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Pedagogy and professional development
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Pointless - History - World War II Edition
Based on the popular game show 'Pointless', this resource is perfect for use as a starter activity, plenary, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change the questions/answers. Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning.
There are several full rounds of questions to build students' understanding of World War II, including:
1. Naming the combatant countries involved in World War II.
2. Identifying the key leaders and protagonists for the major warring nations.
3. Remembering key dates of major events.
4. Recalling details of the D-Day landings.
The nature of the game ensures that this resource can challenge students of all levels.
NOTE: You can buy this resource alone, or in a bundle of 8 Pointless games, for only £1 more!
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Vocabulary and Comprehension Building - Complete Approach and Tracker
This is a highly-effective tool for implementing a vocabulary and comprehension element to school-wide 'literacy across the curriculum' initiatives. Not only does it encourage students and teachers to focus upon fully understanding key words in each of their subjects, but it provides the school with a clear and concise measuring device for gauging students' vocabulary and comprehension improvements.
Students first sit the baseline test in each subject - a booklet that tests their complete knowledge of whichever subject-specific terms they need to learn in the next assessment period. Examples of the tasks they are asked to complete are:
- Spelling the word;
- Defining the word;
- Giving an example of the word in a sentence;
- Self-evaluating their understanding of the word;
- Selecting what type of word it is;
- Thinking of synonyms for the word, and more.
They are given a score for their performance in the tasks.
Upon completion of the teaching unit, students complete the 'End-Point' booklet, completing the same tasks. The two scores (from the baseline and the end-point) are recorded into the tracker document, (10 sheets are provided for different departments) which automatically calculates baseline and end-point percentages, and percentage increase or decrease. It also colour codes red or green dependent upon student performance. This gives the user a clear measure of the effectiveness of the literacy scheme across the school - perfect for performance management, reporting to OFSTED, and school improvement.
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DVD Packaging - Genre and Audience
This visually engaging and highly informative Media Studies lesson aims to serve three main purposes:
- To enable students to improve their knowledge of the Horror genre, and the Comedy Animation sub-genre;
- To build the necessary skills needed in order to complete Assignment 1 of the GCSE Media Studies accreditation, analysing and responding to DVD packaging;
- To improve students knowledge of the key concepts 'Audience' and 'Genre.'
This lesson was taught during in a recent lesson observation and received an 'Outstanding' judgement.
Students follow the process of:
- Defining key terminology through the engaging and relevant game '4 Pictures, 1 Word;
- Identifying key features of audience and genre through collaborative fact finding;
- Analysing DVD covers (with the provided modelling and scaffolding resources, where needed)
- Self evaluating success against accreditation specifications.
All necessary resources are provided. They are also easily editable, should you choose to alter them in any way for your classes!
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Truly Effective Persuasive Devices!
This visual and highly engaging set of resources is designed to enable students to use imaginative and original persuasive devices in their own writing. Through following the interesting learning journey, students are given the opportunity to:
- Define each persuasive device;
- Identify these in existing persuasive texts;
- Analyse their effect in a longer persuasive text;
- Create their own persuasive device-filled piece, using a jointly-created success criteria based upon their analysis task;
- Peer assess each other's persuasive writing attempts.
All resources are provided, including:
- Visual PowerPoint presentation;
- Definitions cards (they just need printing and cutting out)
- Analysis worksheet;
- Lesson outline for teachers and learning support to follow.
Note: All pictures licensed for creative use - authors and sources labelled on the final slide of the presentation.
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Social Media Blog Writing Template
This writing resource is perfect for use in literacy/writing lessons across the curriculum. Bright, colourful, and realistic, this resource enriches students' writing experiences whilst enabling them to showcase the skills and knowledge that they have picked up throughout their learning.
This lesson is also available as a part of a larger multi-media writing template bundle from TandLGuru that includes: Facebook page template, email template, messenger template, tabloid template, broadsheet template, and a postcard template. Most are easily editable and visually stimulating for students.
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Creating Engaging Starters Checklist
This checklist provides teachers with a clear yet effective tool for planning engaging starter activities. (A full CPD on Engaging Starters, including this resource, a full visually-engaging presentation, and further resources is also available from TandLGuru.)
It breaks down the four key components of 'Meaningful Engaged Learning:'
- Environment;
- Motivation;
- Experience;
- Meaning.
This gives teachers and support staff a clear platform upon which they can devise and facilitate truly inspiring, motivating, differentiated, and relevant starter activities, and hence promote student engagement in learning.
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Creating Engaging Starters - CPD Session and Resources
This CPD session is designed to enable teachers and learning support to facilitate highly engaging and motivating lesson openings. The session is interactive, rooted in educational theory, and contains video/collaborative resources to encourage staff participation. Participants learn to:
- Understand the key features of meaningful engaged learning;
- Identify and analyse these features in video examples of lesson starters;
- Discuss/evaluate these concepts with regards to their own practices/settings;
- Design, plan, and implement their own engaging lesson starters, using the provided handy prompts and planning materials;
Provided in this pack is:
- Visually-engaging presentation with embedded videos.
- Engaging Starters checklist;
- Planning sheet for engaging starters;
-Teacher/Trainer guidance.
NB: Internet connection needed for embedded videos. Bibliography/further reading on last slide.
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New GCSEs Grades 1-9 - Answers to the Key Questions.
I have used this resource to explain the new GCSE changes to other staff, governors, and parents. Feedback has been that it is clear, concise, and answers some of the key questions. In the document, I have addressed:
- What changes have already taken place?
- When do the changes take place?
- How do the new grades equate to the old grades?
- Why are the changes necessary?
- What are the changes to the English GCSE?
- What are the changes to the Maths GCSE?
- How will school performance now be judged?
Also attached is a visual representation of how the new GCSE grades map onto the old GCSE grades. Within the PowerPoint are a number of links to key information provided by the DfE and OFQUAL. Hope this helps!
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Amazing Verbs and Adverbs!
This is an exciting and engaging lesson/set of tasks aiming to build students' skills at using varied verbs and adverbs in their writing . It was taught during an observation lesson where the teacher received an Outstanding judgement.
Students learn to:
- Define and give examples of what verbs and adverbs are;
- Identify verbs and adverbs on funny posters and captions;
- Analyse what makes verbs and adverbs effective;
- Create their own verb and adverb filled writing piece;
It comes complete with:
- Engaging and visual PowerPoint to guide students (and teacher!) through the lesson;
- Colourful and thought-provoking worksheet for the main analysis task;
- Lesson plan/ teacher guidance sheet, which goes through the lesson step-by-step;
- Resources to enable the teacher to make 'flags' for the development task.
All pictures are licensed for commercial use, and image authors cited on the final slide.
This lesson can also be bought as part of the Descriptive Devices bundle for just £5. The bundle leads students through each language device needed in order to write to describe confidently.
Alternatively, you can buy the Descriptive Writing Big Bundle (All descriptive devices lessons, structuring and organising writing lesson, capturing the readers attention lesson, and the literacy writing mat) for £6.
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Four Pictures, One Word!
This is a great resource for lesson starters, building literacy across the curriculum, plenaries, or simply for fun. Based upon the popular mobile app, this visually engaging activity is highly effective at promoting engagement and getting students thinking about words - many of whom seem to love playing the game on their phones! It is particularly useful for Literacy practitioners who are looking to expand students' vocabularies and/or raise the subject of homonyms.
There are a range of challenges:
Green = Beginner level
Amber= Intermediate level
Red = Expert level
The document is easily editable, so you can also add in your own pictures and challenges. Also, all of the pictures used are licensed for commercial use, and all authors are cited.
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Pointless - Building Adjectives Edition
Based on the popular game show 'Pointless', this resource is perfect for use as a starter activity, plenary, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change the questions/answers. Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning.
There are several full rounds of questions to build students' understanding of adjectives, including:
1. Finding synonyms of dull adjectives
2. Defining adjectives
3. Unscrambling anagrams of adjectives
4. Finding the most complex and interesting adjectives.
The nature of the game ensures that this resource can challenge students of all levels.
NOTE: You can buy this resource alone, or in a bundle of 8 Pointless games, for only £1 more!
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Pointless Game - Macbeth Edition
Based on the popular game show 'Pointless', this resource is perfect for use as a starter activity, plenary, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build learning of Macbeth:
1. The characters in Macbeth
2. Quotations from the text
3. Settings, themes, and character titles
4. Murders in Macbeth
The nature of the game ensures that this resource can challenge students of all levels.
NOTE: You can buy this resource alone, or in a bundle of 8 Pointless games, for only £1 more!
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Teaching and Learning Performance Grids
This resource pack is comprised of:
1.) Observation & Learning Walk Performance Grid
2.) Marking and Feedback Performance Grid
For use alongside lesson observations, learning walks, and book monitoring, these succinct performance grids enable observers to gauge, categorise, and feedback on teaching and learning sessions using OFSTED guidance for effective teaching. The documents provide descriptors of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' and 'inadequate' practice within appropriately considered teaching and learning focus areas, for example: Questioning, Positive Feedback, Use of Additional Adults, etc. Schools who still grade individual teachers have noted that these are helpful aids in arriving at an overall judgement.
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Marking and Feedback Performance Grid
For use alongside book monitoring/ work scrutiny, this succinct performance grid enables observers to gauge and categorise marking and feedback using OFSTED guidance for effective feedback. The first page of the document provides descriptors of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' and 'inadequate' feedback within appropriately considered focus areas, for example: Frequency, Constructive Feedback, Marking for Literacy, etc. Schools that already employ this tool often opt to highlight the descriptors on this page as they complete the scrutiny, thus creating a bigger picture of the strengths and areas for improvement in the feedback observed. This can also be a helpful aid in arriving at an overall judgement, should your school opt to arrive at one. The second page allows observers to further pinpoint and describe the 'www' (what went well) and 'ebi' (even better if) aspects of the feedback, to aid teacher in improving their practice.
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Observation & Learning Walk Performance Grid
For use alongside lesson observations and learning walks, this succinct performance grid enables observers to gauge and categorise teaching and learning sessions using OFSTED guidance for effective teaching. The first page of the document provides descriptors of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement' and 'inadequate' teaching within appropriately considered focus areas, for example: Questioning, Planning, Use of Additional Adults, etc. Schools that already employ this tool often opt to highlight the descriptors on this page as they observe, thus creating a bigger picture of the strengths and areas for improvement in the teaching and learning observed. Schools who still grade individual lessons have noted that this is a helpful aid in arriving at an overall judgement. The second page allows observers to further pinpoint and describe the 'www' (what went well) and 'ebi' (even better if) aspects of the lesson, in order to make feedback to teachers more clear.