"I didn’t know I was clever until I came to your class"

Darrell has over 20 years teaching experience in large, inner-city secondary schools. During that time he has been a Head of Department, Pastoral Leader and SENCo.

Darrell works for Southend-on-sea LA as a School Improvement Consultant. This role is based on creating profound change and not “quick fixes”. Darrell works in strategic ways with leadership in school, but also transfers theory in to practice in classrooms with GTPs, NQTs, and middle leaders.

Darrell is also licensed by Southampton City NHS Primary Care Trust to deliver their Emotional First Aid (EFA) programme that trains teachers and appropriate staff in schools to support young people experiencing emotional distress before specific help is sought and obtained.

Darrell also leads the behaviour support team for Southend's PRU developing outreach work in schools to reduce exclusions and improve the attainment of young people in vulnerable groups. This work develops the school's capacity to move from a "satisfactory" rating by OfSted to good and outstanding.

Recent work has included a collaboration project with 14 secondary schools. This has focussed on developing the motivational levels of students across these schools and their ability to be resilient and resourceful in an ever-increasingly competitive world.

Darrell supports the senior leadership teams of a range of schools, assisting them to transform their approach to learning: through whole-school training, co-teaching and coaching.

Darrell is experienced at coaching teachers in schools in special measures. In a recent coaching project, Darrell's work has been highlighted in Ofsted monitoring reports as being instrumental in improving the quality of teaching and learning in the school.

Darrell is passionate about how schools can develop their student’s belief in themselves to achieve anything they set their mind to.

Twitter: twitter.com/PivotalPaul

Facebook: facebook.com/Pivotal-Education

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/pivotal-education-ltd

Forthcoming Show: 'The light at the end of your tether'

Website: www.pivotaleducation.com Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

That’s it. As the meerkats say ‘simples’. If I catch every student doing something well, and reward them, then they do more of it. And it rubs off on the others. If I don’t believe in them, then they soon switch off. Does that sound like rocket science? No it doesn’t. But I’d like to see Brian Cox, Einstein and Steven Hawking get together and teach my year nine on a Friday afternoon! And no, it is not simply a positive outlook.

The trick is to work out what the secrets are to being a brilliant learner. Then, let your students into that little secret and be relentlessly consistent in spotting them doing ‘good things’. Don’t change what you teach but notice the students who persevere, ask for help or help someone else and praise them. Whatever you pay attention to, you will get more of. Put like that it sounds easy.

In a classroom I have been coaching in recently the teacher asked me to help design a workable reward system. The teacher told me he wanted students to ask more questions in order to develop their problem solving skills. We decided that if they asked a question they got their name on the board with a smiley face and subsequent further engagement got them a ‘tick’. Despite every one telling me this is ‘old hat’ and nothing new I have had great success with this approach.

Advertisement

{googleAds}<script type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script>{/googleAds}

Five ticks and they get postcard home. Kirsty achieved this. I sent the card and asked her what she would want her mum to say. After a few unrealistic requests, Kirsty thought her mum would say ‘Yes’ to taking her shopping. When I phoned her mother to ask if she had received the card and whether it was realistic for her to take Kirsty shopping, she said ‘Yes’ and asked whether I had any more ideas to help her with Kirsty (who is in year 11)!

Will that work perfectly with everyone? Perhaps not, but teachers’ say most pupils are much more upbeat and positive and they have far fewer ‘duvet’ days!