Joao Sobral

Why education can never be fun Proven with maths

This is a fascinating read! I found it very compelling and it rings true to my experience as a teacher.

'In the Kitchen.' (1961) Reginald Brill's fascination with people led to him closely studying the human form and everyday activities. His recognition faded after his death in comparison to his contemporaries; only now is he beginning to receive the attention his work is due.

There would be no debate…

None of Morandi's pictures are simple once you start to think how they were made. Once you get beyond simple admiration of his skill you start to wonder about him working in his bedroom and living with his sisters in a flat in Bologna, and how he produced purity of form like this.

As usual, Bruce is spot on in this article. Not only that, he is also incredibly clear and thorough at the same time.

I love the 3 principles he presents here: 1. Thinking is the key to learning; 2. One-off thinking is rarely enough; 3. Never assume learning is happening - generate evidence.

The podcast If Books Could Kill did an episode on The Anxious Generation - worth listening to. Like you, I also instantly connected with some of his ideas, phones are definitely a big problem in schools right now. But good to see his arguments unpicked and understand where they’re coming from

I love these posts from Richard Morris @ahistoryinart.bsky.social - highly recommended to anyone with an interest in expressive arts

“What would actually help is moving away from rigid gender scripts altogether.” - absolutely. But we seem so far from that reality…

A great response (concise and clear) to some of the most common criticisms often presented against the Science of Learning.

Great podcast indeed!

This sounds very pertinent at the moment…

Very interesting episode!

Reading through Madeline Hunter’s books from the 60s and 70s. Fantastic stuff. Her whole focus is on teacher decision making and that effective instructional design as not just a means of better learning for students but also as a means of ensuring teachers didn’t have excessive workload.

And since I’m an Art teacher talking about books on International Women’s Day, here’s another recommendation…

Word Book Day was a couple of days ago but books are such a great tool for Professional Learning that we should celebrate them everyday. Here are some of my most recent acquisitions…

As an Art & Design teacher, having to teach and even plan lessons for Science, RMPS, Numeracy or CDT made me approach lesson planning and teaching in slightly new ways. And it gave me opportunities to further develop skills like clear explanations and questioning, for example.

One of the best things I’ve taken from my time working as a Supply Teacher right after my NQT year was experiencing different contexts. Different schools, departments, classrooms, and different subjects. Ultimately, it made me more knowledgeable, confident, and able to adapt and respond quickly.

Memory is the residue of thought: “one of the most useful questions when teaching or observing a lesson: who is thinking about what right now?”