Author Archives: cpaterso

I like using the Question Formulation Technique with students. I usually introduce it in one of the first lessons of the year. By introducing it early, I’m trying to make a statement that questions are more important than answers in … Continue reading →

How can we make deep learning experiences visible for high school students and adult learners? Could we take a leaf from the Reggio Emilia early childhood pedagogy of listening and relationships? One of the key Reggio principles is documentation and … Continue reading →

If “children grow into the intellectual life around them” (Vygotsky, 1978, p.88), then what kind of intellectual life are we presenting to the students in our classrooms? Teachers all over the world have had to accept the compromise of focusing … Continue reading →

I want to really listen for, value, and try to understand learners’ thoughts, experiences and insights, and then use them as a starting point and ongoing iterative counterpoint. I need to be curious about what sense a learner is making and how … Continue reading →

I have been thinking about the relational and affective aspects of inquiry learning. How important is it to be present and enthusiastic, and work really hard to find out what a learner’s thoughts and feelings are? What is my role … Continue reading →

We don’t want to cover a subject, we want to uncover it. Simply telling students information does not allow them to develop their understanding. I have come to realise that my role is to design learning experiences that engage learners … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →