Ideas, Practices & Personal Insights

Time to rejuvenate teacher wellbeing

Teachers and schools will need little reminding that in recent weeks they have been the subject of a number of newspaper headlines, most of which haven’t been positive about our profession. Likewise, some social media commentators have had an open season in sharing their opinions about education. This has implications for the wellbeing of our staff in these challenging times.

Top tips for going back

Up and down the country, there will be teams of senior leaders and teachers getting together (from a safe distance!) to discuss what school will look like come September. So how on earth do we start the process of prepping for September with children who have been away from school for over five months?

Taking Pride in your school's mindfulness

Whether there is a Pride group, or a similar support group, for the LGBTQ+ community in your school or not, there will be a number of LGBTQ + students in all Primary and Secondary schools. There are also LGBTQ+ teachers, whether they are out to their colleagues and/or students or not.

How to get the most out of Zoom

Zoom has exploded onto the stage during lockdown - everyone is zooming everyone, although occasionally grandparents are not quite getting the hang of it. My daughter reportedly spent 10 minutes speaking to my dad’s right ear. Though, to be fair to him, the fact he had managed to find the app on his phone was an achievement in itself (I think he had help).

Online CPD: Rethinking 4 proven T&L strategies by IRIS Connect

In the last couple of months, it’s become evident that we are experiencing educational disruption likely to last for the foreseeable future. Most teachers have been looking for opportunities to continually support pupils in the most effective ways, whether the teaching takes place onsite or online.

5 ways to make your school LGBTQ+ friendly

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Pride month seems like a very appropriate time to give extra attention to making sure your school is an inclusive, diverse and safe place for your families, students and workforce who identify as LGBT+. The month of June honours the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, where LGBT people and allies fought against police brutality and harassment that many were and continue to be subjected ...

Preparing students for post-pandemic careers

The effects of the pandemic are felt by all, but the impact it has on the early careers market places significant pressure on the class of 2020, be that school leavers or graduates. Studies are already suggesting that young people will be worst impacted by the inevitable financial crisis; following the 2008 recession, unemployment among GCSE-level students peaked at 32.3%. With over 1 million young people expected to be unemployed in the wake of ...

Creating a more diverse curriculum

Various factors drove me to wanting to become a teacher: factors such as inspiring young people to succeed, watching children progress and also contributing to making a difference in someone’s life. However, another huge driving force was also this vision of having more BAME educators in schools. In my head, being a visible representation of both the Black and Muslim community would somehow be my own daily, ...

How to handle the new wellbeing situation

Pupil wellbeing is high on the agenda for educators as the phased return to school begins. Indicators such as Young Minds Charity are telling us that there is a growing need for mental health support. The Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield shared her views that all schools would need to have an onsite councillor to help manage the current children and young people’s mental health crisis in the return ...

Why we must support Drama teachers right now

These are strange and sad times, and tough times for teachers. As soon as lockdown began I knew that my subject – drama – would be particularly vulnerable.

How to remove anxiety from a 'remote transition'

I had just finished a phone call with a parent of a Year 6 student joining our school in September. I had asked her how she and her child were feeling about the transition to high school. For twenty minutes, she had shared a lot of the typical concerns. However, there were also concerns more unique to the moment, including her child not having a ‘usual transition’.

What the pandemic means if you have anxiety

As we come to the end of lockdown (apparently), I am reflecting on my lockdown experience as an educator who lives with anxiety, and I have realised that it has been a double-edged sword.