How student teachers help me become a better teacher
Working with student teachers is some of the best professional development you can get, says Alan...
6 Dec 2021
Latest articles
5 ways I apply the pedagogy of Paul Hollywood
The mastery of the Bake Off star has mesmerised teacher Alan Gillespie – here's why
5 Oct 2021
How can an older teacher stay on pupils' wavelength?
As an age 'chasm' opens up between you and your students, you worry about becoming out of touch...
27 Aug 2021
My new school year resolutions – and their chances
Teacher Alan Gillespie lays out his resolutions for the 2021-22 school year – and rates his chances...
18 Jul 2021
Are these the best books written by teachers?
Teacher and author Alan Gillespie reflects on some of the great novelists who started out as...
3 May 2021
'It's so incredible to see the pupils again'
To hear jostling in corridors and the scratch of pencils is like listening to a favourite old song...
23 Mar 2021
Why we cannot let Covid-19 spell the end of snow days
If remote learning means the end of snow days then a generation will be robbed of formative moments...
5 Dec 2020
What it's like having to teach with a face covering
Wearing a mask in class is annoying – we but should never lose sight of the bigger picture, says...
8 Nov 2020
'The pro wrestling tricks I use in the classroom'
Wrestling and teaching have a lot in common – and all teachers could benefit from some ringcraft...
11 Oct 2020
Has coronavirus signalled the end for Shakespeare?
The post-lockdown reality of combined home and school learning will make it harder to teach...
8 Jun 2020
'The naivety of teachers' critics is insulting'
Criticising levels of remote learning is unfair - pupils don't all engage with it in the same way...
27 May 2020
'I'm getting to know some pupils better in lockdown'
Being apart from students in this crisis can actually make it easier for you to get to know them...
9 May 2020
Coronavirus: 'Use school closures to reset exam system'
The cancellation of exams because of coronavirus presents us with an opportunity to have rethink...
29 Mar 2020
How to tackle pupils' crippling fear of public speaking
When a student has a fear of public speaking, there are ways to help them build resilience, says...
10 Jan 2020
English teaching is hard - so we must work together
English teachers can't navigate the curriculum on instinct alone - they need to help each other out...
5 Jan 2020
10 top tips for teaching creative writing
Teaching creative writing is hard, but here's how you can embrace the imaginative and weird ideas...
12 Dec 2019
'What my call centre job taught me about literacy'
'My literacy muscles had never been exercised so keenly,' recalls English teacher Alan Gillespie of...
27 Oct 2019
Why every school should embrace public speaking
Helping pupils to hone their debating skills may be hard work, but the benefits speak for themselves...
22 Oct 2019
Has any teacher really mastered outdoor learning?
Every teacher should keep wellies and a raincoat handy so that they can free pupils from the...
7 Oct 2019
‘Our pupils didn’t strike today – here’s why’
Missing school may not be the best way to make a sustained difference in the fight against the...
20 Sep 2019
No more essays on Cristiano Ronaldo’s ice bathing, please
‘It’s disheartening to see screeds of students plumping for topics that appear to neither interest...
3 min read
11 May 2018
Wilfred Owen’s Edinburgh stay echoes through history
Having shaped his voice during his convalescence in the capital, the war poet’s invectives recall...
3 min read
13 Oct 2017
Bringing in visiting writers is about learning, not PR puff
If you’re planning to enrich your English class by inviting an author in to share their wisdom, keep...
3 min read
28 Jul 2017
Most read articles
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5 ways I apply the pedagogy of Paul Hollywood
![How Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood has helped me as a teacher]()
-
How can an older teacher stay on pupils' wavelength?
![How does an older teacher avoid becoming out of touch with students?]()
-
My new school year resolutions – and their chances
![My teacher new year resolutions for the new school year – will I achieve them?]()
-
10 top tips for teaching creative writing
![Cognitive science in the classroom: 3 key terms all teachers should know]()
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How student teachers help me become a better teacher
![How student teachers help me become a better teacher]()
-
Are these the best books written by teachers?
![The best books written by teachers: Alan Gillespie reflects on great novelists who started out as teachers]()
-
Why we cannot let Covid-19 spell the end of snow days
![Why we cannot let Covid-19 spell the end of snow days]()
-
'The pro wrestling tricks I use in the classroom'
!['The pro wrestling tricks I use in the classroom']()
-
What it's like having to teach with a face covering
![Woman wearing a face mask]()
-
Coronavirus: 'Use school closures to reset exam system'
![Coronavirus: Use school closures to reset our exams system, writes Alan Gillespie]()
