Watts Michael

@_AhmadHijazi The key here is the culture that is set. If you teach students the subject language, model it's use and do lots of practice then they can become brilliant at peer/self assessment and feedback. Once they love doing this it mostly will not matter whether it's for a test or not.

" Squares and circles and lines and shapes appeared, and they draw the earths and heavens. Many doors appeared, with their own guards.. Matter and spirit, and angels and demons, appeared.. " Fractions | The Mask is the World ahijazi.website/the-mask-is-th…

@grahamchatterl2 @smithsmm Balance is right and has been the theme of my morning! Differentiation. Display. Ringing parents. Theory vs. practice. Not one or the other. Get the balance correct.

@M80405Watts @smithsmm There needs to be balance, we have real problems with disconnection between school and home, things are more disconnected than ever and less human interaction isn't a solution

Are we really trying to create outrage about 6 minutes per day? What am I missing here?

@SoLInTheWild The worrying thing is I had new teacher after new teacher come to me who had been taught in ITT to do just this! They had been taught (if you can call it that) like this at school too. Terrifying.

This is a classic “learning styles” dog whistle you see tied to choice and choice boards. What students enjoy shouldn’t dictate how they show and demonstrate learning. Our expert decisions about content should. Proponents will say this removes barriers to learning. What barrier is actually being removed by preference-based choice? And what new barriers are we creating? When we give students choice, we often let them opt out of important cognitive processes in favor of what they enjoy. I wrote up my thoughts—the right move is integration, not selection. 👇🔗

@adamboxer1 SIMPLY ACE. A triumph and vital for ALL staff to learn. Scanning, movement while still facing the class, whispered help and the little smile are helping to make these rooms a great learning environment. The power of quality classroom management. Spread the word!! Transformative.

I loved this post from Carl when I read it, and went into our footage to find examples. Check out the video here, and note the way the teachers try to keep their heads up and looking around the room. There's two aspects to that in these videos: 1. A general dispositions of looking around constantly 2. An increased emphasis on it immediately after responding to disruption (of any kind) A lot of the research focuses on teachers who have been doing this for years. It observes them, sees what they are doing, and describes it. But often the vibe is that they do it naturally, that their experience has just sort of led them to acting in a certain way. I think for many that might be right, but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that strategies like this can be taught and assimilated rapidly. For example, in this video Abi was in her ECT year, but has the "gaze" of a teacher with 10 years more experience than her. Great teaching isn't a mystery or a secret. It can be noticed, disassembled, communicated and implemented.

@DrBradJohnson All these things apply to the teachers too!! They need rest during the school day.

Kind of important.

@smithsmm @grahamchatterl2 Our profession is obsessed with phoning parents! They're times when it's necessary but we're in the 21st century. A well written email/text is quicker. More parent contact and less wasted time listening to phones ring and calling back! Parents often thanked me for quick replies.

@grahamchatterl2 Spend considerably more than every day, either on on phone or face to face, for those parents often that time that connection is the thing that makes a real difference. As a head that part of my work makes it a lot easier for teachers and staff. It’s part of developing trust…

@KTG_1990 I will give you a tiny example. A student made me a great A3 there/their/they're poster many years ago as a present. Thousands of students got that right because it was there year after year and students reminded about it. Great student, great learning poster.

We don't have posters and displays in our classrooms for this reason. They increase distraction and cognitive load. Asking teachers to spend time making displays is time they could be creating lessons and feedback. Displays making is an utter waste of time.

@KTG_1990 Why are we so obsessed about one thing or the other in our profession? You can have both. If what is on your walls is limited and you use it as part of the student's learning all the time then display is great. Too much a total no no!! Review them once a year. Remove if not used.

@FifiDeLyonBliss You can only do this for so long before you burn out. You will not be able to have your whole career doing that. Cut your workload subtly without your leaders noticing! Trust me if you are doing a great job they will never notice. That's how people like me had a 27 year career!

In France it is the same.

@WeinsteinEdu Too simplistic. Teach the same lesson but use lots of subtle differentiation. For example, differentiated questioning. Know students. Ask questions that stretch/challenge/check their learning. Student/teacher works out what to do next. Powerful. 15 different resources! Nuts!

Do you agree?

@HelpfulTeacher_ One type of differentiation is vital. Differentiated questioning! Know students inside out and you can ask questions that stretch and challenge/reassure or check their learning and allow you and them to work out what to do next. Builds their confidence too. Helps kids to fly.

You know what doesn't work? Differentiation Recent studies show no noticeable gains, especially compared to simple classwide explicit instruction It spreads teachers thin, drives burnout It's a buzzword backed by popcorn science So scrap it. And simplify #differentiation

@HelpATeacher The basic thought here is correct. However, I have experienced over mycareer so many teachers that do not want to do the basics day in day out and then suffer as a result. If you don't do the hard yards in our game, whatever the leader ship are doing, you will find it very hard.

Truth.

@FixingEducation NEVER WORK IN THE HOLIDAYS. GO HOME AT A REASONABLE TIME. IF YOU ARE GIVEN MORE TO DO WITH NO MORE TIME TO DO IT STOP DOING SOMETHING ELSE YOU ARE DOING AT THE MOMENT. Hard but effective!

Educators…name something that has massively improved your mental health.

@LauraTrottMP Hi Laura. As a member of the Conservative party and an RE teacher for 27 years his treatment is outrageous but I never did such a thing. No need. Explain to students why Muslims are offended by it. Discuss with them if this is right. No need to show a picture. Result achieved.

5 years ago today, hundreds of Islamists gathered outside Batley Grammar School after a teacher showed a picture of the Prophet Muhammad in a lesson. He was threatened & forced into hiding. 5 years on he is sadly STILL in hiding. This is appalling. We must fight for free speech.

@TolentinoTeach I see where you are coming from but for new teachers modelling how to manage a classroom is a great method as long as you explain what you are doing. I watched a guy called Andy Buck in the UK model fa classroom management to a room with a 1000 people in it once. Inspirational.

Can we please stop “modeling” classroom strategies during professional development as if teachers are students in the room? Do we really need to find our “sole partner,” complete another icebreaker, and pretend we’re in a simulated lesson?

@New_Old_Paul @Educhatter One of the beauties of a text book is that students don't just look at the text you are studying. Lost count of times when you see them looking at a historical source in some other part of the page or discussing a graph or chart with their neighbour. Never get that with a screen!

Children and Screens: It is Time to Bring Back the Textbook? A great editorial AND call to action by Paul W. Bennett @Educhatter educhatter.wordpress.com/2026/03/24/chi…

@WeinsteinEdu Brad it's knackering! Used to come home looking like a dirty shirt! However, what a rewarding profession. We transform lives. Only tip I have is DON'T WORK IN THE HOLIDAYS. No Easter revision sessions. Rest. Recharge. Spend time with those you love. You've earned it.

One of the hardest parts of being an educator is the lack of downtime. You have to be on all day long. This is mentally and physically draining.

@RogersHistory Its sad but you're right. Why cannot we be brave about what's right? We teach the kids about MLK but accept unfairness to us. Colleagues. Say no! Teachers are in short supply. No-one will sack you in the UK if you are brave enough and good enough. It will be tough but worth it.

Imagine for a second being a class teacher in a school or trust where the top ppl produce a constant stream of promotional content around inclusion, belonging, equity and relational practice.... but you can hardly teach a single lesson without insane disruption, you have to put up with children being abusive to you on the daily and you can’t find anyone to action anything on your behalf cos they are too busy doing PR. That’s just behaviour, imagine the same formula on workload - reading articles and hearing talks about wellbeing whilst you as a teacher inside the same organsiation are buried in long hours driven by silly policies or just plain delusion. Too much posturing and fakery around if you ask me and a huge disconnect between teaching/learning experience and social propaganda. It's probably always been this way to some extent, but the way social media is going, especially with the growth of sites like Linkedin, things are getting out of control.

@JamesAFurey Too right. No need. Work out what the strengths and weaknesses are from the first test and fill those knowledge and skills gaps with lots of practice in class. When they practise questions and tasks in class they can get direction, peer help and feedback. Confidence building.

Similarly, I’ve eliminated all test re-takes. I used to have students, before taking the quiz, request a retake because they “didn’t have the time to study last night.” If you have a test retake policy you encourage students to pick and choose which ones they’ll work for and which they’ll put off. Absolutely no. Take the time to prepare the first time, give your best effort, and stop relying on the kindness of your teachers to help you finagle your way to a better grade. Much better lessons learned from this.

@DanaPalubiak Too right. Wonder how many schools have 2 mock exam weeks for their year 11 GCSE students when the second, often as late as March when exams start in May, could be used in class to consolidate all the knowledge and skills the students need. Weighing a pig does not fatten it up!

One thing teachers rarely calculate: How many hours a year are spent testing. Diagnostics. Benchmarks. Pre-tests. Post-tests. Imagine if even half that time went to reading, writing, and discussion.