Essential Ingredients for a Well Organised Classroom

When I'm observing in classrooms I notice 'pressure points'. These are often the areas where resources are stored and children will be sent to collect items. I'm all for encouraging them to be independent and to develop the skills required to get themselves ready to begin a task, but these areas can often cause problems. … Continue reading Essential Ingredients for a Well Organised Classroom →

The Importance of Connections in the Classroom

Have a think for a moment about the children who find it difficult to manage in your classroom. What do you know about them? What do they have in common with you? What connections do you have with them? Think about those pupils who coast their way through the year without any issues. They're normally … Continue reading The Importance of Connections in the Classroom →

‘When you have… then you can’ – using specific language to get your own way!

So often we use the phrase like 'If you don't finish your work, you can't go out to play'. This creates confrontation. The child processes the 'you can't go out to play' part and reacts, quite understandably, to having the part of the day that they might most enjoy being taken away from them. Far … Continue reading ‘When you have… then you can’ – using specific language to get your own way! →