It’s officially festive season at Fraction of a Teacher as Jen and Francis reflect on the end of their first term as ECT1s and everything that’s changed since the PGCE days. From Christmas jumpers and classroom decorations to the strange confidence shift that comes from being the only grown-up in the room, this episode is a proper end-of-term debrief.

They revisit their recent guest episodes, share what they’ve learned about independence, planning and pacing, and introduce two practical teaching tools you can steal immediately. First is MATH, their classroom-friendly spin on the STEP coaching model, designed to help you adapt lessons in the moment. Then comes Bin, Bag, Celebrate, a simple reflection routine from Nic Morgan that helps you ditch what’s not working, keep what is and recognise what you’re doing well.

Jen shares how she’s moving away from busy work and towards intelligent question selection and mastery. Francis talks about adapting lesson structure to meet pupils where they’re at, especially for that Wednesday afternoon energy dip. They finish by talking honestly about work life balance over Christmas and how to actually recharge without guilt.

If you’re heading into the holidays exhausted, this one is for you.