CPD Picks of The Week

What professional development have you engaged with this week?

Take some time out to top up your CPD this week! Change is afoot in our top 5 blogs of the week and our spotlight is on mental health.

Top 5 blogs of the week

1. *NEW* 7 Tips For Implementing Change – How do we bring about change?
2. The 5 Minute Lesson Plan – An old favourite and planning must have.
3. Live Marking – Feedback in Schools – Does live-marking have a place in the classroom? If so, how can it be managed and what impact can it have?
4. *NEW* Tips For Teaching Large Classes – How do you managing teaching a ‘large’ class?
5. 10 ‘Teach to the Top’ Differentiation Ideas – How do you plan for differentiation in lessons?

Resource of the week

Research suggests that students secure better outcomes when regular testing / assessment is frequent across a scheme of work, rather than cramming all of ‘what has been learnt’ into an end of project test.

This strategy is called ‘spaced practice’ or distributed practice. Good habits start early. There is no better time than now, so start sharing that ‘revision‘ word with students. Read how some apps can support revision in and out of class.

CPD Spotlight: Mental Health

We are recognising World Mental Health Day this week by collating the blogs we’ve published on this important topic; content aimed at supporting students as well as teachers.

• Mental Health Awareness – How can we share stories, better?
• Is the state of mental health in our schools finally reaching the DfE?
• Tips For Working with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Students
• How can we tackle the issue of Mental Health?
• Fixing the Cracks
• Recognise the Signs of Teacher Burnout
• 10 Ways To Keep Well
• Reward: Lost Mojo
• Golden Handshakes
• 8 Strategies For Happier Classrooms
• Eat Together, Learn Together
• 156 Reasons To Teach

From elsewhere

• Tuesday (10.10.17) celebrated ‘Ada Lovelace Day’ – often regarded as the first computer programmer.
• Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, discusses findings from recent research into the primary and secondary curriculum. She says, “In the worst cases, teaching to the test, rather than teaching the full curriculum, leaves a pupil with a hollowed-out and flimsy understanding.”
• The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) say that exclusions are rising because schools are struggling to cater for the growing numbers of children with complex needs.
  Read their latest report  ‘Making The Difference: Breaking the link between school exclusion and social exclusion’
• Take a look at the joint blogpost  from Education Datalab and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) ‘How do Ofsted ratings relate to Progress 8 scores’.
• At an evidence session held by the Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee, schools minister Nick Gibb said that pupils involved in alleged peer-on-peer abuse should not be allowed in the same classroom. 

Make time for your CPD today! Let us know in the comment section below, what else you’d find useful in this weekly round up and we will include it next week!