Outstanding Teaching in a Primary School Classroom

By Andrew Crossland

Outstanding teaching in the primary classroom is a direct outcome of outstanding learning. This book will propel class teachers towards the category of being an outstanding practitioner on a day to day basis. This book has been written as a product of my own journey to being an outstanding teacher. It is the key focus of this book to expedite a teacher's progress paving the way for rapid professional development. This book is full of strategies, methodologies and ideas which will furnish the reader with a powerful tool box of real world skills to promote outstanding learning in all children. A must read for all aspiring and current primary school teachers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Crossland
• Release date: Dec 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311336002

Andrew Crossland

I am a primary school teacher based in the North of England. I have spent over ten years developing my career as an outstanding teacher.

Book preview

Introduction

The quest of every teacher, new or old, is to become the most effective he or she can be in the professional arena. It is the intention of this book to provide a route map which will effectively increase the chances of outstanding classroom practice being achieved and maintained. Every individual entering the profession of teaching has the potential to become an effective classroom practitioner. For some, who have a natural talent for the profession, the journey will be expedited by natural flair and creativity. For others, the process will require extra effort; a commitment of drive and determination to overcome obstacles and challenges along the way. This book has been written as a tool box of strategies and methodologies which will maximise the chances that you too can achieve the wholly grail of outstanding teacher status.

Being an outstanding teacher is the product of securing outstanding learning by all children in your classroom. If you can promote and facilitate outstanding learning in the classroom and achieve said learning, then you have just become an outstanding teacher! All children need to make rapid progress from the beginning of the lesson to the conclusion of the lesson. Achieving the outcome of rapid progress takes a fastidious approach to many of the core areas of teaching: planning, organisation, behaviour management and learning. This book will furnish the reader with tried and tested classroom strategies which will propel a practitioner towards outstanding teacher status.

Table of Contents

1. Relationships

2. Planning

3. Learning objectives and success criteria

4. Assessment for Learning

5. Classroom Management

6. Differentiation

7. Questioning

8. Starters and plenaries

9. Breaking up learning

10. Teaching Assistants (TAs), Learning Support Assistant (LSA) and Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs)

11. Self-evaluation and continuing professional development

12. The outstanding teacher

13. Helpful websites to promote learning

1. Relationships

Building positive relationships in the classroom is a fundamental part of developing a community of outstanding learning and thus outstanding teaching. At the beginning of term, it will be important to get to know the ins and outs of the children in your classroom. At this point there are two ports of call to check in with. First being the previous class teacher who will be a font of information and insights into the internal workings of your up and coming cohort. Remember, this teacher will have tried and tested many methods in order to achieve optimum learning in the classroom and will have an in depth knowledge of how certain children respond to certain teaching styles. What type of learners are they? What are their barriers to learning? How do they respond to certain behaviour modification strategies? In addition, the Special Education Needs (SEN) file is a priority read in order to be fully aware of the potential barriers to learning of children coming into your class. Do any children have sight problems which will necessitate a tactical seating position in the classroom? Are there any children with autism and what are their learning needs? Do you need to make provision for children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia or any other myriad of learning needs? Failure to make effective provision for children with special education needs will inevitably lead to poor classroom relations. Most of the time poor relationships between teachers and students are a product of not meeting the needs of the learners in the classroom.

Expecting high standards from learners within your classroom from the very beginning of their learning experience is crucial to later developing outstanding learning. Building strong relationships is a complex and time consuming activity, but well worth it in the long run. Relationships are promoted through the assertive application of fairness, consistency and genuineness. Effective relationships empower the teacher to develop outstanding classroom behaviour which will then create outstanding learning. In most classrooms from the beginning of the academic year the teacher will have children who seemingly conspire to disrupt the goal of creating an optimum learning environment. In these cases it is through building relationships in the presence of fairness, assertiveness and consistency that a teacher can facilitate behavioural change.

Tips: building relationships

Welcome the children each morning they enter the classroom.

Ensure children know the class rules and expectations.

Find out each child’s likes, dislikes, family background and friends.

Develop a clam and considerate learning environment.

Engage with children in corridors and the playground.