When teaching skills of analysis and evaluation, it's quite useful to encourage students to analyse the effectiveness of their own work using some of the frameworks and structures we use to teach these skills. In one recent lesson with Year 10, we were looking at crime in Victorian literature ( this was to support them … Continue reading Using Reading Skills of Analysis and Evaluation to Help Students Plan Effective Creative Writing
Category: Teaching and Learning
A timely reminder…
I woke up at 5am this morning with my 9 week-old son. I went downstairs to do the morning feed and unlocked my phone to see that I’d received an email through the contact page of this website. It doesn’t happen very often- there’s an occasional flurry of activity, but it’s rare- so I always … Continue reading A timely reminder…
How do I get them to be ‘critical’ and ‘conceptualised’? A few ways to get students thinking about the GCSE Modern Text
As a department, we teach the GCSE Modern Text in this final term. I have taught Animal Farm for some years now but have, at times, found it a challenge to teach students how to be more critical and conceptualised in their responses. With so many excellent revision resources out there, students often prioritise the … Continue reading How do I get them to be ‘critical’ and ‘conceptualised’? A few ways to get students thinking about the GCSE Modern Text
A Level English Teacher, ‘Try Me’ No.2: Introducing research skills for AQA Lit NEA
As a centre, we try really hard to get students used to being able to research effectively and to be discerning when looking at critical views. For our AQA A Level English Literature Non Exam Assessment, we teach all critical viewpoints in the critical anthology (Marxism, Feminism, Post Colonialism etc) and let them loose in … Continue reading A Level English Teacher, ‘Try Me’ No.2: Introducing research skills for AQA Lit NEA
Comparative Judgement Trial and The Feedback Question
After listening to Daisy Christodoulou speak at the West Midlands Knowledge Hub last month and reading her book ‘ The Future of Assessment for Learning’, I decided to finally take the leap and trial ‘No More Marking’ in our department. As with every other English department (I’m guessing!) marking easily becomes unmanageable and it is … Continue reading Comparative Judgement Trial and The Feedback Question
Three Ways to Step Up the Challenge at KS3 (NACE Blog)
3 ways to step up the challenge in Key Stage Three English Shortly before the half term break, I asked a number of Year 13 students if they could remember the moment that solidified their decision to study English at A level. The responses were interesting: some of them said it was a particular teacher … Continue reading Three Ways to Step Up the Challenge at KS3 (NACE Blog)
The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me! I've toyed with the idea of writing a blog for some time. Initially, I've felt uncomfortable with my voice being out there for all to read- but after some really useful mentoring as part of a senior leadership programme, I started to value the opportunity to reason with my own … Continue reading The Journey Begins