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The craft of teaching refers to the practical skills, creativity, and adaptability teachers develop through experience, while pedagogy focuses on the theories, methods, and principles that guide effective teaching. Together, they shape high-quality instruction.

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Life outside of school

-Protect our reputation and the schools

- Even drinking a soft drink out may be exaggerated by a parent or student

Political views

- Can’t give quality teaching when bringing your views into a classroom

- Even if you have the views you just need to hold back

Social media

- Professional behaviour with students not social

- Confusing boundaries

Banter

- Could get confused with harassment

- Being aware of how far you can take it

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Chapter 1 of Beast's book of 'What is education for' outlines his arguments of what the whole point of education is. He outlines 3 main points of Qualification, Socialisation, Subjectification.

I think this chapter agrees the common view that education is just about preparing people for jobs or making them fit into society but instead help people grow as independent, responsible individuals who can think for themselves.

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Log into or sign up for the RefWorks reference management service, an easy-to-use tool for citation, bibliography, and reference management that simplifies the process of research, collaboration, data organization, and writing.

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Ways children can learn how to do the right thing 

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Ways children can learn how to do the right thing 

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Blue and Grey Illustrative Creative Mind Map

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As a teacher I should be mindful of what I put out online, who I accept as a friend, who you speak to about students and when to get involved with safeguarding.

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Week 8- Do teacher-student relations affect students' well-being at school?

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Week 8- Do teacher-student relations affect students' well-being at school?

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‘Learning involves a lasting change in pupils’ capabilities and understanding’ (ITTECF, 2024)

I agree because

Depend on what are defined as capabilities.

In a maths point of view you can change over the course of years. eg 2+2 in Yr 2 vs now

Reading and writing will be with for life. Opens more windows in life.

I disagree because

Depends whether the learn is useful.

To much towards exam results and doesn’t help you in life. school doesn’t allow you to make mistakes

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Week 9- The curriculum as progression model

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Week 9- The curriculum as progression model

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As a society we need to be tested to know that we are making progress however there are way we can go about it rather that repeating the same assessments ect. We assess to much and we have many ways to assess people but exams seem to always be used. there are many other different ways to assess people for example course work, engaging tutorials or presenting a powerpoint. I have mixed opinions about both the traditional and progresssion models.

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Week 10- Keeping children safe in education 

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Week 10- Keeping children safe in education 

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Everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe

Everyone should have appropriate training

Student needs to feel safe and empowered that they have shared there experience

Need to identify those that need that extra help

Need to have professional curiosity

The earlier the teacher picks it up the easier it will be to sort out

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What do you think the purpose of planning is?

To be organised and may help with behaviour and structure in the classroom.

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Week 13- Why don't students like school?

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Week 13- Why don't students like school?

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Overall, students often feel that school doesn’t align with their personal needs, interests, or goals, leading to dissatisfaction.

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Week 14- Why is it so hard for students to understand abstract ideas?

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Week 14- Why is it so hard for students to understand abstract ideas?

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We understand new things in the context of things we already know, and most of what we know is concrete. (Willingham, Daniel T 2021) They don't just absorb information in isolation; they connect new ideas to things they already know. This helps them make sense of unfamiliar concepts.

Willingham, Daniel T.. Why Don't Students Like School? : A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions about How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/edgehill/detail.action?docID=6532364.

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MORRIS, EDWARD K, 2002, Educational psychology B. F. Skinner: A Behaviour Analyst in Educational Psychology -Skinner talks about programmed instruction, where learning is broken into small steps. Students should get feedback after each step, which helps them stay on track and build knowledge more effectively. However he has been criticised in disregarding the emotional and mental processes that learning undertakes.

PAYNE R, 2015, Using rewards and sanctions in the classroom: pupils’ perceptions of their own responses to current behaviour management strategies - Sanctions such as asking pupils to miss breaks, or giving detentions, are seen to be counter-productive in encouraging pupils to work hard in class. Some rewards, such as the giving of “stamps” work well in relation to how much pupils like the teacher, but they are not found to promote hard work in older pupils

SARI T.K, RAHMANI P.H 2024. The Role of Positive Reinforcement on Students in English Language Learning: A Skinnerian Behaviourist p1-5  -Study done on english language teachers in Surakarta city. This study showed that positive reinforcement (‘words of affirmation’ praise their work). Makes them more comfortable in the classroom and more motivated and show what they know.

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Green and Blue Playful Illustrative Mind Map

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I think overall, we worked well as a group. To make it better, we could have asked if anyone had any prior knowledge of what Ahimsa is as in schools, students could have more knowledge than us as students, and they could share their experience.

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Up to 50% off publications, bundles. HURRY, WHILE STOCK LAST!
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RE Today works nationally and internationally to support Religious Education in schools. It is committed to the teaching of the major world faiths in RE and non-religious worldviews, to an accurate and fair representation of their beliefs, values and practices in all its teaching materials.

We provide a full range of Agreed Syllabus services to support SACREs in this statutory duty.

We can provide a fully managed service for Locally Agreed Syllabus production, including drafting and managing approval and adoption of the Locally Agreed Syllabus, print and production, and delivery of Syllabus launch conference and follow up events.

The RE Today team have been involved in writing the Locally Agreed Syllabus for over 30 SACREs across England, and we bring a wide range of experience at both Primary and Secondary phases to support our clients. In particular, we can advise on the most effective way to combine local RE requirements with national guidelines and legislation, to achieve the best quality RE outcomes for the SACRE.

We also offer a fast track process to support SACREs where the timescale or available budget do not allow for a fully bespoke local syllabus.

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Suitable for Primary

Big World, Big Ideas allows pupils to investigate topics including:

* Whether science and religion are complementary or contradictory

* Scientific and religious ideas about miracles

* Creation

* Evolution, including looking at the stories of Mary Anning and Charles Darwin

* Environmental issues

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LATEST ISSUE OF RETODAY Autumn 2021

In this issue:

'Dear England' - Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is interviewed, and gives his response to pupils' own classwork inspired by his letter to the nation

30+ active RE lesson ideas for 4-19s using research

Professional REflection: academic research applied to the RE classroom

Prince of Egypt: Y3 pupils interview Luke Brady, star of the West End musical, plus lots of other great ideas around the story of Moses for 5-14s

Buddhism and tolerance: the way of the Buddha, with suggestions for class discussion

Inside a faith: a Muslim, Christian, Humanist, Buddhist and Hindu provide their perspectives on how their religions and worldviews can be authentically represented in RE

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Suitable for Primary and Secondary
A collection of compelling images and artworks used to introduce key concepts for understanding how Muslims live their faith.

* 24 varied picture cards to energise pupils' thinking

* 72 great learning activities promoting enquiry and deeper engagement

* Key religious and spiritual questions to challenge pupils

* Suitable for both primary and secondary schools

* Includes 32-page teacher handbook.

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RE Today supporting Religious Education in schools

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Up to 50% off publications, bundles. HURRY, WHILE STOCK LAST! Visit the RE Today Shop. RE Today works nationally and internationally to support Religious Education in schools. It is committed to the teaching of the major world faiths in RE and non-religious worldviews, to an accurate and fair representation of their beliefs, values and practices in all its teaching materials.

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Free to use, quality assured, resources and subject knowledge for Religious Education teachers. Comprehensive coverage of religion and worldviews.

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CPD College (2015). Teachers TV: Lesson Planning. [online] YouTube.

This video explains how you have to have specific goals, keep children motivated and engaged, use formative assessment to track progress and have a lesson structure (start, middle and end). However, not all of these will work in every classroom. Some strategies may be too rigid or not suitable for all classroom settings, as effective lesson planning often requires flexibility. If the video presents a one-size-fits-all approach, it may not account for different teaching styles, subjects, or student demographics.

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Adaptive teaching -The better you know a class, the more efficient this could be. Children have different needs.

Starting of lessons -Things that will get the children thinking and capture their interests could be games

Endings of lessons -Bring the whole lesson together by questioning, games, and discussion.

Flexibility -You have to be very flexible, timing will not always run smoothly, children may change the direction of the lesson.

Learning Objectives -will be available for the children all the time, kids want to know what they are doing.

Progression -need to understand that some kids won’t progress as fast as others

Reflecting/Evaluating -you need to know if you need to change your lesson for a future class.

Structure -doesn’t always work how you want it to work; you don’t always have to follow a 3 part structure.

What can go wrong? -everything can go wrong!!

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Long Term Planning- RE curriculum

Medium term Planning- Terms eg Autum, spring and summer

Short Term Planning- What your doing each week

3-part lesson- Starter, middle and end

Starter and Plenary- What have you learnt and where are you going

Adaptive teaching- Teachers teach differently, Students learn differently

Learning about and from religion- Learning about the religion and what we take away from it personally.

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CPD College (2014). Teachers TV: KS3 RE - Sacrifice and Islam. [online]

Name the scheme of work something engaging

Starts with a game- Children are interested in things like this

Looking at there self-worth

Able to do their own research

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Teachers TV: KS3 RE - Sacrifice and Islam

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Controversial issues in Religious education in schools

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Controversial issues in Religious education in schools

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Gay marriage

Extremism

Indoctrination

Sexual ethics within religion

Faith Schools

A theistic Vs non-theistic world view

Mediatisation of religion (religion in media)

RE as part of the NC rather than LA

Secularisation of religion

Fear of religion

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Weaknesses of a Religious education curriculum

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Weaknesses of a Religious education curriculum

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1. Many curriculums favour one religion over others. And therefore, students can't get a clear understanding.

2. There are controversial topics. for example, whether abortion is right or subjects around LGBTQ+ communities.

3. Many students don't see RE as a relevant thing in their lives and tend to disengage with the subject.

4. Discussions in class can sometimes lead to tension or disagreements.

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Strengths of a Religious education curriculum

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Strengths of a Religious education curriculum

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1. Helps students to develop an understanding of different religions, beliefs and world views.

2. Promotes critical thinking and evaluation.

3. Encourages reflection on moral issues and ethical dilemmas

4. Supports the development of empathy and open-mindedness toward different faiths and beliefs

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Create an environment that is positive and that if someone gets something wrong it is okay. This will allow students to collaborate and fosters a supportive learning environment.

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Setting the right level of work for students is crucial because it directly affects their engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. Students may become bored and disengaged if the work is too easy, leading to a lack of progress. On the other hand, if the work is too difficult, they may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and discouraged, which can negatively impact their confidence and willingness to learn.

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The Pygmalion effect (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968)

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The Pygmalion effect (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968)

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The belief in the children is very important if you believe they can do it their outcome will be positive. It also how the teacher interacts with the students eg making eye contact.

If a teacher presumes that a student can or will achieve, this theory suggests they are more likely to invest time, effort, and energy into that student.

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1. LEARNING IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THINKING – You need to get them thinking

2. LANGUAGE IS CENTRAL TO THINKING – You need to get them to talk

3. LEARNING IS AN ACTIVE PROCESS – You need to get them done

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Busch, B. (2017). Research every teacher should know: setting expectations. [online] the Guardian.

It discusses how high but realistic expectations can drive students to achieve more, while low expectations can limit their potential.

However, expectations must be fair and inclusive, avoiding biases that could unintentionally hold certain students back.

I think the article makes a crucial point about the power of teacher expectations. It highlights how students often internalize the beliefs their teachers have about them, which can significantly shape their motivation, confidence, and academic success.

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There is a wealth of psychology research that can help teachers to improve how they work with students, but academic studies of this kind aren't always easy to access or to translate into the realities of classroom practice. This series seeks to redress that by taking a selection of studies and making sense of the important information for teachers. No one study or journal can provide a definitive answer, but they can help offer some guidance, and all seek to answer the question: how can we help our students do better at school? This time, we look at a study on expectations.

The idea that positive expectations influence performance positively is known as the Pygmalion effect - so-called after a sculptor in Greek mythology who fell in love with a statue of his own making, which the goddess of love, Aphrodite, then turned into a real-life being.

But do teacher expectations have much impact on student motivation and performance? To test this, researchers Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson (pdf) falsely told teachers that some of their students had been identified as potential high achievers and that they would bloom over the course of the year. These students were in fact chosen at random. They then went back at the end of the school year to find out how these students had got on.

What are the main findings?

The students who had been chosen at random were more likely to make larger gains in their academic performance over the course of the year. The researchers attributed this to their teachers having high expectations of these students, subsequently altering their behaviour.

This expectancy advantage was most pronounced in younger students, with those aged seven to eight gaining an average of 10 verbal IQ points compared with their peers in the control group.

Students' previous performance and ability did not effect how much benefit they got from high expectations. Both low- and high-ability students benefited accordingly.

The most significant benefit for male students came with an increase in verbal IQ, with girls mainly benefiting from an increase in reasoning IQ.

Related research

The Pygmalion effect has been found to be most pronounced where teachers start the school year with high expectations. It's also good to have high expectations at the beginning of new tasks or topics, so that students don't have any preconceived negative notions of how they will fare.

On their own, high teacher expectations will help some, but not all, students. Research suggests that benefits also come when teachers encourage students to have high expectations of themselves, as well as high parental expectations.

The opposite of the Pygmalion effect is the Golem effect - how having low expectations can lead to either self-handicapping behaviours or a self-fulfilling prophecy, with students failing because they and/or their teachers do not believe they will succeed.

It's also important to distinguish between aspirations and expectations. Aspirations are about wanting to be better, whereas expectations convey a belief about the likelihood of succeeding. While raising expectations has been found to help performance, the same can't be said for aspirations. Research suggests that students who have high aspirations but low expectations are twice as likely as those who have high aspirations and high expectations to get fewer than five GCSEs at A*-C. The disconnect? There is a difference between having ambitions and actually carrying out the daily behaviours and habits needed to actually achieve them.

What does this mean for the classroom?

No one rises to low expectations. Having high expectations of each and every student and then providing the necessary support needed to achieve that level seem key to all students achieving to their best ability. As Rosenthal and Jacobson noted, "when teachers expected that certain children would show greater intellectual development, those children did show greater intellectual development".

So how can a teacher demonstrate high expectations for students? Look to maintain high standards, expect all students to contribute and make sure differentiation means varying support but not lowering expectations of what different learners can achieve. These are good starting points.

Also take time to put into words your high expectations for students. Explaining that you believe in them and that you will work hard to help them achieve these goals should help to drive an increase in standards and self-belief.
Bradley Busch is a registered psychologist, director at InnerDrive and Follow us on Twitter via @GuardianTeach, like us on Facebook, and join the Guardian Teacher Network the latest articles direct to your inbox Looking for a teaching job? Or perhaps you need to recruit school staff? Take a look at Guardian Jobs, the education specialist. author of Release Your Inner Drive. Follow @Inner_Drive on Twitter, and get advice on improving memory and a visual summary of this research on his website.

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Research every teacher should know: setting expectations

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There is a wealth of psychology research that can help teachers to improve how they work with students, but academic studies of this kind aren't always easy to access or to translate into the realities of classroom practice. This series seeks to redress that by taking a selection of studies and making sense of the important information for teachers.

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Jon Davison argues that schools favour middle-class language and teaching styles. Making it harder for working-class students to succeed. He also highlights how language shapes identity and success in schools. He believes that making literacy education more inclusive can help all students thrive regardless of their background. His work can encourage teachers to challenge biases in the system and create a fair education for all.

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Week 16- Working inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom

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Week 16- Working inside the Black Box: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom

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When reading this text, what stood out to me was that assessments should help students learn, not just measure their performance. The text highlights the importance of feedback to the students and where they can improve. Also, effective questioning and discussions are key to deepening understanding, and we as teachers should use assessment to adjust our teaching based on student needs.

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Week 17- Fast and Effective Assessment: Chapter 1

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Week 17- Fast and Effective Assessment: Chapter 1

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This chapter focuses on how teachers can improve students' learning by effective questioning. This can easily gauge students' understanding and provide immediate feedback. I agree with what Pearsall is suggesting, as students will disengage if they do not understand something. By making an environment where they feel comfortable to ask questions, you will make a great working environment.

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One of the key takeaways I got from this book is the emphasis on self-reflection, which will help the students understand their strengths and learn how to improve their work. I found this particularly useful because it promotes a more personalised approach to studying rather than a one-size-fits-all method. This will allow students to become more independent and efficient learners.

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His book highlights key techniques, such as reviewing past content in every lesson, introducing new content in small steps so you don't overwhelm students and checking regularly students' progress. Rosenshine also stresses the importance of guided practice, where teachers support students before they work independently.

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Week 24- What do high expectations actually look like? 

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Week 24- What do high expectations actually look like? 

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I believe that implementing high expectations is believing that all students, no matter their background, can make significant progress. This means that I can improve student outcomes, and learning opportunities and encourage critical thinking. By doing this I hope to make my classroom a supportive environment.

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I believe that learning outside the classroom can improve academic growth, social interaction, and personal development and improve the student's overall well-being. The chapter advocates for outdoor learning as an accessible and cost-effective approach that can be seamlessly integrated into existing educational frameworks

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Week 26- Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice

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Week 26- Rescuing Differentiation from the Checklist of Bad Practice

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Sherrington critiques the misconception that differentiation means creating separate tasks for different students who are at different ability levels. Instead, he suggests that all students need to work to the same standard and realise that some students may take a little longer to get there. As teachers, we should provide extra support but in a discreet way without embarrassing the students and making them feel worthless.

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Visiting these temples has given me an insight into religious beliefs, practices and community life. Visiting has expanded my knowledge and put my learning into reality. Going on this trip has allowed me to have a first-hand experience in the region, and I feel that I could teach the religion a lot better now I have seen it in action.

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When going into school, I was able to observe strategies for maintaining behaviour, learning lesson plans, How teachers have built relationships and receiving feedback from experienced teachers.

In particular, A history teacher was very engaging with his students. Before the lesson started, he was waiting by the door and greeting all the students. He named his lesson something that the students were interested in. One student was misbehaving, and he followed through with the discipline. His classroom seemed to have a good environment where students could ask questions if they needed help. This is a teacher I would like to be.

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Learning outside the classroom benefits students by making education more engaging, practical and memorable. It can enhance experiential learning, allowing students to apply knowledge in real-world settings. Going to Ruffed-old Hall allowed me to think critically, problem solve and increase creativity.

When doing this with students, I would visit the place first, allowing me to set up activities and get a better understanding of the place. I would create activities that would take enough time to fill the day and create clear boundaries where the children are not to go to keep them safe.

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When doing this scavenger hunt allowed me and my group to work together and gain social skills. When coming back inside, everyone felt refreshed and able to get on with work a lot better than before. This is something I would 100% consider doing with my students, and it will improve their overall well-being for the day.

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Noon, M. (2023). Adaptive Teaching: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide. [online]

This article focuses on real-time adjustments within a lesson plan to accommodate all learners. This allows those who might struggle a little more to understand tasks and are able to engage with the lesson. Many may argue that this will oversimplify the work, and, therefore, they won't get the content they need for assessments or exams. However, I would argue that all students will get to the same point, but they will just reach the goal at different times, and there is nothing wrong with that.

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Adaptive Teaching: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

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A practical step-by-step guide to adaptive teaching that includes implementing strategies in primary and secondary schools.

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Jones, A. (2022). Being a professional in school: Dos and don’ts. [online] SecEd.

This article emphasises the importance of maintaining high standards of personal and professional behaviour as a teacher. We are there to be role models in and out of school. This article provides clear guidance on how to navigate the expectations of being a teacher and how our actions impact our students. However, the article does not address specific challenges that are faced by teachers. For example, dealing with parents' expectations, social media and adapting to policies held by different schools.

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Being a professional in school: Dos and don’ts - SecEd

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What exactly does being a professional in school require and entail? Andrew Jones offers a straightforward guide for new teachers, with behaviours to adopt and others to avoid…

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Jones, A. (2023). Art, craft, or science: What does pedagogy mean to you? - SecEd. [online] SecEd.

This article presents a comprehensive view of effective teaching. However, when putting it into practice, it could be quite hard as very often the school needs you to meet criteria by a certain point, and students further up in the school need to be exam-ready in a very short amount of time.

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Art, craft, or science: What does pedagogy mean to you? - SecEd

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Teaching is often called a ‘craft’, but it is also an ‘art’ and the move to research-informed practice makes it a ‘science’ as well. So what exactly is effective pedagogy in the modern classroom? Andrew Jones explores this engaging question

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missdcoxblog. (2021). Barriers to schema building in RE (and other subjects). [online]

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Children may lack prior knowledge when understanding religious concepts and content. Some children would have learnt more in primary school than others.

If the topics are taught in a disconnected way, students may not be able to link them.

Teaching too many complex terms and ideas at once can overwhelm students. This might lead them not to engage and therefore make no progress.

A way to overcome these barriers is to do retrieval practice, introduce key concepts and terms gradually, and connect new learning to students' existing knowledge.

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Week 27-Bruner’s Hypothesis: Enactive, Iconic, Symbolic

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Week 27-Bruner’s Hypothesis: Enactive, Iconic, Symbolic

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Supporting a Spiral Curriculum

Revisiting content over time strengthens memory and prevents students from forgetting what they have learnt. Bloom (1963) suggests that students achieve competence before moving on, which aligns with Bruner's approach of revisiting and deepening understanding.

Why Might a Spiral Curriculum Be Problematic?

If concepts are revisited too quickly, students may not be able to grasp the full concept.

Many curriculums do not have the time or space to go back at look at what students have learnt.

Some students may find it pointless to revisit topics if they have already got the full concept.

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Physiological- Children may come into school without having breakfast. This could be for two reasons: one, they can't afford it or two, that they may have an eating disorder. A small change could be that schools offer a breakfast club in the morning so students can start their day with energy.

Safety needs- Children can come from unsafe homes. So when coming into school as a teacher we should provide a supportive atmosphere and encourage all students to feel valued and heard.

Love and belonging- Many students feel like they don't belong. This could be in their homes and schools. As teachers, we should create an open-door policy where students can come and talk to you at any time. This all starts with having a positive relationship with your students and getting to know them on a personal level without setting boundaries. If you are concerned with anything that is brought to you, you should report it.

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Guest Speaker

Debates

Kahoot

Whiteboards

Outside learning

Roleplay

Think, Pair, Share

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Cognition- What you already know eg recall information.

Metacognition- How you know the content

Repetition- Revisit information over a couple of months.

Spiral Curriculum-Revisiting content as you go up the years to build on Knowledge.

Learning styles- Learning in a certain way eg visual. No scientific evidance to back it up.

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‘Substantive knowledge': knowledge about various religious and non-religious
traditions
‘Ways of knowing’: pupils learn ‘how to know’ about religion and non-
religion
‘Personal knowledge’: pupils build an awareness of their presuppositions
and values about the religious and non-religious traditions they study

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Week 29- How do you manage your classroom 

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Week 29- How do you manage your classroom 

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The Increasing Pupil Motivation trial by the EEF tested whether financial and event-based incentives could boost student effort and improve GCSE results. While financial incentives increased classwork effort, neither incentive significantly improved overall GCSE attainment. However, there was a small positive impact on Maths scores for low-attaining students. The findings are robust due to the large sample size, but challenges in implementation may have influenced results. The study suggests that while incentives can alter behavior, they do not necessarily enhance academic performance, highlighting the importance of intrinsic motivation and quality teaching over external rewards.

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Increasing Pupil Motivation' was designed to improve attainment at GCSE by providing incentives to increase pupil effort in Year 11. Two schemes for incentivising pupil effort were implemented. The first provided a financial incentive, where pupils were told they had £80 at the beginning of each half-term. Money was deducted if they did not reach the threshold in four measures of effort: attendance, behaviour, classwork and homework. The second provided an incentive of a trip or event. Pupils were allocated a certain number of tickets at the start of term and lost them if they failed to meet targets on the same set of four effort thresholds. Pupils that retained enough ​'tickets' were rewarded with an event, chosen by pupils in the year group at the start of the school term.

Pupil effort was monitored by the schools involved in the intervention, but the design and development of the incentive schemes was undertaken by the project team at the University of Bristol in the first four half-terms of the 2012/13 academic year.

The target population was relatively deprived schools, classified by schools with an average pupil IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index)score in the highest 10% in England. 279 eligible schools were invited to participate by the project team, with 84 schools indicating an initial willingness to participate. 63 schools agreed to participate in the intervention after an initial training event in July 2012; they then formed the final set of experimental schools.

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the project    a group of british and american academics

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led by simon burgess of bristol university

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have created a programme which aims to increase effort and attainment using rewards. evidence from the usa suggests that rewarding students for “inputs” (e.g. attendance

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good behaviour) is more effective than awarding rewarding for “outputs” (such as achieving particular grades) as input rewards encourage to pupils to do what they need to succeed. this project builds on previous studies by testing two new types of input rewards: a non-financial reward in which pupils are offered special trips or the opportunity attend an event they have chosen

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and a financial reward where pupils are required to meet targets determined by their teachers.  why are we funding it?    large

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randomised controlled trials in the us show that input incentives can lead to significant improvements in learning

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showing large positive effect sizes for very low cost. this project offers a chance to adapt

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and test whether the approach can also work in the uk. if the project works

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it will provide a strategy for tackling the problem of low motivation

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and show pupils what they need to do to boost their attainment. this is likely to be especially beneficial to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds

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who may have low aspirations or confidence. ultimately the aim of the research is to cast light on two questions. first

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how big a factor is pupil motivation in determining academic performance? second

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what is the most effective way to boost motivation?  how are we evaluating it?    this programme is being evaluated by a team from the institute for fiscal studies

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led by luke sibieta. the evaluation is set up as an effectiveness trial. effectiveness trials aim to test whether an intervention can work at scale in a large number of schools. it is designed as a randomised controlled trial in 42 schools and will measure the impact of the intervention on gcse results. a process evaluation

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will assesses implementation fidelity and surveys students about their experience of participating in the study. to view the project's evaluation protocol click here.  when will the evaluation report be due?    the evaluation report is due in autumn 2014.

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Increasing Pupil Motivation' was designed to improve attainment at GCSE by providing incentives to increase pupil effort in Year 11. Two schemes for incentivising pupil effort were implemented. The first provided a financial incentive, where pupils were told they had £80 at the beginning of each half-term.

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missdcoxblog. (2020). The Golden Threads: Substantive concepts in RE. [online]

Key concepts that run through the curriculum, helping students connect different topics. These include ideas like beliefs, practices, and sacred texts, which appear in multiple religions. By revisiting these concepts regularly, students build a deeper understanding and see how religious ideas are linked across different traditions.

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How do teachers help students remember knowledge?

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How do teachers help students remember knowledge?

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Retrieval Practice

Spaced Repetition

Interleaving

Dual Coding

Chunking

Mnemonics & Stories

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Over the year, I have learnt the very basics of teaching and how to teach. It has allowed me to learn the tool kit, pedagogies and the identity of RE and RS. This has taught me how to be the teacher I want to be and learn how to gain student's respect and attention.

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Department for Education (2024). Behaviour in Schools Advice for Headteachers and School Staff. [online]

Create a positive school culture- good behaviour starts with clear expectations. High expectations need to be set and need to be consistent throughout the school.

Teach good behaviour- we are the role models. reward positive behaviour to reinforce it

A fair response to misbehaviour- We as teachers should be predictable and fair. sanctions should be proportionate and linked to behaviour.

Support over sanction- some children like children with SEND, may need more support. early intervention is encouraged to prevent repeated issues.

Behaviour management is about setting clear expectations, responding fairly, and creating a supportive, safe, and respectful school culture where every student can learn and thrive.

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Week 30- Discover the power behind power tools 

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Week 30- Discover the power behind power tools 

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Just like power tools, knowledge resources are only effective if you know have to use them.

You might learn that all methods work. Sometimes you might need to do more research or focus on different techniques.

Once you understand how a power tool works you can innovate or combine them to make them more effective.

Learning is not all bout gathering information but understanding, using and mastering the tools that help you think, build and grow. However, learning can be a journey rather than a means to an end. Also, not everyone will have access to the tools of learning.

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Week 31- SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years

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Week 31- SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years

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This article provides statutory guidance for organisations supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It aims to ensure that children and young people with SEND receive tailored support to achieve their full potential.

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Week 32- Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of Hope in Dark Times

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Week 32- Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of Hope in Dark Times

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Freire reflects on teaching, justice and the power of education to bring social change.

He argues that teaching must be rooted in hope, critical thinking and belief in the possibility of transformation.

He believes that rather than treating learners as passive knowledge, he advocates for individuals to look at the wider world, question it and act to improve it.

However, this can be hard to implement when schools are based on testing, grades and strict curricula. many critics may also argue that students will not engage in such deep reflection. Some also believe that schools should be based on giving students valuable life lessons to go into their adult lives with.

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When going into the school showed an inspiring example of how education can meet the needs of young people who may struggle in a mainstream setting. It combines academic learning with strong relationships with their teachers. Visiting this school reminded me that education isn't a one-size-fits-all. This is the type of school I can see myself teaching in.

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Grade- 70%

Overall Feedback

This is a well-written piece which shows a good understanding of key concepts and principles. You have used well some of the referenced readings to your advantage. At times it is limited and requires further analysis than description. For example, when discussing escaping the cycle, the role of the Buddhist society in Britain, the cross-cultural clash on p.3, and when talking of women, patriarchy & feminist theologian (pp.5-6) and not getting senior roles on p. 2 & Buddhist identity on pp. 4, British Buddhism and misrepresentations.

Good evidence of understanding of the challenges that face Buddhists today.

Areas for improvement

References/ style- format- as shown in class- (Surname and Year)

incomplete sentence p.7

Limited references shows limited engagement critically with certain statements.

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REL 1000 BLOG 'Thinking about religion and belief' Feedback

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REL 1000 BLOG 'Thinking about religion and belief' Feedback

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CW1 feedback:

70%

Chloe, you’ve produced a really good set of blog entries which demonstrate how your thinking and engagement with the topics we’ve examined in class has progressed and deepened. Your arguments are balanced and even handed, but there’s also evidence of your own reflexive voice coming through your analysis.

You show excellent potential going forward- just keep an eye on important details like referencing and proofreading.

Targets:

·        Make academic reading a regular habit. Reading is key to academic development and progression.

·        Proofread your work in detail prior to submission.

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The spiral curriculum is a teaching approach where key concepts are introduced early and then revisited over time with increasing complexity. instead of a child learning a topic all at once, students can revisit and deepen their understanding each time.

1. Build on prior knowledge

2. Supports long-term understanding

3. Encourages confidence

4. Links ideas across subjects and years

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Reflection on the Synagogue and Cathedral 

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Reflection on the Synagogue and Cathedral 

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Going to both places of worship deepened my understanding of both religions and can help me in my further studies and help me teach them in greater detail later down the line.

Children can learn a lot when going to places of worship. They can get a first-hand experience of religious practices, learn to respect and tolerate different cultures, learn the meaning of symbols, architecture and tradition and learn the role that religion plays in the community and daily life.

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1. Use Harvard referencing

2. Develop each section

3. Include personal reflections

4. Improve on the engaged reading section

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CPD College (2015). Teachers TV: Professional Conduct Dilemmas for Teachers. [online]

Be mindful of how you present yourself- even off duty as you are still a role model.

Keep your personal views private. Focus on a balanced, respectful discussion.

Keep humour inclusive, respectful and professional. Avoid anything that can be misinterpreted or make someone feel uncomfortable.

Always speak with respect, even when stressed.

Always be punctual and these attitudes reflect your professionalism.

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Teachers TV: Professional Conduct Dilemmas for Teachers

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ITaP is a personalised plan used in school to help students who a struggling with behaviour, learning or emotional needs. It sets clear and achievable targets to help the pupil succeed. The plan is regularly reviewed to track the progress and ensure the support stays consistent.