What makes a good teacher? It’s not rocket science.

It’s time to rethink teacher training

In the UK, the length of teacher training has not changed significantly in over 30 years, and yet the demands on teachers have increased massively.
Avoid bedroom study, which could lead to distracting photo montage creation. mRallie

How to get teenagers to revise for exams during the holidays

Revising for exams is a necessary evil. Ever since written university exams were first set in England by the Cambridge chemist William Farrish in about 1792, students have struggled to revise. And with…
What do you presume about me? Teenagers via auremar/Shutterstock

Today’s 13-year-olds are not as bad as we’re led to believe

In 1982 I was toying with the idea of a career in teaching. That year a controversial film, Made in Britain, starring Tim Roth was released and I almost didn’t become a teacher. The film’s central character…
What’s the use of this? Lab Science Career

Are we focusing too much on examining practical science?

Science evokes images of Bunsen burners, coloured liquids, vapours rising from flasks, white coats and safety goggles. But are we making too much of the rigid assessment of the practical parts of science…
No beating around the bush from the Genesis Expo in Portsmouth. ian_rickard

Redacting exam questions on evolution is a slippery slope

Writing good science exam questions is hard. Getting the wording right, making sure that what you are asking about is clear, pitching the question at the right level, takes time, lots of experience and…

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