Dylan Wiliam is my hero. I know this is a big claim, but I think this interview is an absolute must-listen for teachers of all subjects, possibly all humans full-stop. We spoke about feedback, planning, questioning, research, lesson observations, what Dylan wishes he had known when he started teaching, and so much more. I genuinely have listened back to this interview more than 5 times, and I pick up something new on each listen. Thank you Dylan!

For more information about today’s guest, plus links to the websites, resources and ideas they mention, please visit the show notes page: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/dylan-wiliam-author-researcher-trainer-and-assessment-for-learning-expert/ 

The aim of this Research in Action series is to take a look at some of the most innovative research going on in the field of mathematics education, and consider what the implications are for the classroom.

For more information about today’s guest, plus links to the websites, resources and ideas they mention, please visit the show notes page: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/research-in-action-1-language-and-dyscalculia-with-julia-bahnmuller/ 

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various topics related to teaching and professional development. They touch on the importance of aligning pedagogy in schools and the potential benefits and drawbacks of co-constructing instructional practices. They also discuss effective strategies for delivering CPD, including cold calling participants and switching partners during activities. Craig shares his takeaways from attending CPD sessions by Doug Lemov and from Ollie's conversation with Harry Fletcher-Wood. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of thoughtful and intentional approaches to teaching and professional development. In this part of the conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss the importance of effective training and the role of habits in learning. They also explore the power of writing as a tool for participation and reflection. They highlight the need for visible writing to facilitate discussion and the benefits of rewriting to deepen understanding. They also discuss the importance of pushing conversations to a higher level to uncover underlying beliefs and assumptions. Finally, they reflect on the challenges of one-off PD sessions and the value of distilling wisdom into actionable takeaways. You can view the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-14

Time-stamps:

1. Should school teaching and learning playbooks be constructed? (07:54)
2. Reflections on Doug Lemov CPD (29:17)
3. Effective training focusses on developing habits (44:08)
4. The power of writing (59:01)
5. During tricky conversations, push to a higher level (1:08:43)
6. The importance (and perils) of models during CPD (1:22:04)

In an experimental episode, I asked 50+ of my favourite people one question: “what did you learn this year?”. You will hear from the likes of Dylan William, Andrew Smith, Katharine Birbalsingh, Claire Sealy, Andrew Percival, Dan Meyer, and many others talking all things from feedback, work-life balance, signalling, metacognition, working abroad, and everything in between. A must listen for teachers of all subjects and age groups.

For more information about today’s guest, plus links to the websites, resources and ideas they mention, please visit the show notes page: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/slice-of-advice-what-did-you-learn-this-year/ 

Join Jo Morgan (@mathsjem) and I as we reflect on what we learned from Day 3 of the Mathematical Association 2021 virtual conference, discussing topics such as:

• Colin Foster’s brilliant opening keynote about what it means to “understand” something
• Angles as a measure of turn
• TIMMS data
• Good tasks and how to adapt them
• And more!

You can access all the links on the episode show notes page here: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/conference-takeaways-mathematical-association-conference-2021-day-3/