The Teaching Space

This episode is kindly sponsored by Loop - find out more about Loop by going to loophq.io/theteachingspace. Highlights About Joanne (00:45) What is coaching? (01:51) What are some of the different types of coaching? (03:33) The spectrum of approaches to coaching (05:40) What is the difference between teaching and coaching? (06:35) Tips for using coaching with students (09:52) Tip 1: plan your questions (10:45) Tip 2: identify the opportunities to ask coaching questions (13:26) Tip 3: recognise that you, as a coach, are constantly developing a skill (15:57) Top tips for using coaching with colleagues and peers (21:00) Tip 1: clarity the purpose of and approach to the conversation (21:15) Tip 2: prepare yourself physically and mentally for your coaching conversation (23:21) Tip 3: follow up and keep momentum (26:06) The coaching skillset (28:51) Find Joanne online - links below (35:21) Wrap Up (36:18) I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. If you’d like to discuss coaching furth

This episode is kindly sponsored by Loop - find out more about Loop by going to loophq.io/theteachingspace. Highlights Create boundaries (03:44) around email such as: Time (when do you manage your emails?) (04:00) Access (where do you manage emails?) (06:20) Notifications (09:43) Length (five sentences)(11:55) Decide who is in control (13:23). Manage the expectations of those around you (15:41). Select the right tool for the job; your inbox is a temporary home, not a to-do list or filing cabinet (17:00). Wrap Up (19:34) If you are interested in achieving inbox zero either search The Teaching Space website or check out: https://www.theteachingspace.com/shop/achieve-inbox-zero

Highlights About Mark (01:05). What the word “teacherpreneur” means to Mark (03:41). Martine explains that no one is expected to be a teacherpreneur - being a teacher is a huge job - this is an approach that might suit some (04:19). How Mark developed his portfolio career (05:23). How being a teacherpreneur is an alternative career direction in education (06:34). Examples of “dipping your toe in the water” of being a teacherpreneur (07:58). Working with others to recognise your unique skills and systems (08:45). Solving problems for others could be a product or service (10:45). A word of caution if you are an employed person (11:53). Martine and Mark’s experience of being employed and stepping into “teacherpreneur-ism” (!)(12:47). The challenges teachepreneurs can face (15:23). Mark’s approach to managing time (18:18). The importance of using a calendar as part of your productivity toolkit (21:22). Parkinson’s Law (23:00). Martine’s summer break exercise routine (23:27). Top tips for teachers considering sta

Highlights Welcome (00:18) Welcome to The Teaching Space podcast. Thanks for joining me for episode 101; the first episode of season three. In today’s episode I will look back on season two and highlight the “best bits” as well as explaining to you the plan for season three which is largely based on feedback from you, my listeners. Season Two Best Bits (02:35) The first episode was 15 December 2017. There were no “seasons” then. Season two spanned episodes 64 to 100, so I called episodes one to 63 season one. Season two’s best bits included: Episode 65: Using Batching to be a Productive Teacher or Trainer (using podcast planning and marking as an example). Episode 66: The Power of Sticky Notes (including the history of the humble sticky note and seven ways you can use them in your classroom). Episode 67: Seven Ways to Simplify Your Life Outside Work (including wardrobe, paying bills, meals, batching, saying no, calendar planning and household chores). Episode 75: 5 More Ways Teachers and Trainers Can Improve

To read a full transcript of this interview, go to theteachingspace.com/100.

Episode 99 of The Teaching Space Podcast explores five methods for recording verbal feedback to students. Introduction As we know, feedback is an essential tool for formative assessment, and verbal feedback can be particularly powerful. However, sometimes, it is just not possible to provide verbal feedback at the right time. However, there are a variety of tools available that help you record verbal feedback and share it after the fact. Except for the first suggestion, you will need a pair of headphones with a mic attached to use these tools (or a separate pair of headphones and a mic). Your school or college will hopefully be able to provide these. Phone App Depending on your students and your organisation's safeguarding and e-safety policies, one of the most accessible tools for recording feedback is a mobile phone. Most mobiles have a native audio recording app. If you use yours, you can share the audio with the student afterwards (this is a little clunky as you will have to get it off your phone and into

Episode 98 of The Teaching Space Podcast revisits time blocking and why it is an essential strategy for teachers and trainers. Introduction Episode 62 of the podcast introduced the idea of time blocking. Here’s how I described it in that episode: "There are probably lots of different definitions, but for me, it is planning every single 15-minute block of my day (this includes rest, breaks etc.). Every. Single. Thing. Goes. On. The. Calendar." The idea being that if something is on the calendar, it gets done. I went on to explain my Google Calendar approach (if you have not listened to the episode, it would be a great idea to do so, to get a feel for what I was doing then and what I am doing now). Incidentally, time blocking can be done using a paper calendar very easily, so please don't be put off by my regular references to Google Calendar. Also, if you use Outlook, it is easy to use colour coding to differentiate between time blocks and other specifically scheduled activities. Not Just a Strategy for When Y

Episode 97 of The Teaching Space Podcast shares three fantastic Chrome extensions for teachers and trainers. Introduction Oh I love a useful Chrome extension (when I remember they are there!) On the off chance you have never used a Chrome extension, I'll give you Google Chrome's definition: "Extensions are small software programs that customize the browsing experience. They enable users to tailor Chrome functionality and behavior to individual needs or preferences. They are built on web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. An extension must fulfill a single purpose that is narrowly defined and easy to understand. A single extension can include multiple components and a range of functionality, as long as everything contributes towards a common purpose." (What are extensions? - Google Chrome, 2020) Here are three of my favourites which have been getting a lot of use, lately. They are Toby, Loom and Grammarly. Toby I have just started using Toby, and I think it could be a game-changing Chrome exten

Episode 96 of The Teaching Space Podcast is a review of my current productivity toolkit in 2020. Introduction I make no secret that I love productivity tools and change my setup from time-to-time. This episode is a follow on to episode 59. In that episode I mentioned five apps: Todoist, Google Calendar, Notion, Forest and Ulysses. I will start by updating you on where I am with these apps, and then share additions to my toolkit. Todoist This is the biggest change - I no longer use Todoist as my task manager. I switched to TickTick some time ago; right after I interviewed Francesco D’Alessio actually. He highlighted some elements of TickTick that I might like. He was right, and I have been a TickTick fan ever since! Initially I joined TickTick because I liked their calendar view. Ironically, I don't use that anymore, and their features are quite similar to Todoist. If you are unsure about which to choose between the two, they are both very solid task management apps. This review appears current and balanced.

Episode 95 of The Teaching Space Podcast explores three noise-cancelling apps and websites. Introduction I am sensitive to noise and get distracted easily by sounds. This, of course, can have a massive effect on my productivity and focus. Over the years, I have realised the importance of carrying headphones with me everywhere. Currently I am enjoying Apple’s latest invention - AirPods Pro. Of course, the only downside of earbuds is that my hair hides them! Sometimes you want people to know that you are in focus mode. That's where over-ear headphones are great. They send a message. I am yet to find a pair of over-ear headphones with sufficient noise cancellation - if you can recommend anything, please let me know. Ideally, I want something that folds up so it can live in my bag. As well as regularly using headphones, I also play music or sounds to help me focus. In this episode, I am going to share three options with you. Noisli Name: Noisli Link: https://www.noisli.com/ About: Focusses specifically on maskin

Episode 94 of The Teaching Space Podcast shares three tips for an organised Google Classroom. Introduction I wouldn't usually focus on a single tool that you might or might use for a podcast; however, I think the ideas behind these tips can apply to other tools in a more general sense, so I hope they are helpful. I am dealing with some concepts that will likely be communicated better visually so please pop over to the show notes to see some annotated screenshots: theteachingspace.com/94. Tip One: Organise Your Classwork Area Your Classwork area is where all your resources for lessons are stored, along with assignments and tasks. This area must be straightforward for students to navigate. Here are some tips: Decide on your structure in advance (weeks, units, lessons?) and use topics as headers. Use capital letters consistently for visual consistency. Name topics and containers for resources consistently (e.g. UNIT 301 > SESSION 1 > HOMEWORK). Use emoji to group elements together. Tip Two: Tidy Up the Stream

Episode 93 of The Teaching Space Podcast looks at what makes a successful video conference call. Introduction This episode has been inspired by the recent increase in video calls I've experienced as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. While I certainly don't profess to be an expert video call host or participant, I realised early on that I'd had a bit more experience than some in this area. I thought it would be useful to compile and share some top tips for a successful call. I'll start with general tips then focus on a few student-specific issues. Please remember, I teach adults, but I will touch briefly on general child protection issues Tools This is not an episode about tools but it would be remiss not to mention The Big Three I’ve used lately, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Because my experience is mostly with Google, I’m not going to do a comparison as it would be biased. I just have a few things to mention though: Google recently increased access to their premium Meet options allowing users to re

Episode 92 of The Teaching Space Podcast is about my approach to running an online class. Introduction I am recording this episode in April 2020 while Guernsey is locked down in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Because I bulk record my episodes, you will be listening to this in the future. I hope that life has got back to some semblance of normal now, but I suspect things won't ever be the same again. This episode, and the next few that follow, are inspired by my personal experience of teaching classes remotely from my office at home. Context It's essential I am clear on my context, because with it, comes some privilege - particularly concerning the resources I can access. What I don't want to happen is for you to listen to this and think "this is how I need to work now" because it might not be right for you. Anything I share on the podcast must be considered in your context (students, workload, subject, resources etc) before you decided to try things out. One of the main points of this show is to help you ac

Episode 91 of The Teaching Space Podcast explains my number one productivity tip for teachers and trainers. Introduction Let’s talk about the biggest challenge facing teachers today - too much to do and not enough time. There is so much information in a teacher’s head at any one time, it is amazing anything gets done. I wish this wasn’t the case, but I strongly believe it is. It is one of the reasons I started this podcast. While I wish I could go to the root of the problem and fix it (that’s a topic for another podcast) what I would like to do in this episode is share just one tip to help you keep on top of that enormous workload. And it is a good tip, I promise. Perhaps, I will throw in some bonus resources too if we have time… let’s see! The Solution While this will not solve all of your problems, it is, I believe, the starting point for being a productive teacher. Full disclosure, it is not entirely my idea. I stole it from David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done productivity method (definitely wo

Episode 90 of The Teaching Space Podcast attempts to answer this question: should I start a teaching blog? Introduction I’m often asked where I get ideas for podcast episodes (which, 90 episodes in, is a fair question!) My favourite episodes are those that answer questions I am asked. This episode is one of those. A colleague asked me if they should start a teaching blog; I have recorded this response. The short answer is YES as more voices are needed in the online teaching community. We lack diversity. My colleague, of course, works in further education, so this is an area in particular that would benefit from more voices. But I would encourage anyone who thinks they might have something to say to start writing (notice I am not saying ‘start a blog’ yet!) This episode will look at writing in a more general sense before digging into blogging so there will be something for everyone. It All Starts With Writing One of my favourite business podcasts is the Seanwes podcast; I have listened for years. One of Sean’s

Episode 89 of The Teaching Space Podcast explores the use of mind maps for teachers, trainers and students. Introduction There’s a lot of buzz about graphic organisers at the moment (also known as concept maps and knowledge organisers). And rightly so, they are an amazing way for students and teachers alike to chunk up aspects of a subject and make connections between themes and ideas. If you Google ‘graphic organisers’ you’ll find a range of templates from simple to complex. Oliver Caviglioli has some great templates and examples. I’d like to go back to basics on this particular theme and focus on the one graphic organiser layout I know you will have used at one point before: the mind map. What is a Mind Map? It’s a map of information. You start with a central topic or theme and then you branch out into a map that looks like a cross between a spider’s web and a train map. I have planned this podcast episode using a mind map - check out the show notes to see it. A mind map is a visual or graphic way of ‘chunk

Here's a word for word transcript of the episode: Introduction ------------ Hello. It's Martine here. Welcome to the Teaching Space podcast. This is a special episode. It doesn't have a number so hopefully that won't be too confusing when it comes to looking at your list of episodes. I wanted to record a special episode today and the date is Friday, the 3rd of April. I'll be releasing this episode today as well. I don't normally tell you the date that I'm recording because I bulk record my episodes and make no apology for that. It's a very efficient way for me to work. The plus side is it means that I'm able to get out a weekly podcast episode to you during term time. The downside of course is that when something major happens, it's often quite hard for me to give a timely comment, certainly through the medium of the podcast because I'm usually a month or six weeks ahead of myself. Why I am Recording Today ------------------------ However, we are living in very strange times and I thought it would be rude of

Episode 88 of The Teaching Space Podcast explains my method for reading and taking notes on a journal article. Introduction At the time of recording, I am about half way through my first year of a Master’s in Education (listen to episode 80 if you would like to hear more about this). Something I really struggled with at the start, but is now starting to get a little easier, is reading and making notes on journal articles. In this episode, I will share my approach. This might well be something I make a video about in the future if anyone would be interested. This episode is a follow up to episode 83 where I share some of my favourite note taking apps. Definitely check out the show notes for this episode. Tools I Use iPad Pro Apple Pencil GoodNotes app for iPad and desktop OneNote (on desktop usually, but sometimes the iPad app) Document Storage All PDF documents are added to my GoodNotes app for reading on my iPad. We also have a digital textbook for the course; I download extracts from that as PDFs and add

Episode 87 of The Teaching Space Podcast explores yoga as a tool for wellbeing for teachers and trainers. Introduction Honestly, I have been unsure about recording this episode because there has, in the past, been negative chat in the community about educational organisations introducing a yoga initiative as a bit of a coverup for other issues. For example ‘workloads are too high; let’s put on a yoga class’… type thing. That’s not what this episode is about. And for the avoidance of doubt, I don’t think yoga should be classed as a form of compulsory professional development or used as a sticking plaster ☺️ My perspective is simply this: yoga, for some, is a great tool for building not only physical strength, but mental strength. It’s had a really positive effect on me so I thought I’d share it with you. What is Yoga There are lots of different definitions of yoga, but I’ve opted for this practical one from the NHS website: ‘Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathin

Episode 86 of The Teaching Space Podcast explores 5 more ways teachers can mark faster and smarter. Introduction This episode is a follow up to podcast episode 6 in which we looked at: Feedback abbreviations Feedback database Rubrics Peer and self-assessment Video feedback 1. Work Less Than Your Students The idea of marking so you work less than your students is inspired by a blog post I read on Teacher Toolkit. It’s not a tool as such, it is more of a mindset, and will, of course, be dictated by your students’ specific needs. However, ask yourself honestly, do you do too much when you mark? Any example could be as simple as correcting spellings. Rather than correct them, perhaps highlight the word in a specific colour and ensure the student knows that colour means ‘spelling error, please correct’. You might have a colour code. It might be you highlight a paragraph, rather than the word, so the student works harder. On a similar theme (bear in mind I teach adults), when I receive a typed assignment that has