​Think back to your days at school. What lessons stick in your mind? It most likely isn’t the lesson where you read from a textbook. More than likely enough, it is something fun or practical that sticks in your mind. Maybe it was with your favourite teacher as they were funny or explained things very clearly. Or maybe it is a memory of something that was taught in a different way. When planning lessons, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Follow these tips to help ensure your pupils remember your lessons. 

​The reality of modern teaching is that within your class there will be a range of learning needs. Differentiating the lesson to make it accessible to all students is key to positive student engagement and success. It also saves you some serious stress having to manage behaviour! The other reality is that your time is a rare and valuable commodity, and we need to be savvy on our differentiation styles to save as much of it as we can. We are going to look at 2 main areas; ‘Differentiating by Task’ and ‘Differentiating by Outcome’.

Classrooms need to incorporate a range of methods to teach students a variety of skills. I'd like to point out that yes, hands-on and active learning experiences are still by far some of the best teaching strategies! However, there doesn't need to be a total ban (like I am seeing in some schools) on the traditional worksheet either. This post will outline the various reasons why balance is key and worksheets are not a total enemy!