As an Outdoor Education instructor, David Gregory has learned to strike a balance between taking the lead in the field, and allowing others to do the leading. Everything depends on the needs of the students
Much has recently been written highlighting the importance of a child’s mother tongue (or “home language”). Susan Stewart, of the International School of London (Surrey), describes the advantages of putting home languages at the centre of a school’s curriculum.
Badrika Bahadur, a student at the Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur, looks at the demands and rewards of taking on the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
An increasing number of students in international schools, including those following IB Diploma courses are sitting the IELTS and similar examinations of language competence, but many under-perform. Chris Jay provides some useful guidance on how to avoid pitfalls and achieve success.
The growing number of students learning in English is a global phenomenon. At this UK boarding school, the EAL provision is led by the school’s International Student Counsellor, Debbie Taylor, who looks at how Giggleswick School has developed a successful programme of support.
Children can be intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Leah Davies discusses how we acknowledge and affirm student achievement.
Planning for post-secondary education for students with various disabilities raises complex questions about how to best prepare for next steps, but so much is possible. Stephanie Martin dispels three common myths.
The digital revolution has brought many benefits, but librarian Uma Shankar Singh argues it can also pose a significant threat to cultural diversity in an international school.
Our words can have a profound effect upon a child’s attitude and behavior, says Leah Davies.
If you are a KG or Early Years teacher with new children starting school this term/semester, why not download this free PDF and send it to your new parents? If you are a parent, with a little one about to start school, here are 10 things to think about that will help make the transition easier.
Giving students the opportunity to think for themselves in an unforgiving environment leads to the best kind of learning as David Gregory explains. What’s good for Outdoor Ed is also good for the classroom.
An increasing number of schools around the world – both national and international – are discovering the benefits of running Philosophy for Children (P4C) courses.
A new study commissioned by the Nuffield Foundation and conducted by the Durham University School of Education now suggests such benefits might be non-cognitive as well as cognitive. ITM’s Andy Homden reports.
Children learn not only through real life experience, but vicariously through media exposure which defines our culture and shapes our norms. Exposure to television programming and video streaming profoundly affects how children view their world. Leah Davies advises us to take control.
Leah Davies discusses ways of working with children who have “perfectionist” tendencies.
Jane Barron pens a letter of thanks and encouragement for the important role Expatriate Dads play in their family and suggests 10 ideas for busy dads to stay connected with their kids.
David Gregory describes how a school trip can become a deeper learning experience by giving students the responsibility for making difficult decisions.
Recognising the importance of education, Hope for Justice established a Cambodian school for sex-trafficking survivors. Andrea Bailey, Nourn Vanna and Ngin Sam Onn report
David Gregory outlines the challenges as some boys will find any excuse to try something dangerous.
Inspired by the most famous eyes in the world of art, Matthew Savage explores how data, when used effectively, can have a transformative effect on every child.
The issue of children in our classes who are overweight may concern many of us, but taking the initiative can lead to even more problems. Leah Davies believes that rising rates of childhood obesity are a problem, which educators have a responsibility to address. Here she offers some practical advice.
Grace Kelly’s belief that experiences outside the classroom are a vital component of ‘the hidden curriculum,’ prompted the idea for an innovative school exchange – a dream which then become a reality.
Outdoor Educator David Gregory describes a very different building project and the benefits it brings for those students participating.
Last year Paul Jackson was approached by a neighbour whose Grade 7 (UK year 8) daughter, was struggling in Maths and wanted him to tutor her. This is not something he usually does, but as a neighbour, he reluctantly agreed. Some serious thinking followed.
David Gregory is a specialist Outdoor Education instructor who has also worked in schools and as a teacher and form tutor. Here he suggests a powerful technique used on outdoor courses and trips could be applied in class to really good effect.
Trinity All-Through School in London has been planning and implementing a three-step strategy to address the needs of student wellbeing. As Rob Thomas, the school’s Executive Head Teacher, argues, this work is a timely response to the mental health needs of young people.
Roz O’Shea had already taken the plunge to “go international” when she left the UK to teach in SE Asia. Moving on she found what she considers to be her true calling – teaching Health Education based on a completely different set of cultural ideas in New Zealand.
According to Moya O’Brien, a school really flourishes when it practises “positive psychology”. Here she explains the connection and examines an organic approach to the development of wellbeing in schools. Academic success follows.
For further ideas about “positive psychology” see the downloadable PDF at the end of the article.
Jane Barron investigates the impact of international mobility on learning and what can be done to support students through the challenges of transition from country to country
Research has shown that, far from separating two separate systems of rational thinking and emotion, the human brain uses both together. Emotions give us information and emotions drive the decisions we make. If we don’t pay attention to both cognitive and emotional sources of information, we are compromising our decision-making ability, writes Sarah Whyte.
Sarah Whyte takes a closer look at Patrick Sherlock’s [1] suggestion that empathy is crucial for schools aiming to adopt “international values”. The core argument is that best way to develop empathy is through teaching the skills of emotional intelligence in the classroom.
Sarah Whyte explores the benefits of optimism and its importance to students, particularly those raised in a culture outside their parents’ culture and often experiencing frequent mobility and an international lifestyle.
Schools rightly put students into positions of responsibility. The role of student voice, student leadership and student impact have become a common and much-valued feature of many educational institutions, both in the UK and internationally.
However, the effectiveness of student leadership varies widely, both between and within schools. Matt Hall, Deputy Head of Secondary at BSM reports.
Sarah Whyte’s attention was drawn to the question of intrinsic motivation when she was a Key Stage 1 teacher some years ago in the UK. Every Thursday afternoon was wholly devoted to ‘Plan-Do-Review’.
During a recent PD session at the Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College in Birmingham, UK, one of the school’s new Academic Mentors, Anastasia Lapik, learned about the work of Carol Dweck, which got her thinking about her own education.
Supporting university application is an increasingly complex and demanding service that all schools are expected to provide. Is there any support on-line that might help? ITM talked to Tim Laas-Nesbitt, Lead Mentor at Cialfo, the Singapore based university application specialists to explore the area.
Resources for Early Years
Setting up your own veterinary clinic in the classroom with free resources to download. Ideas for the writing table and great stories, songs and rhymes to develop the themes of caring and empathy.
Click on the image to download Part A of your free PDF
Based on Lauren Child’s wonderful picture book That Pesky Rat this PDF focuses on ideas to develop the children’s attitude and feelings through language and art & craft activities that complement the story.
Click on the image to download Part B of your free PDF
Consequences
Of my memories from high school physics, Isaac Newton’s Third Law stands out as easy to remember: ‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’. His statement applies to forces, but to my mind is easily adapted to suit social and emotional learning in terms of consequential thinking: ‘For every action, there is a consequence.’
From Challenge to opportunity “Wireless Headphones”
Two years ago I found myself in between “gym facilities”. The old gym was torn down and a new Sport and Community Centre was being built. All PHE classes continued in what we called “The Bubble”, a huge semi-permanent, inflatable tent located on the soccer pitches. There were no walls and often two classes were taught simultaneously. A single net divided the Bubble into different learning spaces. Instructing the students and keeping them focused was difficult; teaching using music was even more challenging for teachers and students alike.
As Aristotle observed, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Sarah Whyte explores automatic behaviours, recognising their beneficial importance in daily life but also acknowledging their sometimes detrimental impact.
The importance of better understanding one’s own emotions, and thus those of others, is now widely recognised. Sarah Whyte reminds us how important this is for children’s well-being and describes the the crucial role of the teacher in developing “Emotional Literacy”.
Reproduced by kind permission of the Times Newspapers
In the Autumn of 2015, Michael Roulston, Headmaster of the elite Dulwich Prep London, visited a similar private school in Cape Town a day after it had suffered a terrible tragedy. A young boy had taken his own life. He had been struggling socially and academically, but had told nobody. “It shocked me deeply,” Roulston said.
Most, if not all, schools list student happiness as one of their primary goals. Yet how often do we consider what “happiness” means and what schools can do to promote it? Neil Bunting reflects on an elusive state of mind.
Following Shakespeare’s advice, “Listen to many, speak to a few,” is easier said than done. Yet, as Peter Hudson suggests, most of us will recognise, from personal experience, the sentiments expressed by Carl Rogers when describing the beneficial impact of someone really listening to you. This applies to children of all ages and adults alike.
Empathy: a handbook for revolution, published in the US as Empathy, why it matters and how to get it.
Roman Krznaric, Rider Books, 2014
For philosopher Roman Krznaric, western society has painted itself into something of a corner. The prevailing political and social orthodoxy of our time is rooted in competition, the needs of the individual and introspective obsessions.
Tony Richards looks at what we know about sleep – or the lack of it – and its effect on student learning.
Treacle-rich waves of fatigue swept over me. Eyelids drooped, senses grew dulled; the teacher’s voice a distant, languid lullaby.
