Naylor's Natter Podcast 'Just talking to Teachers'

Building Culture navigates the complex educational landscape and provides a look at school culture, highlighting key aspects of cultivating culture that leads to great pupil outcomes.
Rooted in her own experience as a senior leader, Lekha Sharma knows that leaders need not only the what of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy but also the how. How can school leaders bring together the theoretical knowledge they possess and mobilise it on the ground so that they can have a positive and tangible impact on pupil outcomes? Teachers are increasingly equipped with the awareness and knowledge of cognitive psychology but what other areas of psychology could support those that lead those very teachers? And what elements of human nature can we harness to build the kind of school cultures that are conducive to improving outcomes for pupils? Building Culture provides a great start to answering all those questions.

Written by Graham Chatterley, Changing Perceptions: Deciphering the language of behaviour provides everyone working with children a better understanding of the causes of challenging behaviour and what motivates it.

This timely book moves the dial on the perception of challenging behaviour in schools. De-escalation is important but it is only part of the process: if we really want to change behaviour, we have to understand it.

The causes of poor behaviour are many and varied: fear, stress, anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed can all take their toll. Changing Perceptions examines the motives behind challenging behaviour and the consequences that come with it, detailing ways in which these situations can be managed calmly and consistently. Better understanding and empathy can make children feel safer, build their trust, develop belonging and consequently create more effective learners in the classroom.

Empathy is the master key to unlocking the most challenging pupils. When we consistently respond to children with empathy and compassion, we don’t just put a sticking plaster over a problem, we change their experiences: how they feel and how they behave long term. Importantly, this approach also greatly improves staff wellbeing by increasing understanding of challenging behaviour and how it is perceived.

In this book, Graham sets out why it is so important to teach behaviour and provides practical ways to deal with the most challenging situations in the classroom and stop the conflict spiral. He also covers the importance of validating feelings, building self-esteem, improving emotional resilience, raising expectations, fostering positive values and much more.

Essential reading for teachers, school leaders and everyone working with challenging behaviour.

Contents include:

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Relationships
• Chapter 2: How we respond
• Chapter 3: The origins of behaviour
• Chapter 4: Short-term survival responses
• Chapter 5: What is the behaviour communicating?
• Chapter 6: The five responses to threat
• Chapter 7: Prevention is better than cure
• Chapter 8: Consequences
• Chapter 9: Long-term survival
• Chapter 10: Shielding from shame
• Chapter 11: Not school ready
• Chapter 12: Overwhelm
• Chapter 13: Lifting them up
• Chapter 14: Linking self-esteem and additional needs
• Chapter 15: My autism journey
• Chapter 16: Emotional resilience
• Chapter 11: The power of trauma
• Chapter 12: Behind the mask
• Chapter 13: Expectations and values
• Chapter 14: Enforcing external control versus teaching self-control
• Chapter 15: Less is sometimes more
• Conclusion

This timely book examines what a meaningful school accountability system could look like in England. The book starts with a deep dive into our current inspection model, discussing some of the current pressures within the system, and comparing our inspection approach to that of other countries and sectors. It moves on to show how Ofsted and school inspections are perceived and portrayed - using first-hand accounts, academic papers, government publications, and media reports - and pulls together some of the current thinking on how the model could be improved. The author ends with her own proposals for a more meaningful and humane school accountability system. She suggests we rethink what we do, and how we do it, with a call for wide-ranging consultation leading to evidence-informed reform of the school inspection process.

This exciting new book from the bestselling authors of The Science of Learning takes complex ideas around teaching and learning and makes them easy to understand and apply through beautifully illustrated graphics. Each concept is covered over a double-page spread, with a full-page graphic on one page and supportive text on the other. This unique combination of accessible images and clear explanations helps teachers navigate the key principles and understand how to best implement them in the classroom.

Distilling key findings and ideas for great evidence-based teaching from a broad range of contemporary studies, the book covers the research findings, ideas and applications from the most important and fundamental areas of teaching and learning including:

• Retrieval Practice

• Spacing

• Interleaving

• Cognitive Load Theory

• Rosenshine’s Principles

• Feedback

• Resilience

• Metacognition

Written to support, inspire and inform teaching staff and those involved in leadership and CPD, Teaching & Learning Illuminated will transform readers' understanding of teaching and learning research.

If you're in education, then you know that while there are many positives to the profession, it is also facing many challenges. This easy-to-use, accessible, and entertaining book shows us how diary-keeping can help us gain insight into our wellbeing needs and move forward in our lives, personally and professionally.
This book is the perfect starting point to explore what reflective practice means to you. From an overview of diary-keeping and why it's important for educator wellbeing, to plenty of practical tips, strategies, and activities for you to try out yourself, it is filled with simple pragmatic guidance to help make diary-keeping a sustainable part of your practice.
Reimagining the diary - to include writing, drawing, audio recordings, photographs, scrapbooking, and other approaches - is not only fun and creative, but essential when it comes to understanding yourself and your own complex needs.
By adopting small changes in a way that suits you, you can start to address your individual wellbeing needs and rebalance your work and, more importantly, your life.

Fearless Leadership aims to improve leadership and personal effectiveness in any workplace. Drawing on over 10 years of research and work on leadership, Richard M Varey has cultivated a model, 'The Fearless Approach', which urges leaders to create a fear-free culture and atmosphere within their organisations to allow individuals to flourish. He explains how a fearless approach can be used to raise the capacity of others, and also why it achieves this. Supported by evolutionary biology, neuro-psychology theories and a wealth of case studies of successful businesses and leaders, Richard argues that the key to developing fearlessness in the workplace has three dimensions; relationships, resilience and excellence which are represented by the fearless cube. Those three dimensions are in turn dependent on 20 separate business and leadership skills. The book explores each of the 20 individual skills and allows readers to evaluate their existing behavioural traits against these using diagnostic tools, thus identifying areas needing improvement and offers practical methods to better these skills. Fearless Leadership is littered with anecdotes from the worlds of sport and the armed forces, and will appeal to readers of Steve Peters, Carol Dweck and Malcolm Gladwell and to those interested in business management, leadership and popular psychology.

When the original Visible Learning® was published in 2008, it instantly became a publishing sensation. Interest in the book was unparalleled; it sold out in days and was described by the TES as revealing "teaching’s Holy Grail". Now John Hattie returns to this ground-breaking work. The research underlying this book is now informed by more than 2,100 meta-analyses (more than double that of the original), drawn from more than 130,000 studies, and has involved more than 400 million students from all around the world.

But this is more than just a new edition. This book is a sequel that highlights the major story, taking in the big picture to reflect on the implementation in schools of Visible Learning, how it has been understood – and at times misunderstood – and what future directions research should take.

Visible Learning: The Sequel reiterates the author’s desire to move beyond claiming what works to what works best by asking crucial questions such as: Why is the current grammar of schooling so embedded in so many classrooms, and can we improve it? Why is the learning curve for teachers after the first few years so flat? How can we develop teacher mind-frames to focus more on learning and listening? How can we incorporate research evidence as part of the discussions within schools?

Areas covered include:

• The evidence base and reactions to Visible Learning
• The Visible Learning model
• The intentional alignment of learning and teaching strategies
• The influence of home, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, learning, and curriculum on achievement
• The impact of technology

Building upon the success of the original, this highly anticipated sequel expands Hattie’s model of teaching and learning based on evidence of impact and is essential reading for anyone involved in the field of education either as a researcher, teacher, student, school leader, teacher trainer, or policy maker.

"What is expert teaching? How might research help teachers improve their practice? And, crucially, how can schools ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of what great teaching looks like? In The Teaching and Learning Playbook, Feely and Karlin provide persuasive answers to these very tricky questions.

In simple terms, this is a comprehensive, highly-practical manual for excellent teaching. Alongside helpful explanations of each pedagogical technique, the book also provides compelling and convincing video footage of what this might look like in the cut and thrust of a real classroom.

With its exemplification of key teaching concepts, in one fascinating and cohesive volume, The Teaching and Learning Playbook is a game-changer for both school leaders and classroom teachers."

Mark Roberts, Author, English Teacher, and Director of Research at Carrickfergus Grammar School

"A superb directory of carefully chosen and categorised classroom techniques that every classroom teacher will be better for using. Simple to follow steps, along with video explanations makes this a bible of 'go to' strategies for every teacher, irrespective of their age or stage. I only wish I'd had access to this playbook of experience and expertise when I first started teaching!"

Jon Tait, Education Author, Leader, and Speaker

"Effective PD thrives when we have clarity and consensus around 'what good looks like'. The Playbook is the most comprehensive attempt to codify great teaching in the UK to date."

Peps Mccrea, Dean, Ambition Institute

"The Teaching and Learning Playbook is a great guide for those who want to get better, or who want to help others do the same. It is as useful for teacher educators as it is for classroom teachers. The seven barriers is a concise summary of the best available evidence on why getting better is tough, and what we can do about it. The playbook contains a precise, clear guide for what teachers can productively focus their efforts on, and the right ways to implement teaching techniques."

Josh Goodrich, Founder Steplab, Teacher and Educator

"The Teaching and Learning Playbook is essential reading for school leaders looking to ensure the highest outcomes for their pupils. What we know about most successful schools in the county is they have a high level of organisational clarity. The Playbook provides evidence and research based approaches to support school leaders in the implementation of dozens of proven school improvement strategies. This is all done with a level of detail that prevents them from transforming into ‘lethal mutations’ or less effective versions of the strategy. I will recommend the Playbook to my colleagues and use it in all the leadership coaching and training I undertake."

Dr James Lane, Executive Headteacher and Leadership Coach

Michael Feely is an experienced teacher and school leader. He is passionate about the transformative impact that education can have on children’s lives and those in their community. Michael is currently Principal of Dixons City Academy in Bradford.

Ben Karlin has worked as a teacher and school leader in disadvantaged communities since 2010, as well as roles in the business and charity sectors. He is currently Fellow, Learning Design at Ambition Institute.

A Revealing Discussion On Improving School Culture and Community

In Reconnect, the authors offer hands-on solutions to the sense of isolation and disconnection many young people feel from and within their schools. They explain how schools can foster a stronger sense of belonging while also ensuring academic rigor at a time when both are sorely needed. The authors draw on their own extensive experience leading schools to show readers how environments that help young people to thrive and become flourishing members of communities can be built.

An essential resource for K-12 teachers and administrators working in public, private, and charter schools, Reconnect will also prove itself invaluable for education professionals working in underserved communities and parents and community members involved in the improvement of children’s education. Readers can extend their learning through complimentary access to videos and downloadable assets that can be used within and outside the classroom.

DOUG LEMOV is the bestselling author of Teach Like a Champion 3.0 and Reading Reconsidered and is the founder of the Teach Like a Champion team.

HILARY LEWIS is the Senior Director of Consulting and Partnerships on the Teach Like a Champion team. Hilary attributes her love of education to her first and best teacher―her mother.

DARRYL WILLIAMS is is the CEO of the Teach Like a Champion team. He previously served as the Chief Officer, Office of School Leadership for Houston Independent School District.

DENARIUS FRAZIER is the Principal of Uncommon Collegiate Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY, and serves as a Senior Advisor on the Teach Like a Champion Partnerships and Consulting Team.

From influential Executive Headteacher Nick Hart comes Impact, a practical framework for improving academic and pastoral outcomes for pupils, helping them thrive and succeed.

Impact provides a strategy for thinking about, planning for and maximising the impact of teaching in your school. All educational establishments require leaders and teachers who can make a difference, regardless of the community context, age range or Ofsted grading of the school. This book condenses the knowledge that educators need and offers practical steps to improve academic attainment and progress, as well as pastoral outcomes such as social and emotional development, behaviour, attendance and wellbeing.

Impact is ideal for the aspiring middle leader striving to make a difference in their school, the middle leader tasked with raising standards in their subject or phase, and the senior leader working on school improvement. Nick Hart identifies a five-part framework for understanding what impact really looks like, helping educators at all levels to plan for and recognise the difference they can make in their classroom, department or school. This book is the perfect tool to inform professional development, subject action plans and school development plans in a very practical way.

Curriculum Revolutions is a tool to assist schools in creating, building and maintaining a joined-up curriculum that is cohesive and coherent. Martin Robinson’s unique curriculum wheel leads you through a continuous cycle of planning, designing, delivering, reflecting upon and reviewing your curriculum. The process will involve your managers, teachers and pupils, ensuring all understand the importance of a well-functioning curriculum as the cornerstone of the school and the quality of education it delivers. Good curriculum design is a collaborative affair, so each revolution of the wheel focuses on how to get staff working together productively. Most importantly, from a design point of view, Curriculum Revolutions explores the potential pitfalls in the curriculum shape that a school adopts, either consciously or unconsciously. Robinson argues that a sophisticated understanding of the underlying structure, or ‘thought architecture’, can make all the difference to the quality of the continuing, unfolding project of good curriculum design.

A book full of tips, insights and practical approaches pooled from little-known educators with big ideas and all geared towards making a difference for your pupils in your setting.

When tiny voices talk, three amazing things happen: they share surprising ideas and insights; they realise they are not so tiny; and they empower other tiny voices to talk too.

Drawing on the winning formula of her Tiny Voice Talks podcasts, Toria Bono has compiled a great resource full of top tips and actionable advice from a range of tiny voices across the educational spectrum. The assembled voices speak on a broad range of topics relating to education and learner development – from mentoring, metacognitive skills and period education, to trauma-informed practice, nurturing curious learners and finding flow in the classroom.

But, above all, this book urges all those in our schools who have yet to find their voice to find it – and use it. There are big people with big voices (and big egos) in education, yet they are the minority. The majority consists of great people just getting on with doing great things – more often than not with people, not data, at the heart of their practice. This book inspires such people to find and use their voice; and when tiny voices talk to tiny voices, everyone wins.

In Tiny Voices Talk, Toria outlines contributors’ ideas concerning the ins and outs of teaching, inclusion, and professional and personal development, sharing their insightful stories from the world of education. The book reinforces the message that if teachers are empowered to use their voices, then they are more likely to empower young people to use theirs too. Toria offers a practical guide for situations that teachers may face/be facing throughout their careers, and how they can be navigated within the realities of their day-to-day jobs in a variety of settings.

Suitable for teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders in all phases.

Phil's review 

"Tiny Voices talk: how this is needed in the current educational landscape. Education discourse played out on social media and in books is dominated by behemoth voices often detached from the realities and joys of the classroom. The lethal mutations of once prescient, powerful pedagogies and practices have been debased and reduced to tribute band status, repeated ad infinitum in talks, books and magazines. Toria Bono and her quiet army of tiny voices have begun to redress the balance in this seminal book. Each contributor speaks with authenticity about the power of the tiny voice and the joy of teaching. The book is divided into sections covering topics that are universally applicable to any teacher in any classroom. The empathy engendered by the tiny voices stirs the reader, takes them on a journey of discovery of the real voices of teachers and brings to the fore issues hitherto hidden in plain sight. There are also real and actionable tips and advice for teachers at whatever stage of their journey. This book will inspire, invigorate and identify the tiny voice in all who read it."

Stephen Lane's Beyond Wiping Noses: Building an informed approach to pastoral leadership in schools sets out the crucial role of pastoral care as part of the function and purpose of schooling-and shares practical insights on how schools can get it right.

Within the current culture of interest in developing research-informed approaches to teaching, the focus has inevitably been focused around pedagogy. However, with the well-documented increase in pupil anxiety and mental ill-health in recent times, there is also a pressing need for schools and teachers to embrace a more rigorous approach to pastoral care.

In this urgently needed book, teacher and Head of Year Stephen Lane (aka Sputnik Steve) presents a case for developing a research-informed approach to the pastoral aspect of teaching. This approach is the result of Stephen's own explorations of pastoral practice-and in Beyond Wiping Noses he offers helpful advice on how to design a knowledge-rich pastoral curriculum that encompasses both knowledge of the self and knowledge of the other.

Stephen expertly surveys the field of pastoral provision and leadership and provides practical takeaways around how schools can build an integrated approach to taking care of their pupils. He considers how pastoral routines can be embedded in the curriculum and developed to take account of cognitive load theory and Rosenshine's principles of instruction.

The book also includes chapters focused on key pastoral considerations-such as safeguarding, behaviour, bullying, and wellbeing and mental health.

Suitable for teachers, school leaders and anyone with a pastoral role in any school setting.