Tooled Up founder Dr Weston is joined by English teacher and examiner, Patrick Cragg, and Debi Roberts, CEO of suicide prevention charity, The OLLIE Foundation. Together, they discuss the prevalence of the theme of suicide and other mature themes in GCSE texts and how teachers can approach these sensitively.
In this interview, Professor Mina Fazel talks to Dr Weston about supporting displaced children once they are in a place of refuge. Listen now to find out about the crucial importance of a sense of belonging and how the outcomes of these children are dramatically improved if they are able to form natural social connections. Teachers and school staff can learn some top tips on supporting the mental health of refugee (and in fact all) children in the classroom. Professor Fazel also points us in the direction of some helpful further resources.
This document was produced in response to a request from teachers for guidance in the handling of sensitive topics in Of Mice and Men. We hope it helps!
This short questionnaire, devised by Professor David Putwain and colleagues, was developed to measure test or examination anxiety in populations of secondary school students, aged 11 to 19 years. It is intended for use by school practitioners (such as teachers, school pastoral and support staff, educational and school psychologists, and school counsellors) and others who wish to identify highly test anxious students who may benefit from support or intervention, or to evaluate changes in test anxiety before and after intervention.
This user’s manual was produced by Professor David Putwain and colleagues to accompany the MTAS questionnaire, which measures test or examination anxiety in populations of secondary school students, aged 11 to 19 years. It is intended for use by school practitioners (such as teachers, school pastoral and support staff, educational and school psychologists, and school counsellors) and others who wish to identify highly test anxious students who may benefit from support or intervention, or to evaluate changes in test anxiety before and after intervention.
This short questionnaire, devised by Professor David Putwain and colleagues, was developed to measure the perceived frequency that teachers use fear appeals (warning students of the consequences of failure) prior to a high-stakes examination and their appraisal by students as either a challenge or a threat. When used to survey student opinions, it can give teachers a sense of the impact of their messages and reveal how specific individuals are responding.
In this podcast interview, Dr Weston talks with Professor Deirdre Butler and Dr Paula Lehane about how Minecraft: Education Edition is being used in classrooms. They discuss the great potential of so called ‘sandbox’ games in children’s learning, outline current gaps in the research evidence and provide useful tips for any teachers wanting to make the most of game-based learning.
Greek teacher, David Bowker, gives us the lowdown on how the names of much of the food and produce that we buy today have roots in Latin and Ancient Greek. He also gives us lots of fun facts about the diets of Romans. Perfect for both adults and children to read, this article, which includes suggestions for follow up resources, will help make those boring trips to the supermarket that little bit more interesting.
Join researcher Gemma Goldenberg in this webinar, which explores the impact of noise on children’s learning. Valuable to all school staff, Gemma outlines the research evidence and gives some top tips for classroom practice.
Researcher of the month, Dr Éadaoin Slattery, discusses her recent paper, which systematically reviews the evidence around popular sustained attention training interventions, which are widely used in schools. She talks us through what sustained attention is, why it is important and whether or not widely used interventions are likely to have a significant impact. We’ve probably all heard of brain training, but here Dr Slattery also talks us through some other kinds of interventions, which potentially show more promise.
