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The myth of gained time
One of the many lies we tell ourselves about the summer term is the one about ‘gained time’. For teachers, struggling through the spring term and faced with the inhumane amount …
The institutionalised sixth former
The education system is built on inherent contradictions and tensions. There is much debate about the role of education alongside the bitter warfare of whether one adopts a progressive or …
The beginning of the end: student stress and anxieties
Phew, I had a tough first week back after half term. I seemed to spend most of my time talking to students who were experiencing quite raw emotional difficulties. Some …
Why attachment matters
Young people’s ability to form relationships is shaped by their early childhood experiences. I have found that some of the puzzling behaviour we face as teachers can be understood by …
The problem with mocks
I have just finished marking my mocks. It is a bit depressing if I am honest. It would seem very little of my teaching or advice about the exams has stuck.
It is ok, I tell myself …
The Stationery Ritual
Stationery is not just stationery to teachers, it takes on this other life.
Beginnings and endings
Beginnings and endings punctuate life in a school, not only the big beginnings and endings in September and June; they also remain a focus of each term, topic and assessment. I have always felt a mixture of both excitement and terror at all of these junctions.
the unconscious curriculum 