Expressing a point of view

Teacher, author and former journalist Emma Mahony charts her journey from frustration to success in supporting pupils with ADHD.

How can we help MFL students to move beyond comprehensible input and tackle more challenging texts?

Why does classroom management matter? Classroom management is essential for successful teaching and learning because it helps create a learning environment where students can focus without distractions, interventions or disruptions. It also means that students avoid cognitive overload as they don't have to think about what to do when: certain tasks becomes routine. A well-managed classroom also fosters a sense of trust between teacher and student, leading to higher levels of engagement from both parties. Ultimately, effective classroom management results in improved academic performance, stronger relationships and greater wellbeing for the whole class.

Classroom management is crucial to learning. We can plan a brilliant curriculum, utilise evidence-informed teaching strategies and have the most in-depth subject knowledge, but if pupil behaviour is poor, learning is unlikely to occur. Here we discuss aspects of classroom management that can help teachers ensure effective learning in their classrooms.

National Poetry Day takes place on 5 October. But why teach poetry to children? The reasons are many and diverse, including, of course, developing their reading skills, but in short, poetry allows children the freedom to express themselves. There is no 'right' way to write (or to interpret) a poem; children don't have to adhere to sentence structures or complex English grammar or punctuation rules, and so writing poetry can be an opportunity to build confidence and play with language. Indeed, research conducted by the CLPE in March reported that 88% of teachers say that children enjoy engaging with poetry and 89% reported that children enjoyed listening to it being read or performed. However, despite the importance of poetry in the |English National Curriculum, 61% of teachers have never had CPD on teaching poetry and 79% of classroom book corners have fewer than ten poetry books in their book selection. 

French, Spanish and history teacher Maud Waret discusses the damaging legacy of colonialisation, outlines the principles behind decolonising education and offers advice on what a decolonised MFL lesson might include.

History teacher and research fellow Teni Gogo recommends resources for teaching African kingdoms and focuses on a 20th-century alternative to defeated African empires: Yaa Asantewaa, Kwame Nkrumah and the founding of the independent nation of Ghana.

In this article, experienced teacher and author Megan Mansworth offers her 10 tips on one of the more effective classroom management strategies: teaching to the top. 

As teachers, we know that vocabulary development is the foundation of learning. It is widely acknowledged that children with a broad vocabulary are more confident, experience greater wellbeing and achieve better academic results. 

In their recent report, Voicing Vocabulary, Voice 21 revealed that following a two-year research project, students in participating schools made accelerated progress in reading as a consequence of a targeted vocabulary focus. The report shows us the importance of providing children with opportunities to learn new words and to use them in speech and writing. 

Writing isn't always students' favourite activity. At one end of the scaffolding spectrum, a blank page can be very daunting, but at the other end, copying from a sentence builder doesn't require much creative input on the learners' part. To achieve a happy medium – and hopefully happy, motivated students – I've selected some activities that provide a medium level of support and include a collaborative or competitive element.

According to a survey by the Teacher Wellbeing Index, in 2021 an alarming 72% of education staff reported experiencing symptoms of poor mental health due to their work, and 54% had considered leaving the sector in the past two years.

These statistics are sobering and sad. Teacher wellbeing needs investment at the highest level in order to affect significant and lasting change. Until then, it is down to us to look after ourselves in order to look after others, however hard or self-indulgent it may seem. The resources below are designed to support you in finding ways to make your wellbeing a priority and, as the saying goes, 'Put your own oxygen mask on first'. 

In the words of David Waugh, '... punctuation can be a very powerful tool when we write, enabling us to express ideas in different ways and often substituting for the tone, volume and expression we are able to use in speech.' (David Waugh, Practical approaches to teaching punctuation in the primary school, 2022)

Whether you're a punctuation pedant or a grudging grammarian, GPS is a major part of the curriculum. So love it or loathe it, here I'm featuring brand new punctuation and grammar resources for every year group. 

Pre-1900 literary texts can be challenging for KS3-4 English students. Here are some ideas and classroom resources to engage students and build important comprehension and GCSE exam skills. 

Reading has never been more important for young people's wellbeing, personal growth and attainment. You'll find inspiring World Book Day resources to download as well as fun ideas for lessons, displays and activities to celebrate the day in style in your English class.  

The draft French specifications for the new curriculum are now published, and here at Teachit we already have resources to support you in your teaching of the 2024 curriculum content.