Category: Curriculum

Surfing the ‘Semantic Wave’: Helping beginning teachers to think about tackling the ‘pitch’ of their lesson

This blog is jointly authored by Victoria Crooks and Alex Ford. Check out http://www.andallthat.co.uk/ to read more blogs from Alex. Photo by Vladimir Kudinov on Pexels.com Matthew is a fab beginning teacher.  He is highly professional, and his subject knowledge is second to none.  Simon, his mentor, is delighted by the deeply informed historical discussions … Continue reading Surfing the ‘Semantic Wave’: Helping beginning teachers to think about tackling the ‘pitch’ of their lesson →

Diagnostic Hooks: Reconceptualising Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) for Eliciting Prior Knowledge

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com The power of Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) to ‘hook’ pupils into historical learning via an intriguing image, a provocative quote, a story, or even a soundscape that promotes curiosity, has been long established.  In his 2001 article, Phillips built a set of principles for using ISM as a gateway … Continue reading Diagnostic Hooks: Reconceptualising Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) for Eliciting Prior Knowledge →

Setting granular targets for beginning teachers

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com Saima’s teaching practice placement is well underway, and she is getting used to the pattern of her teaching week and her regular mentor meetings.  Things have been going pretty well, but she is gathering rather a formidable list of targets, including: "Improve classroom management around transition points." "Develop subject … Continue reading Setting granular targets for beginning teachers →

Responding to a summer of riots: Principles for teaching about sensitive issues in the history classroom

This blog is jointly authored by Vic Crooks and Laura London based on a presentation we gave at the Historical Association Conference in May 2024.   If you are interested in this theme, you may also wish to read Teaching children about sensitive and controversial current affairs: Talking to children in schools about the situation in Ukraine Chapter … Continue reading Responding to a summer of riots: Principles for teaching about sensitive issues in the history classroom →

Mr Bean and a journey into the recent past: The importance of developing a sense of period

Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com Recently, as a family, we’ve been watching the classic Mr Bean series.  Now we’re about 8 episodes in, I’ve started to reflect on how my own children are accessing and understanding the programmes from a historical perspective.  The largely visual comedy is both ageless and timeless, but Mr Bean’s … Continue reading Mr Bean and a journey into the recent past: The importance of developing a sense of period →

Curiosity and the space to ask a question: building a dialogic culture to shift the focus onto pupil learning

Photo by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels.com Recently I was privileged to see a beginning teacher nearing the end of their ITE year teaching a great GCSE history lesson.  The pupils demonstrated excellent retrieval of subject knowledge from previous lessons.  They were given opportunities to acquire new subject knowledge and make sense of this when combined … Continue reading Curiosity and the space to ask a question: building a dialogic culture to shift the focus onto pupil learning →

The elephant in the room: Why the subject specific training of beginning teachers matters

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com A number of years ago, I watched a lesson where the beginning teacher had been schooled in a set of systematised generic teaching strategies. They had diligently practised and tried to implement these strategies in their lessons, but they were struggling. They were also frustrated. They felt like no … Continue reading The elephant in the room: Why the subject specific training of beginning teachers matters →

A case for using historical fiction in the history classroom

  Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I love history because I am nosy. I love people and studying the way they relate to one another.  My only other option is gossip and celeb watching.  History feels like a more wholesome way to indulge my nosiness, and historical fiction provides an avenue for it to be … Continue reading A case for using historical fiction in the history classroom →

Making History Count in the Primary Classroom: digging deeper into Ofsted’s history research review for primary colleagues

https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/primaryeducationnetwork/2022/07/22/making-history-count-in-the-primary-classroom-digging-deeper-into-ofsteds-primary-history-review/ In July I was invited by the University of Nottingam Primary Education Network to talk to speak with our primary partnership colleagues about history teaching and the implications of Ofsted's History Research Review. I approached this task with some trepidation - I am not a primary phase specialist and am acutely aware of the … Continue reading Making History Count in the Primary Classroom: digging deeper into Ofsted’s history research review for primary colleagues →