For this episode, Tom and Emma switch up the format of the podcast. Using a volley approach, they go back and forth asking questions and providing insight on issues in education today. Tom and Emma are both extremely involved in the teacher community, primarily through their daily work as educators, attendance at conferences, and EDU Twitter. In this episode, they take a moment to call upon the struggles of that community and discuss a few intriguing challenges across primary and secondary education. Visit edCircuit.com to watch this episode.

On the primary side, the list includes of topics include: proscribed language modules, student engagement, parents helping their students with homework and school projects, curriculum vs topic-based learning, and on the secondary side, the topics include: short and long lunch periods, group/collaborative learning, and GCSEs. Tom and Emma also discuss general issues around education including the publishing and curriculum industries.

Overall the conversation shows the variety of problems and solutions educators are grappling with. As the summer recess begins, it is a perfect time to discuss your ideas with your fellow teachers, administrators, and scholars. Join the conversation and tell us your favorite teacher topic on Twitter with #MindTheGap, your question might end up on the next Q&A!

About the participants:

Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead

Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers’, a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership

Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75