Tag Archives: explanation

Recovery teaching – best bets

Posted on September 8, 2020 by classteaching

Our whole school INSET was more focused on operational matters than it has been for some years. As a teaching and learning team we are lucky at Durrington that we are generally given top billing for any INSET time, and … Continue reading →

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Explanation Made Easy

Posted on January 15, 2019 by classteaching

As part of a series of blogs focused on Durrington’s six teaching principles, this piece deals with the underpinning principle of explanation.  It marries with James Crane’s blog on the Durrington Research School website. According to the Collins English Dictionary ‘if you give … Continue reading →

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Explanation – researchED Kent 2018

Posted on December 2, 2018 by classteaching

On Saturday Andy Tharby was at researchED Kent. Andy was talking about his new book ‘How to explain absolutely anything to absolutely anyone: The art and science of teacher explanation’. Here are the slides from his talk:

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Why Modelling?

Posted on May 18, 2017 by classteaching

Tonight’s 15 minute forum was led by our Director of Science, Steph Temple.  Steph started the session by apologising for her powerpoint and saying that she wasn’t much of a powerpoint person…which probably explains why she was leading this session! … Continue reading →

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Why playdough is not the way forward when teaching geography

Posted on May 17, 2017 by classteaching

Many thanks to Durrington geography teacher Hannah Townsend for this post, where she reflects on the importance of challenge and high expectations in KS3. * I recently read a post on a GCSE geography teachers’ forum asking for advice about how … Continue reading →

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Powerpoint – to use or not to use?

Posted on March 27, 2017 by classteaching

The educational twittershpere can be a very strange place.  Over the weekend there was a flurry of discussion about powerpoint – whether it was useful or not for teachers.  Who would have thought that powerpoint could bring about such a passionate response…especially on the first … Continue reading →

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Spinning a pedagogical yarn: the role of storytelling in the classroom

Posted on May 21, 2015 by classteaching

  The 15 minute forum tonigh was led by Andy Tharby. Andy started by sharing 3 principles for good teacher explanation: New knowledge should be linked to existing knowledge Ideas should be introduced in clear steps Abstract ideas are made simple and concrete in … Continue reading →

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Straddling in Science

Posted on October 11, 2014 by classteaching

As a science teacher, it’s not always easy to put into practice what we know is important in terms of effective learning.  We know the importance of repetition and regular practice, but with a content heavy subject and limited curriculum … Continue reading →

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Getting Great

Posted on July 17, 2014 by classteaching

Teaching is a creative profession, and at DHS we want our teachers to be innovative and excited about what they do – not stifled by an overly prescriptive approach to teaching.  We want teachers to takes risks and try new … Continue reading →

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Excellence Visits

Posted on March 22, 2014 by classteaching

Over the last few weeks members of the SLT visited the lessons of some of our most successful departments.  We decided to take a rather different approach to how we usually do things like this.  Rather than the usual ‘Department … Continue reading →

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