Teaching and Learning Newsletter - Issue 2

Teaching and Learning Newsletter

Issue 2 Spring 2019

‘There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance’ A recent article in the Times newspaper suggested that ‘sniffing lemons’ could help pupils revise for their exams. If only it was that easy! We do know that certain smells can trigger emotional memories.

It is possible, therefore, that if a particular smell is associated with a specific subject or certain information it might help us remember it.

A 2017 study by Northumbria University suggested that exposure to the aroma of rosemary can boost students’ memories by five to seven per cent. In the build-up to GCSE and A-level exams associating a different smell with each subject may help pupils to remember essential facts more easily. Even if it only serves to boost pupils’ confidence, it might be worth a try!

Artwork By Robyn Brandrick

Useful web link: www.autism.org.uk/professionals/teachers.aspx PAGE 1

Using a Memory Palace to revise Roosevelt’s Alphabet Agencies Interview with Emma Allroggen Some readers may have seen ‘Imperium: The Cicero Plays’, staged by the RSC last year and been impressed by Cicero’s oratory. How did he manage to speak so persuasively and for so long without notes? One device used by ancient orators is known as a memory palace. The principle behind a memory palace is that new information is related to something that is well-known, for example a route to work, your home, or even items on a window sill.

I interviewed Emma Allroggen, who described to me how she used this technique to learn a part of her history syllabus.

“I was really struggling to remember all the alphabet agencies from Roosevelt’s New Deal. I listened to the 5th year Life Choices presentation about revision techniques and saw how Neelam (Marwaha) used it to remember dates in German history. I decided I could use the memory palace idea to revise the alphabet agencies.

To start with, I made flash cards of the different agencies and arranged them into categories. I then picked out bits of my house that I could relate to something to do with each agency. For example, I decided to link the NRA (National Recovery Administration) to the stairs because: - There are lots of hats on the stairs - The NRA helped lots of people - If the NRA hat is on, then the company helped the workers - But you can take the hat off, so I can remember that the scheme is voluntary.

Another example that I used was to link the school photograph on the hall wall to the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Agency). Mr Watson was like the farmer that benefited from the AAA, but the pupils are like the sharecroppers who did not get any money. The deputy-heads are like the Supreme Court that shut the scheme down!

I haven’t used this technique for other topics yet, but I think that it will be good for remembering dates and it has made learning the New Deal a lot easier.”

If you want to know more about memory palaces, then you might be interested in the short article below which suggests how you can even use the examination hall to remember vital pieces of information! https://www.tes.com/revision-tips/transform-the-exam-hall-into-a-memory-palace-to-boost-pupils-powers-ofrecollection-and-their-grades The life choices lesson that Emma refers to can also be accessed via the Teaching and Learning section of the Bablake website.

Mrs Helen Skilton

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‘How to Use Questioning in the Classroom’

In this book review, Miss Taylor reflects on the advice given in How to Use Questioning in the Classroom: The Complete Guide by Mike Gershon Written by a practicing teacher, the book explores a wide range of strategies and techniques for effective questioning in the classroom. Overall, Gershon highlights the importance of advance planning when it comes to questioning, to ensure ‘purposeful interactions’ with pupils. He argues that, ‘in the moment’ questioning results in longer, less focused periods of interaction and undermines the effectiveness of one of the most ‘valuable tools’ teachers have to assess and engage students. He suggests various methods that can be used and adapted to suit the teaching of all subjects.

Throughout Gershon’s work, emphasis is placed on the wording of questions and the impact this can have on pupils’ responses. For example, asking ‘What might democracy be?’, as opposed to ‘What is democracy? will reveal much more about pupils’ understanding. He also explains the importance of allowing pupils to talk about what they think in answer to a question.

This is where open-ended questions are useful, particularly for those pupils who would not have the confidence to volunteer an answer that could be wrong. Gershon uses the example, ‘What do you know about Mongolia?’. Here it is not a case of there being one right answer; pupils will share their ideas and this will help the teacher assess prior understanding.

Throughout my PGCE, the importance of planning the use of questioning was emphasised time and time again. What was not highlighted, however, was the equal importance of considering the pupils’ own questions. Gershon suggests that sometimes we can learn more about pupils’ understanding of a topic if we give them the opportunity to question one another. For example, pupils might complete an activity and then have time to write questions about it, encouraging discussion and revealing areas of misunderstanding or puzzlement. It is very easy to think of questioning as very much a teacher-led method, but it is just as important to consider the questions asked by the pupils!

Miss Molly Taylor

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Sharing good practice: reflections on a second school placement

My placement at the Queen Elizabeth Academy has been a very valuable part of my teacher training year. One approach used by the Academy that I plan to use in my own teaching is the ‘P.T.R’ approach to assessment.

This involves marking with one Praise point, one Target and the expectation that pupils Respond to the comments made. Initially I thought this would be a lot of work, but the P.T.R approach was not applied to all homework; teachers generally set a P.T.R homework every other week. Lesson time was set aside for pupils to complete their responses, which ensured they had time to absorb and act upon the advice given by their teacher.

Miss Coral Billingham Having spent three weeks at Southam College on a QTS placement, I learnt some valuable lessons about behaviour management. I was most impressed by the consistency of approach across the school. A strict warning system was employed; if a pupil received three warnings in a lesson, they would be given a detention.

Serious misdemeanours led to pupils sitting in isolation. The approach seemed tough, but addressing poor behaviour in this way dramatically changed the atmosphere in the classroom, allowing other pupils to focus on their learning. The disruptive pupil also benefitted from having the time to reflect upon their behaviour and adopt a fresh approach on their return to the classroom. My experience has inspired me to be more consistent in my own approach to behaviour management to create a more industrious and focused atmosphere in my classroom.

Mr Simon Roberts My placement has given me a good understanding of the "inner workings" of another school. I have certainly taken away many valuable ideas from my time at West Coventry Academy. Although it was a very different setting to Bablake, I have been able to adapt the activities and strategies I observed to my own lessons. As a result of my placement, I have started implementing a GTI (Get To It) task at the beginning of every lesson. At WCA this approach was a whole school policy and it has helped me immensely with settling my classes and getting the register done on time. The pupils enjoy the task, revisit prior learning and get into the right mind-set for the lesson!

Miss Carolin Pfennig My placement was at Avon Valley School of Performing Arts in Rugby. One of the initiatives they have brought in recently is a common calculative method between the maths and science departments. All teachers have agreed to use the same method to answer questions such as finding equivalent fractions or calculating a distance whilst travelling at a certain speed for a given time. By doing this they have reduced the workload for the students and allowed the students to appreciate that the same methods can be used across subjects, something they normally struggle to realise!

Miss Kate French On completing my placement at Barr’s Hill School, I found the most important and inspiring aspect was the use of questioning techniques. Barr’s Hill uses questioning techniques as a whole school strategy to develop pupils’ metacognitive skills and overall oracy. All lessons start with ‘talking points’, where topics are directed by the teacher and discussed by the pupils in peer groups. Pupils are given sentence structures to support their articulation. I have found this really inspires pupils’ interest in the subject, particularly if the questioning is quite challenging.

Miss Robyn Brandrick

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When choosing your A-levels every subject counts!

‘18 Skills Developed in Every Subject' Pupils invariably ask us about the advantages of studying particular subjects. It is inevitable subjects and disciplines may steer students towards certain career areas and some professions request the study of specific subjects. However, have you ever considered how every subject offered within the Bablake curriculum teaches (at least) 18 skills every employer would value in their ideal employee?

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Public Speaking and Presentation/ Performance Research Methods Data Analysis and Tailored Reflective Report Writing Project Management Time Management Attention to Detail and Professional Practice Negotiation and Language Skills Conflict Resolution Creative Thinking Critical Thinking Problem Solving Calculated Risk-Taking Failure… and Learning How to Improve People Management Effective Team Work and Supporting Others Leadership Opportunities Competition, Target Setting and Ambition Impact/ Planning and Reward

Seeing evidence of these 18 highly desirable skills in every subject on offer means pupils are able to choose those they love and have an aptitude for, with the confidence of future-proofing their employability. Of course, purposeful involvement in co-curricular activities adds even more punch to everyone’s skillset!

Why not list some examples where you utilise/ have utilised these skills in a number of your subjects, starting with your favourite(s)?

Mr Mark Woodward #18Before18 #SkillsForYourFuture #RealisingYourPotential #SkilledBablakeLearner This is an updated version of an article written by Mr Mark Woodward (Head of Careers) for Issue 13 of the 'Bablake Careers Newsletter' (2017-18).

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