More Teacher Talk

The third episode of our support for ECTs series - we hear from Tom Holloway from the Primary Science Teaching Trust.  He shares a wealth of ideas to inspire and engage pupils in outstanding Science learning.  We discuss a range of topics, including teaching the Sustainable Development Goals through Science, Biomimicry and finding the true purpose of Science education for all.

Support for ECTs - episode 1

What is a knowledge-rich curriculum? Why is it so important?  

In this episode Natalie Wexler shares a wealth of insight into her book 'The Knowledge Gap: the hidden cause of America's broken education system - and how to fix it.'  In doing so we learn about the distinct parallels between the US and UK education systems when it comes to overcoming the 'achievement gap' that exists between disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers.  We also discuss 'The Reading Wars', Knowledge vs. Skills and the important features of a knowledge building curriculum.

Covering Dewey, Piaget, teacher training and more, we look at the impact of this approach for schools in the USA and UK and find out how pupils and teachers are re-discovering a love of education and the profession. 

(Credits: Natalie Wexler - www.nataliewexler.com, Scott Buckley - www.scottbuckley.com.au)

In this episode we feature a live recording from the  Learning 2021 - British Council Schools Ambassadors MENA Webinar  which took place on Wednesday 9th June, 2021.

The theme was Mental Health and Wellbeing,  and participants from around the world shared authentic whole-school and class-based strategies to support children and young people.

Speakers included Mayssa Dawi, John Rolfe, Carl McCarthy, Suzi Bewell, Yvette Hutchinson,  and eight country presentations from representative International Schools Ambassadors from: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Yemen.

You can find out more about the British Council Schools projects at https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/schools

Lesley is an experienced International Education Officer and ambassador for the British Council, with a long track record of successful international collaborative projects.

In this episode, Lesley talks about her work as International Education Officer for Glasgow City Council Education Services and the preparations for COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.  Lesley's passion for international work shows how uniting the world to tackle climate change is both possible and already happening in schools and organisations engaged in collaborative international projects. 

 https://ukcop26.org/

In this episode we hear from the wonderful Suzi Bewell, language teacher, teacher trainer, lecturer and CEO of Polly Glot Languages.  

Suzi shares insights into the new Turing Scheme and describes how her latest project, International Laughter Yoga with Suzi, is helping teachers and students with their wellbeing all around the world.

@suzibewell
https://pollyglotlanguages.wordpress.com/

Greg is Head of Languages and EAL at Burnage Academy for Boys, a school rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in 2018 with particular praise for the school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare.  

Greg is passionate about supporting young people and implementing intervention strategies to support those experiencing emotional, social or behavioural difficulties. He has led on whole-school health and wellbeing policy and is previously a winner of the Manchester Public Health Award for Emotional Health and Well-Being (2015) and Highly Commended in Sex & Relationship Education (2014 & 2015). 

In this episode, Greg talks about his inspirational projects such as 'Multilingual Streets' a Manchester-based initiative carried out in collaboration with the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield - one of many projects that celebrates diversity and sees students' language and culture as gifts to be nurtured and encouraged.  

By demonstrating the impact of these projects, Greg shows us how policies and practice can be adapted to ensure that excellence and achievement is within the reach of all our students, along with a sense of belonging and wellbeing  when we invest in the things that make a difference.

#MultilingualStreets

@MflMorrison

Anna is a MFL teacher at Alderman's Green Primary School who is passionate about languages and cultures and using experiences and knowledge to enhance lives, increase business, and improve relations between the UK and other countries.

In this episode Anna shares highlights from her recent presentation at the British Council Schools Ambassadors Conference - we hear about a range of exciting projects aimed at promoting modern foreign languages and connections in the classroom and beyond.

Anna also talks about how teamwork, collaboration and the courage to dream has played a key part in helping Coventry to become a City of Languages.  From May this year Coventry becomes the UK City of Culture 2021  and will be at the heart of a year-long spectacle of events, music, dance, theatre, and cultural celebration. 

In this episode, award-winning author Bob Cox talks about his life, the books that influenced him and the strategies behind his 'Opening Doors' series for teachers.  He shares his thoughts on using high quality texts in the classroom, using 'classics' in the curriculum and how we can help all our pupils achieve excellence in an inclusive, inspirational way.

Bob also explores the idea that approaching texts and the curriculum with a pioneering spirit can support well-being for both teachers and pupils alike.  He shares examples of the impact of his work and provides a fantastic reading list which will help any teacher or parent if they aim to 'open doors' for their children.   

In this episode I speak to Kate Christopher, a secondary RE teacher and independent RE advisor.   Kate teaches part time in a Secondary school in East London. She also works as an independent RE adviser. Kate’s interests are curriculum design and the capacity of RE, or religion and worldviews, to offer a more textured and critical understanding of the world for 21st Century children and young adults. She is an editor for the Reforming RE blog - https://reformingre.wordpress.com/ 

@ReformingRE

Originally featured in the Reforming RE blog, this is a bonus feature to Season 2 Episode 1 of More Teacher Talk - Powerful Knowledge: Reforming RE, with Kate Christopher.

"Do you have a Masters degree? Or a Doctorate perhaps? If so, try to forget that you ever studied for them. Your first degree – visualise letting it go. Now A levels, GCSE – say goodbye to them, for a while. Imagine stripping yourself of all the accumulated knowledge and cultural capital that makes you a good teacher, reducing yourself to a state where everything you know now, all your confidence in the subject, and all the complex critical perspectives you can afford to have, are closed to you. That’s where your pupils are. Stay there for a moment.

Somewhere, a teacher is writing a scheme of work on religion and worldviews. They have to write down something that they want the pupils to know. Let’s take a few examples …"

Written by Mark Chater (@MarkChater1) - author of 'Jesus Christ, Learning Teacher'

Original blog at https://reformingre.wordpress.com/2020/10/27/but-its-contested-so-what/
[1] Barbara Wintersgill, 2018, Big Ideas for Religious Education.  https://www.reonline.org.uk/news/big-ideas-for-religious-education/#:~:text=In%20November%202017%20the%20University%20of%20Exeter%20published,the%20RE%20curriculum%20and%20to%20assessment%20without%20levels.   Accessed 5 October 2020.

[2] DfE, 2013, Science National Curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425618/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Science.pdf    Accessed 5 October 2020, pp 12, 18, and 29.

[3] DfE, 2013, Science National Curriculum for Key Stage 3. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335174/SECONDARY_national_curriculum_-_Science_220714.pdf    Accessed 5 October 2020, pp 8 and 12.