Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

This week features Christopher Such, an expert in primary education; Adam Smith, a professional dedicated to supporting educators; and Lloyd Williams-Jones, an insightful educator. They dive into the significance of classroom routines, sharing key strategies for engaging students from day one. Topics include the challenges teachers face in motivation, the necessity of flexible routines, and actionable tips for leaders to foster a cohesive learning environment. Personal anecdotes and experiences add depth to their guidance, making it an invaluable listen for educators.

Sarah Cottingham joins the podcast to discuss how David Ausubel's work impacts teaching, learning, and curriculum design. They explore meaningful learning, cognitive psychology in math teaching, and enhancing understanding through cognitive assessment and retrieval practice. The discussion emphasizes prioritizing comprehension over memorization and engaging with structured teaching strategies.

Educators Neil Almond, Lisa Coe, and Stuart Welsh discuss mastery in math education, curriculum overloading, and hope for the future. They explore the importance of interconnectedness in solving problems, the need for a strong foundation in math, and collaboration between primary and secondary schools. The panel sheds light on teaching for mastery, the significance of understanding functions, and the impact of online resources on education.

Episode 82: This week on Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I'm joined by Andrew Jeffrey, Neil Almond, Adam Smith and Elliot Morgan as we try to unpick learning objectives and the role (if any) they have to play in the classroom. What is the point/purpose? Should we share them at the start of the lesson? We answer each of these questions and much more. Whether you're new to the profession or an experienced senior leader, you won't want to miss this one... Support TDaPE at ko-fi.com/tdape Join the family discord at https://discord.gg/xeNhPVRZZJ

Expert in staffing and education, Matt Swain, shares insights on attracting and retaining staff in the education sector. Topics include importance of staffing, recruiting strategies, teacher retention, CPD benefits, workload reduction, and innovative recruitment tactics for schools in need.

Experts Amy Bills, Tom Brassington, and Lisa Metcalfe discuss the role of performing arts in primary education, emphasizing its impact on students' skills, self-esteem, and empathy. They highlight the importance of integrating performance arts, storytelling, vocabulary, and English practice to foster a holistic learning experience for children.

Join Michael Pershan and Christopher Such as they explore self-explanation in education, discussing its role in studying examples, problem-solving, and comprehension. They touch on the challenges and benefits of applying self-explanation in various subjects, highlighting the importance of fostering deep thinking and meaningful learning. The episode also delves into discovery learning, incorporating specific prompts and examples in math teaching, and navigating the introduction of self-explanation in education.

Math education expert Christopher Such discusses the challenges of teaching fractions, emphasizing the importance of visual representations, vocabulary acquisition, and mastering manipulatives. The podcast explores different pictorial representations of fractions and the effectiveness of two-color counters in promoting a deep understanding of ratios.

Experts Sue Byron and Adam Lowing discuss the 2022 Green Paper and its implications for SEND provision in England. They touch on challenges in providing support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, concerns about practical implementation of proposed changes, and the importance of early assessment and intervention. The conversation also highlights the impact of funding cuts on early identification and intervention for children with SEND.

Dr. Danielle Colenbrander, Neil Almond, and Christopher Such discuss instructional models for teaching children to read irregular words. Topics include mispronunciation correction, balancing teaching approaches, decoding strategies, and the controversy around sight word instruction. The importance of morphology in word identification and challenges in educational research are also explored.