and Families Act, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice and up-to-date Ofsted guidelines. It will support SENCOs, inclusion managers and coordinators, SEN governors together with senior leaders to start implementing change effectively.

Read more less

Edited by Peter Worley with chapters by: Harry Adamson, Peter Adamson, Alfred Archer, Saray Ayala, Grant Bartley, David Birch, Peter Cave, Miriam Cohen Christofidis, Philip Cowell, James Davy, Andrew Day, Georgina Donati, Claire Field, Berys Gaut, Morag Gaut, Philip Gaydon, Nolen Gertz, A. C. Grayling, Michael Hand, Angie Hobbs, David Jenkins, Milosh Jeremic, Lisa McNulty, Sofia Nikolidaki, Martin Pallister, Andrew Routledge, Anja Steinbauer, Dan Sumners, Roger Sutcliffe, John L. Taylor, Amie L. Thomasson, Robert Torrington, Andy West, Guy J. Williams, Emma Williams, Emma Worley, Peter Worley. The Philosophy Shop is a veritable emporium of philosophical puzzles and challenges to develop thinking in and out of the classroom. Imagine a one-stop shop stacked to the rafters with everything you could ever want, to enable you to tap into young people's natural curiosity and get them thinking deeply. Well, this is it! Edited by philosophy in schools expert, Peter Worley and with contributions from philosophers from around the world, The Philosophy Shop is jam-packed with ideas to get anyone thinking philosophically from children and young people to adults. For use in the classroom, at after school clubs, in philosophy departments and philosophy groups or even for the lone reader, this book will appeal to anyone who likes to think. Take it on journeys and dip in; use it as a classroom starter activity, or for a full philosophical enquiry - it could even be used to steer pub, dinner party or family discussions away from the same old topics. The proceeds of the book are going towards The Philosophy Foundation, a charity bringing philosophy to schools and communities. This book is also available in paperback edition, ISBN 9781781352649. Winner of the Education Resources Awards 2013, Educational Book Award category Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner, Philosophy (Adult Nonfiction)

Read more less

The Perfect Teacher's Coach presents a simple and practical guide to making coaching work well in your school in order to deliver consistently high standards. This is ever more important with Ofsted increasing the number of lesson observations and 'evaluation of teaching and learning' providing a key performance indicator, alongside student outcomes. Everything you need to know about what coaching is and how it works is provided in this book. This includes details of various models of coaching and how to implement a successful model suitable for your school, training your coaches and ensuring you have a sustainable performance management process that really works.

Read more less

Phil Beadle's How to Teach series. In Reading for Pleasure, Kenny Pieper has gathered a range of tried-and-tested strategies to get kids reading, and enjoying it. We hear too often that kids don't read any more: Kenny thinks it should be every teacher's mission to prove this isn't true. In a squeezed curriculum it can be tempting to accept pupils' lack of reading and make excuses that there is not enough time to give to the 'luxury' of personal reading. Teachers do this at our peril. Reading is the essential building block of further literacy development as well as a skill, hobby and habit that we can take with us forever. Kenny Pieper takes the act of reading for granted, as many - but sadly not all - adults do. You're reading this right now. However, this isn't the case for everyone. Kenny teaches kids whose lives are terrifying obstacle courses of reading-related problems. They know they struggle with reading so they try to avoid reading at all costs. They leave school, not merely unaffected by this strange reading thing, but saddled with a great deal of emotional baggage about being an outsider, even more entrenched in a belief that reading is for others more intelligent than them. Then there are the children who can read perfectly well, but chose not to, unconvinced of the importance of reading in their lives. What difference does it make to them? We have to answer that question in school. We have a duty to put an end to illiteracy and aliteracy. Kids need reading role models and, as a teacher, that role model is you. You may be the only adult who that reluctant reader will ever see reading. Teachers are critical in giving all children the gift of being able to read well and to value reading. Topics covered include: the author's personal reading journey, how reading enabled him to become the first person in his family to go to university and convinced him that fostering a love of reading is his moral duty as an educator, illiteracy and aliteracy, reluctant readers, book reviews, prioritising personal reading by devoting ten minutes each lesson to it, habitual reading, the reading environment, interest inventories, technology, e-readers, Accelerated Reader programmes, recommended reading, building a class library, bookmarks, book tweets, book speed-dating, libraries, librarians, literacy and class inequality, parental involvement, podcasting, reading records, reading dialogue journals, the rights of the reader, reading aloud, silent reading and literacy and gender, amongst others. The benefits we can all reap when kids become confident readers who read for pleasure are obvious. Discover strategies which will: get kids talking about books, get them thinking about books, get them reading books, encourage independent reading, develop literacy skills and establish a classroom culture where reading is expected and celebrated. Suitable for primary and secondary teachers, leaders and SENCOs, or just anyone with an interest in or responsibility for getting kids to read.

Read more less

A brain workout book for uncertain times. We are living in a world where facts don't count, certainty no longer exists and complexity means we never quite know what will happen next. To prepare ourselves better for such a world, we need a brain workout that isn't so much about finding answers as getting our heads around questions. We need The Compleat Thunks(R) Book. In The Compleat Thunks(R) Book, Thunks(R) creator Ian Gilbert brings together Thunks(R) from a number of his books as well as over 100 new ones, all designed to get you thinking, questioning, debating and arguing your way to a better understanding of how to survive in a world gone dangerously bonkers. Some of these Thunks(R) were previously published in The Book of Thunks(R), ISBN 978-184590092-2 and The Little Book of Thunks(R), ISBN 978-184590062-5. Thunks is a registered trademark to Independent Thinking Ltd.

Read more less

Part of Phil Beadle's How to Teach Series So, you have passion for your subject and you get to work with some of the funniest, most surprising and exceptional students. But teaching science isn't always a walk in the park. How do you get students to think scientifically, remember all of those key words and not get acid in their eyes? Secondary Science is chockfull of workable ideas for the secondary science classroom. Ditch the stereotypical view of a science teacher: white coat, slides, teaching the limewater test to the same class for the fifth year in a row, and discover new and creative ways to inspire the next generation to use science. Areas covered include: the big ideas in science, scientific skills and knowledge, curriculum, practical work, difficult topics, differentiation, assessment, feedback and the science of memory and learning, including the spacing effect and interleaving. The book is packed with: advice about teacher talk, fun science games, ideas for developing scientific literacy, ideas for embedding mathematical skill in science, advice for extended writing in science, advice to make practical work safe, meaningful and worthwhile, and top tips for teaching the difficult topics that students tend to dislike! Catrin offers tips for teaching areas of the science curriculum including electricity, evolution and balancing equations. Suitable for all teachers, including NQTs and experienced teachers who are looking for new ideas. If you are looking for quick and easy ideas to make science fun and relevant, while ensuring that all students are successful and confident in your lessons, and not overloaded with facts, then this book is for you.

Read more less

The Little Book of Dyslexia references both personal experience and current applied research and findings in order to highlight issues faced by people with dyslexia. It looks at a number of strategies and lesson ideas which can be used both inside and outside the classroom to help students with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties. It also lists various resources which can be used alongside these strategies to create a successful learning environment for those with dyslexia. The book progresses through the various challenges that are faced at different age ranges, and support needed, starting with the youngest in early years, including some of the early signs you may see with dyslexia, moving up through primary and secondary school and finally onto higher education and university and being a student teacher. An outstanding guide for students, teachers, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO's) and parents.

Read more less