20 years of educational fads

[Piggywaspushed]

This article on Teacher Toolkit is actually two years old so I am sure we could update it! (SLANT anyone??) but it appeared on my Twitter feed and I thought MN might find it diverting:

www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2016/07/10/education-fads/

loving that triple marking is declared a fad.

Send to all your SLTs! I dare you!!

My kids are in yr 7 at a grammar school. Their report had PLTS on for every subject. I did this face —> 🙄when I saw.

School I used to teach in ran through Head Teachers like most schools run through coffee, and each had their own pet fads. Last 4 years has seen growth mindset, drop down days, impact days (for PLTS skills, learning to learn “conferences” and growth mindset), discipline with dignity, accelerated reader for all, ad infinitum. Current (new) academy trust —run by demented robots— are into No Excuses, DEAR and every lesson (regardless of subject) starting with a 10 question low stakes quiz. And registration is called role call and involves the whole school standing in silent lines in the sports hall. I no longer work there, but hear all about it from ex-colleagues and breathe sigh after sigh of relief.

God evil that sounds like 1984! the book not the year.

Yup. It was a yr 10 who made the “demented robots” comment. Head is a smug bastard who seems to be employing the FIFO model where it comes to staff.

Late to the thread. When I was training and my first couple of years it was all independent learning. I left the UK and started teaching internationally. Another UK-trained teacher joined who was evangelical about independent learning and very snotty (rude) to other teachers who dared to teach from from "the front". Unfortunately her kids did shit in the national exams as the kids didn't have revision guides to bridge the gap between what they had "taught" themselves and what was expected in the exam, unlike in the UK.

Not to put down independent learning. It has its place. As do elements of all these fads - in context and in appriopriate amounts according to age, student ability and skills/content being taught. I am finally somewhere that lets you have the freedom to apply your professional judgement as to how best teach your kids.

Btw 900 ClassVR devices sounds like the introduction of trying to replace teachers with automation. Try controlling a bunch of 15 years with computers and/or robots.

Eviltwins was your 'demented robots' school an Ormiston academy by any chance? I am chuckling away at 'discipline with dignity' - that's the latest one where I work.

No - it was AET but they left in December and now the demented robots of the Greenshaw Trust have taken over with their no excuses FIFO approach. Glad to be out of there! The funniest thing is that the new Head has told all the kids he was a “bad boy” at school but has since realised how important hard work is etc etc (seems a common approach for motivating teenagers) but I used to teach at the school he went to - started the year after he left, and bad behaviour there generally involved not quite finishing maths homework or being a couple of minutes late.

Oh that old rope. A bloke I work with does that too. Why do male teachers posture so??

What is FIFO? All I can think of is first in first out??

Miaow I was quite pleased when kilts were introduced where I work. I thought it would stop all the waistband rolling as there would be too much fabric or stop them putting up the hems, as the pleats would be too problematic. How naive I was. Girls are now seen to be sporting spare tyres around their waists and skirts that are rather conical. Eviltwins AET have ad their marching orders by parent power at DC's school.

I've just been on the Greenshaw site to see if I can figure out FIFO, and found that they have a policies policy! :)

FIFO is Fit In or Fuck Off.

It seems that they’re using that approach for patents, students and staff.

Am sitting here chortling at the tartan kilts/braiding comments. That’s one of the first things they did - hideous new uniform with kilts and braiding!

parents not patents!

Oh FIFO ... my school has been trying to get me to do that for years!!

May be those who came up with the 'new' uniforms were boarders at QEH or the Redmaids' school.

I'd not heard the phrase fifo before but there's a local michaela esque school which explicitly says that to all new parents, detentions for every infraction and basically works to that premise.

Anything, absolutely anything connected with that colossal wanker John Hattie.

"FIFO is Fit In or Fuck Off." Mats are especially fond of this. Also called tall poppy syndrome. Stick your head up above the masses and chop!
I'm sure they've been mentioned-Fucking Kagan. We had a evangelical hod who managed to brainwash slt into investing in it. Then fucked off after two years of it not working.
Fish oil capsules. My son was a guinea pig in that particular money making scam trial. As he was an idle little scrote i didnt think it would hurt, at the least it would make his coat nice and glossy. weirdly enough did nothing for his concentration.
More than 20 years ago, but my school (australia) decided american new math (urgh) was the way. so out went learning times tables by rote. i still have to stop and think 50 years later.

Anything, absolutely anything connected with that colossal wanker John Hattie.

My school loves him. I am expected to look up and follow his research. What has he said?

Oh I rememe be hearing about fish oil research on radio 4!

I think I may have just thrown out some fish oil/omega 3 capsules. .

Anything, absolutely anything connected with that colossal wanker John Hattie

God yes!!! Go away Hattie, you waste of time!