Dave Williams always makes me laugh. He is a very funny man. And I thought of him last weekend when I listened to Barbara Oakley’s keynote speech at researchED Dublin. With utter clarity, Barbara explained how our brains learn. What…
This much I know about…the principles and parameters of curriculum design
“What should be taught to whom, and with what pedagogical object in mind? That master question is threefold: what, to whom, and how?” Jerome Bruner What gives teachers the authority to decide what our children should be taught? Why don’t…
This much I know about…sticking stuff in exercise books
The triangulation of speaking to colleagues, being in lessons and looking at students’ work is crucial to appreciating the quality of the curriculum. When looking in books recently, I have seen two things which have made me think. Firstly, the…
This much I know about…Huh and the power of curriculum conversations
“Through conversation…we may whet and sharpen our wits by rubbing them against those of others.” Michel de Montaigne [1] Huh is the Egyptian god of endlessness, creativity, fertility and regeneration. He is the deity Mary Myatt and I have adopted…
This much I know about…why the quality of time spent in classrooms matters, not the duration!
There is a lot of publicity about the DfE’s declaration that schools must be open for 32.5 hours a week. Accepting that most schools are already open for longer than 32.5 hours a week, what the DfE need to realise…
This much I know about…Primary curriculum design and the “Huh” project
Collaborating with Mary Myatt on our Huh project has been a blast! Our new book, Primary Huh, was signed off this week. It is a moment of unadulterated relief when the copy editor says we’re finished and we can send…
This much I know about…how to get better at using mini-whiteboards in your classroom
I like the notion of simplexity: making it is as simple as possible to complete a complex task. Teaching a class of 32 students on a wet, windy Thursday afternoon in November is incredibly complex; there are, however, a number…
This much I know about…when an A grade at A Level is not enough to teach for understanding
‘What stuff do you want your students to know, understand and be able to do if you have taught them a rich, challenging subject curriculum?’ This question is at the root of all our conversations in our new book Huh….
This much I know about…how senior leaders like me are often curriculum chocolate teapots
A question was bugging me: “How on earth can senior leaders support subject leaders with developing the curriculum in subjects beyond the senior leaders’ own subject specialisms?” Consequently, a few months ago I published this tweet: The response to the…
This much I know about…my old hobby-horse (all SLT should teach!)
I am off to fresh woods and pastures new. I am in my eighteenth and final year as a secondary school headteacher. In September, for the first time in over three decades, I will not be a member of school…