Teach Sleep Repeat

You've heard it all before... School is useless! It doesn't prepare you for real life! Why don't we learn about taxes? We dive into this topic in detail. What do we teach that is pointless? What's the role of a school? What does life preparation even look like? Join us for a laid-back chat sprinkled with laughs and an all-round good time. Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

This week, we welcome back Lee (better known as Mr. P) who chats to us about all things AI. Lee chats about exactly what AI is, including language models and how to train them, as well as how his platform (TeachMateAI) has been specifically designed to help teachers tackle workload and be as reliable as possible. We also chatted about the long-lasting effect of austerity and budget cuts on the world of teaching and how teachers are being expected to do more with less. We each also bring our own story about the brutal but hilarious honesty of children and how teachers really do have to quickly develop thick skin! It's a fantastic chat with some fun chats and a QandA from our listeners sprinkled in at the end. Hope you enjoy it! Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Welcome back to another episode! Firstly, we catch up about our week & the importance of enrichment to children. Dylan discusses his class taking part in a drama workshop & Hayden ponders the difference between knowledge-based and skill-based learning. We then dive into the topic of tattoos & whether schools are right in effectively banning them from being on display in the classroom. The discussion morphs into a wider one about just exactly what professionalism even is and looks like, and how subjective it seems to be. Finally, Dylan introduced a quick light-hearted game that is great fun & could be used in the classroom. Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

In our weekly catch-up, we discuss the difference between self-care and self-soothing, the fact Hayden is always ill & why McDonalds chicken nuggets taste like cardboard. Then, we welcome the awesome Mrs Smith to the podcast to chat about her stand-up tour, politics in education & her famous classroom glossary. Anyone who knows Mrs Smith knows you're in for a good time with this one. You don't get 70,000 Facebook followers by accident! Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Join us as we have a wide-ranging chat around making the most of your time off. As teachers, we get a LOT of time off. We know this isn't as straight forward as it sounds. We work HARD & have a lot to do. So, why do some teachers thrive in their time off, but others feel so bogged down. Toxic schools, comparing to our peers & teacher guilt all play a part. Listen to find out how to combat all of these! Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Our chat with Sophie morphed into a marathon conversation, so we are back with week with part 2 that is all about the Key Stage 2 SATs. Sophie is a SATs data guru and talks us through past patterns and what we are likely to see this year. She shares some super insight into what's needed to pass the tests & what to prioritise. We talk more deeply about whether testing in general is worthwhile, and the cons to the papers. We also discuss the open secret in education that is the sheer amount of schools who cheat when it comes to the tests. Teachers being told to tell children when they've got a question wrong, opening test packs early, or even outright doing questions for the children... You name it, it's happened. Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

Sophie B joins us as our first ever return guest on the podcast. Last time we spoke, Sophie was on maternity leave. Now, she has returned to work and is navigating parenthood whilst also getting back into the swing of things at school. We chat about how tricky it is returning to work, how you HAVE to learn to say no and stop working, and how job sharing has many pros and cons. What did you think of the episode? Let us know! Follow us on Instagram: @TeachSleepRepeatPodcast

Over the years, the narrative has changed as more and more research became available. The overarching thought now is that setting in primary schools is not the way forward and that instead we should teach mixed-ability classes across the board. But does this work in reality? What are the drawbacks? What is the ultimate best way to teach children? We talk about the evidence, the lived experience, and all the possible options in detail during this episode. Let us know what you think. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast Key Ideas Taking care of one's health is crucial for teachers to perform their best. Handwriting is an important skill that should be given dedicated time and attention in the curriculum. Teaching foundational skills in math, such as time-telling and mental arithmetic, is essential for students' overall mathematical understanding. Certain areas of the curriculum, such as time-telling skills and reading time, are often disregarded but are important life skills. The priorities in the curriculum should be re-evaluated to focus on skills that are relevant and beneficial for students' future. Research suggests that setting in maths can have a marginal impact on attainment, with higher ability students benefiting more. Teacher opinion is valuable in the decision-making process for setting, and tests can be used to support or inform decisions. An ideal school system for setting involves considering the needs of individual students and using a combination of teacher opinion and empirical data. An individualized approach to education is crucial, taking into account each student's needs and abilities. School culture plays a significant role in creating a positive learning environment. Sets should be fluid and based on ongoing assessment rather than predetermined. Differentiation by outcome and support are important strategies for meeting students' needs. Both mixed ability and setting have benefits and challenges, and a hybrid approach may be most effective. Real-world skills and experiences should be incorporated into education. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Hayden's Illness 00:39 The Importance of Handwriting 03:23 Teaching Foundational Skills 05:19 Disregarded Areas of the Curriculum 06:36 Differences in Pronunciation 08:49 Teaching Small Goals and Celebrating Progress 09:31 Finding Time for Handwriting 10:00 Explaining the Purpose of Handwriting 11:26 The Impact of Laser-Focused Teaching 13:37 Disregarded Foundational Math Skills 16:09 The Importance of Time-Telling Skills 19:09 Re-evaluating the Curriculum Priorities 21:28 Future Episode on SATs and School Struggles 22:28 Instagram poll 24:04 Setting in primary schools 27:01 Takeaways from the Instagram poll 28:29 The debate on setting in maths and English 30:01 The impact of setting on attainment 32:25 The benefits of setting in maths 34:36 The challenges of mixed ability in maths 38:16 The benefits of mixed ability in English 41:23 The challenges of mixed ability in English 43:10 The dilemma of setting and the role of teacher opinion 45:05 The decision-making process for setting 47:07 Setting in an ideal school system 47:55 Mixed Ability vs. Setting 48:29 Individualized Approach 48:56 Importance of School Culture 49:24 Fluidity of Sets 50:20 Realistic Approach 51:15 Negative Effects of Mixed Ability 52:07 Differentiation 53:25 Differentiation by Outcome 54:10 Differentiation by Support 55:08 Limitations of Differentiation 56:07 Benefits and Challenges of Setting 59:19 Differentiation in the Past 01:00:17 Differentiation by Size 01:00:38 Differentiation by Support 01:01:50 Limitations of Differentiation by Support 01:06:01 Realism vs. Idealism 01:10:38 Example of Effective Streaming 01:11:46 Reacting to Children's Needs 01:12:36 Importance of Support in Education 01:13:06 Broadening Horizons 01:14:22 Importance of Real-World Skills 01:15:20 Summary and Call for Stories

Following on from the discussion what exactly the role of a teacher is in last week's episode, we flip the narrative this time and discuss exactly what learning children should be doing at home. Times tables? Complex problem solving? Grammar and punctuation? Endless projects? What's actually useful? What's a waste of time? What might contradict what's going on in school? Join us for a good chat where we set out what children should be doing at home, what to prioritise, and what to avoid completely. Follow us on Instagram: @teachsleeprepeatpodcast

This week, we saw a study where half of parents felt it wasn't solely their responsibility to toilet train their children. Labour want to introduce teeth brushing to primary schools. What exactly is too much to ask for teachers? We discuss it all in this week's episode, and more! Join us on Instagram and let us know what you think. www.instagram.com/teachsleeprepeatpodcast