Teaching teamwork made easy with a simple ABC guide

The article “Teaching Teamwork Made Easy with This Simple ABC Guide” by Gemma Hewson, published on December 13, 2024, in R.I.S.E. Magazine, presents a straightforward ABC approach to enhance teacher collaboration for addressing classroom challenges.

 

At Badock’s Wood E-ACT Academy, regular Friday briefings provide a platform for teachers to share strategies and brainstorm solutions, fostering a supportive environment that benefits both new and experienced educators.

 

This collaborative practice has led to effective changes in teaching methods, positively impacting student progress and staff morale.

 

The article emphasises that such teamwork not only addresses immediate classroom issues but also contributes to a cohesive and motivated teaching community.

4 Strategies for Tech-Enabled Safeguarding

In the article “4 Strategies for Tech-Enabled Safeguarding” in Teach Secondary magazine, Matt Tiplin, the VP of ONVU Learning and former MAT senior leader, teacher and Ofsted inspector outlines key approaches for integrating technology into school safeguarding practices:

  1. Set Clear Policies and Procedures: Develop unambiguous guidelines to ensure all staff understand their roles in protecting students online.

  2. Establish Robust Systems for Safeguarding Support: Implement software that accurately flags concerns, enabling prompt responses without overwhelming staff with false alerts.

  3. Engage Partners: Collaborate with parents and local organisations to address issues like cyberbullying, ensuring comprehensive support for students.

  4. Regular Training: Provide ongoing professional development to equip teachers with the necessary skills to use digital tools securely and effectively.

These strategies aim to enhance student safety by effectively leveraging technology within educational settings.

Small Goals, Big Impact

 

Matt Tiplin, the VP of ONVU Learning and former MAT senior leader, teacher and Ofsted inspector emphasises that small, attainable goals in teacher development enhance education quality, contrasting big changes with incremental improvements. 

 

In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, educational focus is growing due to economic diversification. For instance, the UAE education market is projected to grow by 9.45% in four years. 

 

Small-scale professional development, like regular workshops and self-reflection, can effectively improve teaching, helping teachers adapt and support diverse student needs. 

 

This approach, inspired by Sir Dave Brailsford’s marginal gains philosophy in British Cycling, fosters sustainable growth and addresses challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers, especially in a competitive market.

 

Where I went wrong with my lesson observations

 

ONVU Learning’s Matt Tiplin, a former MAT senior leader, Teacher and Ofsted inspector, critiques traditional lesson observations in education, highlighting their inefficiency in truly fostering teacher and student improvement.

 

He points out that these observations often add unnecessary stress to teachers, misaligning with the aim of enhancing teaching practices. From his experience, Matt identifies the main issue as the lack of alignment between the observation’s goals and the teacher’s development needs. He suggests that simplifying the objectives and fostering a collaborative approach to setting these goals can lead to more meaningful feedback and teacher development.

 

Additionally, Matt challenges the effectiveness of traditional observation structures and the assumptions made about learning during these sessions. He argues that snapshots provided by infrequent observations fail to capture the nuanced and dynamic nature of teaching, leading to potentially inaccurate judgments about a teacher’s effectiveness. Matt also notes the Hawthorne Effect’s impact, where the observer’s presence influences teacher and student behaviour, further questioning the reliability of traditional observation methods.

 

Advocating for a shift towards more frequent, focused observations, Matt believes in empowering teachers through constructive feedback, ultimately aiming for authentic teaching and learning experiences that drive real improvement.

 

Lesson observation – Strategies for growth and reflection

Lesson observations, often a crucial part of educational practices, are not always as effective as intended. The traditional model of lesson observations is criticised for its inability to accurately capture the complexities of teaching and learning within the confines of a single, often short, observation period. These observations can miss the nuanced and dynamic nature of classroom teaching, potentially leading to unfair assessments of a teacher’s performance. The process is further complicated by external factors beyond a teacher’s control, such as students’ personal circumstances, which can significantly affect their behavior and engagement in a lesson. 

 

The article advocates for a shift towards more reflective practices, emphasising the need for observations to focus on professional growth rather than mere evaluation.

To address these challenges, the article proposes several innovative strategies aimed at making lesson observations more beneficial for teacher development. They suggest moving away from the one-off, checklist-based evaluations towards a model that values continuous reflection and self-assessment. 

 

Among the recommended practices is the use of video recording technology, allowing teachers to review and reflect on their own teaching. This approach not only helps educators identify areas for improvement but also encourages a more autonomous and personalised professional development process. By giving teachers control over the observation and reflection process, the model aims to foster a culture of self-improvement and peer learning within schools.