Featured Teacher
What challenges do you face
in your role as an educator
and how do you overcome
them?
Time consuming evidence gathering.
Although I feel very trusted at RPS,
and we are constantly evaluating
our processes of self-evaluation,
I know from my experience in
leadership that there are certain
hoops that must be jumped through
in the current era of accountability
surrounding education. Instead of
rooting through copious amounts
of exercise books at moderation
intervals, I overcome this by sharing
evidence of progress through pupil
interactions to my digital feedback.
Recently, I have gone one step
further and highlighted when
parents have joined in, what I call
the ‘digital learning community’
within the RPS classroom. This is
when parents have become involved
via their personal devices and
asked further probing questions
in response to a child’s work which
was posted online. I have found
this type of parental involvement
to be a real game changer, it has
increased the pupils’ engagement.
This deeper questioning on the part
of the parents has also significantly
boosted interaction.
The second challenge I have had to
overcome was ensuring that I stay
hydrated throughout the day. This
may not seem important to many in
the grand scheme of things, but if you
have been a teacher for any amount
of time, you know how difficult it is to
ensure that you are drinking enough
water throughout the teaching day.
I have overcome this by making it a
resolution and purchasing a water
bottle that has the timings of the day
printed on the side. Very important
for the climate we live in.
What are your two favourite
EdTech tools and why?
The Apple iPad – so multifunctional
and incredibly reliable. I saw an
infographic shared on Twitter
recently where it listed previous
educational fads, such as APP grids,
Brain Gym etc. they also included
what they thought this infographic
would look like in 5 years’ time. They
had included ‘iPads in the classroom’.
Personally, I think tablets are here to
stay. The teaching fraternity should
embrace these marvelous pieces
of technology. We need to invest in
training staff as much as we invest
in the hardware, so that they are
confident and proficient. We have
only just scratched the surface
of how technology can advance,
support and focus learning.
Secondly, a green screen area. We
have painted two previously unused
walls green in the school. This allows
our pupils to record and place
backdrops behind their videos. The
uses are endless and so simple to
implement in any school. Just the
cost of a can of paint!
How do you help fellow
educators to share good
practice with each other?
At RPS we are encouraged to
experiment with our practice and
are given the freedom to take risks.
For example, flexible seating. Our
Principal challenged all of us to
remove one piece of ‘traditional’
classroom furniture at the start
of the school year. After a year
of embedding, you won’t find a
“traditional” classroom in the entire
school. The pupils love their learning
environment and have really thrived
due to this approach. In my opinion
the best way to share good practice
is firstly through Twitter. Twitter
allows you to find out quite quickly,
whether your research is helpful or
interesting to colleagues around the
world. Our Principal also encourages
us to share our research and findings
at various conferences around the
region. And if we are really brave,
we can publish our research and
share articles in Teach Middle East
Magazine!
What do you do for fun or to
unwind after a long day at
school?
Train hard! In the last few years I have
become a triathlete, from being a
keen runner I have bought myself a
bike and learnt to swim again. My
next big challenge is a full Ironman
distance triathlon in Germany in July
2019. You might say this is a true mid-
life crisis!
What is the one thing about
you that would surprise your
colleagues?
My colleagues would probably be
surprised to find out that I am a
triathlete and I beat the Head of PE
regularly!
What is the best professional
advice that you have received
and how has this helped you?
The best advice I received came
from my mentor when I was a trainee
teacher in Cornwall, the very south of
the UK. She once said to me with a
very thick accent “no matter what
rank, position or title a colleague
has, treat them all with the same
respect”. Wise words indeed!
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Nov - Dec 2018
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