Monthly Archives: December 2011

When a pedagogy of ‘teaching by mentioning’ rewards formulaic learners, it can be easy to ignore that teaching is contextual and situational. When I teach I am often unaware of the value of my own experiential knowledge and, due to … Continue reading →

This morning, before school, as I was writing a message to the children, Carl came into the classroom and began putting mathematics equipment on the table. “This is for mathematical inquiry” he explained. “Because that’s what we have to do. … Continue reading →

I have some questions. Why are schools so resistant to change? Is it because of the entrenched patterns of institutionalised social relationships in schools? Is it due to the separate culture that grows within a school, binding personalities together and … Continue reading →

As today is a public holiday, I’ve spent several hours on skype catching up with an old friend of mine from NIST.  The amazing thing about this was that even though she is in a different continent, the hours that … Continue reading →

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, a bird sings because it has a song. ~ Maya Angelou I wonder about the connection between a desire to grade and my personality? I question the role my own ego … Continue reading →

I teach in a school that requires me to hand in three classmarks each semester for Grades 7-10. These marks are totalled and then used in conjunction with the school-based common examination results each semester to sort the students. On … Continue reading →

Walter was excited to add his name to the agenda as soon as he arrived at school on Monday. Jessie, Walter’s mum, came to give me some background information so that I could support Walter as he explained his idea … Continue reading →

***Re-posted with permission from the author, Alison Yang.  Original post on the Collaborative Learner Blog. “Can students inquire in a foreign language?” This question is asked very frequently among my conversations with foreign language teachers. My answer is YES! If we … Continue reading →