On this episode of Mind the Gap, Tom Sherrington, and Emma Turner have the pleasure of being joined by Hywel Roberts, a highly accomplished author, educator, storyteller, and humorist. This episode provides a holistic perspective on how to create an effective learning environment in the classroom. The trio discussed the importance of enthusiasm, engagement, imagination, protection, storytelling, and agile education to make abstract concepts accessible and captivate students. They explored the use of warmth, humor, and storytelling to draw students in, the need for imagination pedagogy and protecting students in learning, and the empowering elements of storytelling and imagination in education.  Lastly, the conversation highlighted the need to develop the ability to imagine processes and embrace agile education for a more innovative approach to teaching and learning. About the participants:  Hywel Roberts has been a teacher for over thirty years. His reputation has grown hugely since he stepped out of the full-time classroom. Hywel has found an incredible and innovative niche in the world of model teaching, contributing to and advising curriculum designers and innovators from Barnsley to Brussels, from Cairo to Cleethorpes. Hywel leads the PGCE program in Drama at Huddersfield University and contributes to the Master's program in Drama and Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett University. Hywel is a regular contributor to conferences, including The Sunday Telegraph Festival of Education, Northern Rocks, Practical Pedagogies, and The University of Belfast Thinking Conference. Hywel is the author of Oops! Getting Children to Learn Accidentally and Uncharted Territories. He writes a regular column for the Times Educational Supplement about his encounters as a ‘traveling teacher’ and a weekly show ‘Hywel’s Teacher Stories’ on Teacher Hug Radio. Hywel’s number one Bestseller on Amazon, Botheredness was published this year. Hywel is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Fellow of the Charted College of Teaching. Follow Hywel on Twitter: @hywel_roberts Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Teaching WalkThrus 2: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Teaching WalkThrus 3: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership, and Simplicitus Altius: Leading the Interconnected Primary Curriculum. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.

In this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom and Emma reflect on past guests and Emma’s new book Simplicitus Altius: Leading the Interconnected Primary Curriculum. Tom and Emma discuss the lack of shock within the profession regarding the amount of stress people feel and how it potentially can lead to such tragedies is surprising. We must look at the high-stress system to make it more supportive and encourage leaders to improve. Our guests, emphasized the importance of finding the right match for a school, leading with passion, worth, and a deep sense of achievement. This episode also touched on the concept of multi novice status, recognizing that children arrive at secondary school with more proficiency in certain subjects, while still developing in others. It can be challenging to teach standalone subjects in primary school, especially with children still novice in multiple areas simultaneously. Thus, the primary curriculum should be taught in interconnected ways rather than as isolated subjects. Overall, this episode offers critiques, reflections, and insights into the education profession while providing resources for teachers and school leaders to improve their practice. About the participants: Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.

In this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom and Emma are joined by Vic Goddard. The group discusses Vic’s position in British Education, particularly his role as a leader and a role model for head teachers and school leadership across the UK. Vic’s first foray into thought leadership was the BAFTA-nominated documentary series Educating Essex, a seven-part series following a group of GCSE students and the staff who teach them. Since then, Vic has continued as a thought leader in British education and provided opportunities for leadership connections.  Overall this episode highlights the strengths of bold leadership. In this case, bold does not mean brash or dominative; it means empathetic and caring, and open to different perspectives. Particularly in education, as this conversation shows, boldness in leadership can help students, teachers, and a community thrive.  About the participants:  Vic Goddard is the Principal of Passmores Academy and star of the BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 documentary Educating Essex. He is a proud South Londoner, having been raised on a council estate, then going on to train as a PE teacher and eventually becoming the nation's best-loved Headmaster thanks to his undeniable dedication to his school and the young people inside it. Follow Vic on Twitter @vicgoddard Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.Watch this episode on edCircuit.

For this episode, special guest Jim Knight joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss his research and experience in professional development. The conversation focuses on instructional coaching, teacher professional learning, and recent research to improve teaching and learning.  In part one of this episode, the group discusses the differences between two of Jim’s books: The Impact Cycle and Seven Factors for Success. As Jim explores, his most recent book, Seven Factors for Success, focuses on a much more broad context for becoming a successful professional learner in teaching.  In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses the challenges, strategies, and realities of instructional coaches. Adaptation is a major key to making teachers better. Instructional coaches must understand factors like expertise, vocabulary, and background are essential to master effective coaching.  Overall this episode highlights the multifaceted nature of professional development and instructional coaching. Jim’s research-based frameworks are truly revolutionary, and by adopting them, schools can improve teaching and increase the successful outcomes of their students. About the participants:  Jim Knight is ​​a founding partner at Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) and a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching. Knight has written several books, most recently, The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching: Seven Factors for Success with John Catt Educational. His articles on instructional coaching have been included in publications such as The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Teachers Teaching Teachers. Follow Jim on Twitter @jimknight99 Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75. Watch this episode on edCircuit.

For this episode, special guest Sufian Sadiq joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss CPD, community engagement, and leadership in education. The conversation focuses on the interplay between meticulous planning and passionate engagement. It is clear throughout the conversation that Sufian has mastered the ability to engage and plan to make schools, communities, and learning thrive.   In part one of this episode, the group discusses Sufian’s role at the Chiltern Teaching School, primarily the CPD they provide and the community stewardship they take on in the communities they serve.  In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses the true definition of community engagement, particularly understanding the community you serve. As Sufian explores, DEI is a significant part of his work. Often overlooked factors in those conversations include discussions of class and background.  The episode closes by discussing the difference between knowledge acquisition and aspirational curriculum. Sufian explores that when given the right tools and resources, you can create learning environments for students to thrive. However, if you engage students and understand their backgrounds, you can begin to inspire them to broader long-term success.  As Emma points out, adding an interpersonal approach to learning adds a sustainable element to every lesson. There may be days when a lesson doesn’t particularly engage every student; however, when thinking and teaching aspirationally, you can connect with every student.  About the participants:  Sufian Sadiq is the Director of the Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust, responsible for overseeing two regional Hub areas in the South East of England. Chiltern Teaching Schools are one of the largest providers of CPD to the sector nationally. He is a passionate activist within the educational landscape around race, equity, and inclusion. Sufian is a Fellow and Board Member of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors Fellow. He plays an active role in numerous charitable organizations as a Trustee and holds key governance roles within educational organizations. Follow Sufian on Twitter @unleashing_me Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.

For this episode, special guest Aisha Thomas joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss representation. The conversation focuses on Aisha’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work and expertise in training educators to increase representation, develop inclusive curriculum, and create a framework for anti-racism/anti-prejudice environments. In part one of the episode, Aisha explores how she came to her ideas on why representation matters through stories of her lived experiences, exercises, and pedagogy surrounding DEI. In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses addressing identity in the classroom. This part of the discussion focuses on what students and teachers take into the classroom. Aisha discusses how curriculum, classroom practices, and student engagement can make a difference in students’ value of themselves and their education. About the participants: Aisha Thomas is a teacher, author, speaker, and leader. In September 2016, Aisha became an Assistant Principal at an inner-city secondary school in Bristol. She is also an educational activist specializing in race and anti-racist practice. She founded Representation Matters, an organization dedicated to challenging the lack of representation and inequality in schools. Aisha is the author of Representation Matters: Becoming an anti-racist educator. Follow Aisha on Twitter @itsaishathomas. Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.

For this episode, special guest Sarah Cottingham joins Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss Sarah’s work and expertise in recent research, learning design, retrieval practice, neuroscience, learning schema, and professional development. The conversation begins by exploring Sarah’s explosion onto the educational scene, her beginnings as a teacher, trying different strategies to enhance student learning, her movement into neuroscience, and her work with the Ambition Institute. A primary focus of this conversation is Sarah’s framework for neuroscience and learning which connects cutting-edge research with classroom realism. In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses student learning, existing knowledge, teaching strategies, and professional development.  The episode closes with a discussion on the necessity of time to explore topics. As Sarah explores, self-explanation is essential, and there are hundreds of similar strategies in which you are rehearsing the connection between new content and existing knowledge. Sarah is truly a wealth of neuroscience, learning, and teaching knowledge. About the participants: Sarah Cottingham is a former English educator, researcher, writer, and author. She works as the Associate Dean of Learning Design for the Ambition Institute and is a professional development consultant. She runs the Overpracticed Blog, focusing on memory, retrieval practice, and learning design. She has an ‘In Action’ book with John Catt Educational in production that will be published in 2023.  Follow Sarah on Twitter: @overpractised  Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners, Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.

For this episode, special guest Dylan Wiliam joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss good teaching practices, theories of student learning, and implementation. The conversation begins by exploring the concept of “good teaching.” The trio discusses differentiating good teaching from successful teaching, student engagement, humility, successful teaching strategies, research on the value added of good teaching, and the quality of different assessments. In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses the background of effective learning. A primary focus of this discussion is understanding the purpose of data and the importance of cognitive load theory. A key insight in this conversation is tackling the disparate learning skills of students and how understanding the factors of learning can increase student achievement. The episode closes with a discussion on Dylan's upcoming book, Making Room for Impact: The 9p Deimplementation Guide for Educators, which will publish later this year. The book focuses on how implementation makes way for great teaching and learning. About the participants: Dylan Wiliam is an emeritus professor of educational assessment at the UCL Institute of Education. Dylan’s research and authorship focus on the professional development of teachers. His book, Inside the Black Box, is a seminal work on formative assessment. He has served in various leadership roles in the UK and has written numerous books, articles, and academic papers on development, assessment, and teaching. His most recent book Making Room for Impact: The 9p Deimplementation Guide for Educators, is expected to publish this year. Follow Dylan on Twitter @dylanwiliam Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From 

For this episode, special guest Efrat Furst joins hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss useful learning from a neuroscience perspective. The conversation begins by exploring Efrat’s work at the Mofet Institute- a national institute in Israel that provides teacher training and research for teacher colleges. Efrat’s work at the Mofet Institute builds off her previous work at The Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Jerusalem. Efrat’s specialty is working with educators to teach the science of learning, utilizing her neuroscience background to create change in college, primary, and secondary classrooms. In the second part of the episode, the trio discusses retrieval, effective teaching strategies, and useful learning. A major focus is making the most of learning moments. Efrat points out that the key to creating useful learning in the classroom is figuring out how students learn and building learning habits to ensure they can process, retrieve, and reconcile information. About the participants: Efrat Furst is a cognitive-neuroscientific researcher focusing on human learning and memory. Efrat’s expertise bridges the sciences of learning with teaching and learning in classrooms. Follow Efrat on Twitter @EfratFurst Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners,  Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education, and Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75. Watch this episode of Mind The Gap on edCircuit.

For this episode, special guests Richard Selfridge and James Pembroke join hosts Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner to discuss the effective uses of data. The conversation begins by exploring the context for much of the data practices and initiatives. The beginning of the episode focuses on what Richard and James have seen in the past and how schools & governing bodies have taken the lessons of the past to create the systems in play across education in the UK today. Some topics include the data wave, challenging assumptions, data efficiency, and levels-based data. About the participants: Richard Selfridge is a primary school teacher and writer on education. He has written on education for several publications and has been a speaker at events across the UK. His books Databusting for Schools and Dataproof Your School (co-authored with James Pembroke) look at the purpose and uses of data in education. Follow Richard on Twitter @Databusting. James Pembroke is an independent Data Analyst and Advisor with 14 years of experience in primary, secondary, and post-16 sectors. James is the co-author of Dataproof Your School. He currently works with both Insight Tracking and Sig+, working through educational data and trends. Follow James on Twitter @jpembroke. Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She is the founder of ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers’, a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help to retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75