Daryn Egan-Simon
@darynsimon
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Lecturer in education, @BrewEd2017 co-founder. Interested in transformative ed, the arts, social justice, football, history, politics & accidental parenting.
Chester
Joined August 2008
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If we want to keep more teachers in the profession then we urgently need to address workload… teachers shouldn’t have to work evenings & weekends. The work/ life imbalance is simply unsustainable.
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I’m so bored of the whole ‘catch up’ narrative. Children will have learnt lots during lockdown. Just because it’s not on the curriculum doesn’t mean it’s not valuable or important. We really need to move beyond this reductive deficit thinking.
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This whole ‘catch up’ narrative is horribly unhelpful and potentially quite damaging. Kids don’t need longer school days and curtailed holidays. They just need time with their friends to laugh and play. And enjoy childhood.
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I don’t get it, I’ll never get it… making children wear business attire… shirts, ties and blazers… if uniform needs to exist then surely it should be comfortable, practical and affordable.
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Anyone else remember having to swim in your pyjamas to get a life-saving badge?
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I really think it’d be good if all schools closed for 3 weeks over Christmas. Kids and school staff are exhausted... they need an extended break.
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I keep hearing of teachers working late into the night/ early hours of the morning - recording lessons and preparing resources for live teaching. It’s important not to normalise this. It’s unsustainable and will lead to burnout by February half-term, if not sooner.
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Well, here it is, finally in print. Not bad going for a council estate kid🍻
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As from tomorrow, I will still be wearing a mask indoors and keeping my distance where possible. Who’s with me?
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You know if it’s not on the to-do list and you do it, you then put it on the list to cross it out, right?
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Right, teachers are not mental health experts and nor should they be expected to be so. What we need is fully funded children’s services that extend and support beyond the school gates, rather than adding to teachers’ already unmanageable workload.
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You can’t just move timetables online. It’s unrealistic to expect teachers and pupils to spend the whole day in live lessons. It’s impossible to replicate the physical classroom space on Teams. There needs to be more well-scaffolded independent and self-directed learning.
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Schools where staff are looked after...no emails after 6pm, day off in lieu for wkend CPD event, food on parents eve & inset days, meetings capped (by number & length), yoga classes offered, permission to go to sports day/ funerals/ weddings etc. Valuing staff makes a difference.
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I passed my PhD Viva today. With minor corrections. I think that deserves a little Tuesday tipple 🍻🍻
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‘Teachers shrug their shoulders and think: this is what a job in education requires. And it’s not. It is not healthy, not for teachers, not for their family and not for the children they teach’ 👈100%
We need to stop normalising martyrdom in teaching.
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For my son’s home learning the class had to write their own recipies... all the usual suspects were there - flapjacks, rice crispy cakes, banana bread etc. But my favourite was the kid who wrote a recipe for a crisp butty... ingredients, method, the lot. He’s going places.
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Maybe it’s just a northern childhood thing but swear we used to ‘lick’ the bowl when bakiny cakes. Raw eggs. The lot.
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Doing almost no school work is not the same as doing almost no learning... think it’s important to remember that.
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Think there should be a national screen-free Friday next week. This half-term has been incredibly difficult for teachers, pupils and parents. Everyone deserves a day off Teams.
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My little Lego/ Playmobil obsessed 6 y/o has made his first ever stop motion animation. And he wants you to see all 4 seconds of it.
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Year 7s aren’t too ‘needy’ - they’re 11/12 year old kids trying to adapt to new ways of being in unfamiliar school environments. The system needs to better support that transition rather than chastise children for not coping with this enormous change.
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Right, keep hearing of schools insisting on pupils wearing school uniform for live lessons. Remember, you’re infiltrating their personal space, you really don’t get to dictate what they wear.
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Might not be a popular opinion but I think now would be a good time to completely ditch school uniform. It’s not a social leveller or a good way to disguise social inequality.
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I can’t believe how little teaching assistants get paid. Totally undervalued considering how important they are to schools and the children they support.
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Not sure why some people are finding it difficult to believe/ understand why children might be much happier not being in school - the very structure and nature of our education system means that children, and teachers for that matter, are under far too much unnecessary pressure.
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As a parent, I think it’d be much better for the kids to have a 4 week summer, 2 week autumn half term and a 3 week Christmas break rather than the current arrangement. Just sayin’
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Instead of shortening the summer holiday why not ensure that there are fully-funded local sports, arts and cultural clubs for all children to attend. There are plenty of businesses, who already work with schools, who can provide this. Same goes for extending the school day.
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I really don’t want my kids to go back to school after half term... I don’t want to put them at risk, their teachers at risk or the wider community at risk. As a parent, that’s where I’m at.
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One thing that does concern me about the impact of
#Covid
on education is school trips. For many children school trips can provide life-changing/ shaping opportunities to visit museums, theatres, art galleries, heritage sites, outdoor education centres etc. It’s a huge loss.
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‘I can’t help wondering why these wonderful people, who teach us to read, write, care and question, are being vilified and not applauded for their service.’
Me too.
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There appears to be a growing - & worrying - trend in education to micro-manage teachers’ classroom practice. Here, teaching & learning is becoming increasingly restrictive, prescriptive & pedagogically rigid. Stripping teachers of agency & autonomy will do nothing for retention.
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Swear down when we get through this I’m never going to take things for granted again... beers with friends, live music, a coffee with colleagues, films on the big screen, a dip in the pool, a long train journey, an evening at the theatre... a hug from my mum.
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I have absolutely zero faith in
@BorisJohnson
and his inept government... so, I’ll be maintaining the 2M distance and avoiding pubs, restaurants, cinemas and shops until
@NicolaSturgeon
tells me it’s safe to do otherwise.
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I do worry that we are in danger of trying to turn teaching into an exact science. Whereas, for me, it’s an art, a craft, which takes years to master/ hone.
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I disagree. Pupils from poor/ disadvantaged backgrounds don’t lack aspiration. They lack opportunity. And capital.
So called 'disadvantaged' pupils are often affected by 'poverty of aspiration'. Aspirations need to come.from home or school. As teachers, we need to have high aspirations. As a FSM child myself, someone had to believe in me for me to grow to believe in myself. Now I'm a doctor!
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I don’t care what the research says about class sizes... they matter. It’s more difficult to teach a class of 35 children than a class of 15... bigger classes equals more marking and general workload. Small class sizes can ease the pressures of the job.
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We need to stop this whole lost learning narrative... in many countries children don’t start formal education until 6 or 7. I’m far more concerned about the impact on children’s well-being as they miss out on playing with their friends.
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One of the toughest things about homeschooling/ working is the overwhelming feeling that you’re failing miserably at both. That, and realising Year 4 maths is beyond your grasp.
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Schools should open when it’s safe to do so - for kids & adults. We must stop panicking about lost minutes of learning. What matters most is that schools are funded properly to safely open & offer children the academic, emotional & social support they need
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Had been saving this brew for a special occasion. I think getting a new job as a Senior Lecturer in History Education qualifies...
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Think we are witnessing an orchestrated attack on the teaching profession from the Tories and the right wing media. An insidious way to deflect attention from the government’s gross mishandling of the
#coronavirus
- the profession needs to stand together and stand firm.
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Increasingly, I think there’s too much pressure on new teachers to move into middle/ senior leadership positions far too soon… rather than taking the time in the classroom to really hone their craft. It’s certainly not helping with retention.
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September. That is the earliest that schools should readmit beyond keyworker and vulnerable children. This will give schools/ teachers time to properly prepare, prevent further spread and protect lives.
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My 6 y/o son and his friend have just started writing letters to each other.
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Anyone else find they now say ‘hello’ more to strangers when out and about on a walk/ run/ cycle... or is it just me being a complete weirdo?
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This is awful journalism. Many of these underfunded schools are serving the most deprived communities in the country. This is what you get when you create a system based on competition rather than collaboration...
England's worst schools revealed - see if your child's school is on the list
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I’m not an Early Years expert but, as a parent, I believe that it would be far more beneficial for children (on so many levels) to extend EYFS provision into KS1 rather than push KS2 the other way. Just saying.
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I’ve always been in favour of a two week October half term holidsy... teachers and pupils need a decent break during a long and exhausting Autumn term. Now, more than ever.
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Things in education that I don’t really care about...
Trad/ prog dichotomy
Learning styles
Knowledge vs skills
School uniform
Things that do:
School funding
Teacher workload
Narrowing of the curriculum
Teacher/ student wellbeing
Off-rolling
Prescriptive pedagogies
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Anyone else really concerned about the impact the
#coronavirus
will have on children’s mental health? Personally, I think there will need to be a greater understanding and focus in schools on childhood adversity and trauma.
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You know what would be better than giving poorer parents free apps...reopening/ reinvesting money into Sure Start centres which actually provided vital support for families.
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When planning lessons...
1. What do I want students to learn?
2. Why is it important?
3. How will they learn it?
4. How will I know they’ve learnt it?
That’s it.
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I’ve been asked a number of times if being a teacher makes home schooling easier. It doesn’t. In fact, teaching the Reformation to Year 8 on a Friday afternoon is much easier than 10 minutes of phonics with my 7 y/o.
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Don’t care how bad it gets with no new tv shows currently being created... I’m still not watching Mrs Brown’s Boys.
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Right, think we’ve figured out this
#homeschooling
business... do what you can and try not to fret about the rest. Children’s mental health and well-being is far more important than fronted adverbials. Take care x
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Controversial but I actually think the leftovers Christmas dinner sandwich is better than the main event. By some margin.
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Well, on the plus side, at least everyone working in education agrees that the ex-Ofsted fella is still a massive twonk.
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I find the idea that the only way disadvantaged children can achieve is through the enforcement of overtly strict behaviour policies. I was a FSM council estate kid who did well because I had teachers who believed in me, really cared, and didn’t punish me for minor misdemeanours.
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For me, teaching is a social justice issue. Children, especially those from disadvantaged communities, deserve great teachers. By ‘great’ I don’t mean those with first class degrees... but those who have a genuine desire to make a positive difference to the lives of young people.
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Nothing against the science of learning per se but i do think there’s much more to teaching than cognitive load theory, dual coding, interleaving, retrieval practice etc. Teaching is an art, a craft, and a complex one at that. There’s no magic formula.
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Seriously, and I know it’s been said before... but how anyone working in education can vote Tory is beyond me. And always will be.
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Turns out the best way to get your kids to play with old neglected toys is to put them in a bag ready for the charity shop.
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Had my 4 year old’s parents evening tonight. He’s happy. That’s all I need to know.
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Yes, I know I’m late to the party but wow, what a book.
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Can’t wait to start home working/ schooling again tomorrow. Said no one, anywhere.
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Unsustainable and, in my opinion, the main reason why so many teachers burnout & leave the profession. It won’t be solved with sticking plasters - no emails in the evening, whole-class feedback, wellbeing day etc. Education needs systemic & cultural change
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Asking someone to teach a 30 minute lesson to a class of children they’ve never met before, on a topic they’ve previously not taught, is a pretty ridiculous way to assess their suitably for a teaching post
#interviews
#systemicnonsense
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‘But what children tend to lack is unstructured time, time that is their own in which to play, explore, fight, climb, run, dream, fool around, figure things out themselves.’
Aye, Children’s time is micromanaged both in & out of school. More freedom needed
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Just me, or is the Detectorists one of the greatest British tv shows of all time?
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Just walked past a lad and dad playing curby. Proper game, that.
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‘To attract & retain teachers, the Lib Dem’s say they will increase starting salaries to £30,000 & they will guarantee a pay rise of at least 3% a year over five years.’
How many times... it’s not about the money... sort out workload/ accountability.
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As Williamson fabricates a behaviour crisis, 1 in 3 teachers plan on leaving the profession due to being undervalued, overworked, underpaid & worn down by hyper-accountability. There’s a retention crisis in education that desperately needs addressing.
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Chatting to someone today who went for an interview recently and was told by the headteacher ‘if you get this job you can say goodby to your work/ life balance’
No wonder we’ve got a retention crisis.
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I used to be anti-uniform. I’m now in favour of simple, cheap, reasonable and non-branded school uniform. It is, believe it or not, possible to shift your standpoint by engaging in healthy and respectful debate on Twitter.
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Really feel for anyone entering the teaching profession in 2020... sadly, they’ll never now know the pure joy of a snow day.
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‘So children going back to school would probably still have to follow the stay-at-home advice outside of school, and also the 2m close-contact rule while in school.’
Imagine trying to do that with a thousand pupils.
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As the virus surges, it’s looking increasingly likely that all learning will need to move online for a short period of time. It’s not ideal but protecting lives is the most important thing right now. The current reactionary half-measures are not near good enough
@educationgovuk
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I used to love going out on a Friday night. Now I just look forward to sitting in my elasticated joggers, drinking a beer and binge watching Netflix
#livingthedream
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My 7 y/o keeps on saying he’s rubbish at art. Then he brings this home which makes me think he’s probably being a bit too harsh on himself.
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‘I love the actual teaching but hate all the other stuff that goes with it’ - seriously, the amount of times I’ve heard this, or something similar, from excellent teachers looking to get out of the profession.
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Good. It was a rubbish non-plan anyway. Let’s commit to trying (safely) to reopen schools in September and spend the next few months properly getting ready for that.
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Think it’s important for schools to consider this when planning their online provision. There will be many parents/ carers really struggling at the moment to balance work with home schooling. Another reason why Gav is wrong to say live lessons are best.
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On ‘catch up’, why don’t we just send all the poor kids to elite boarding schools and fill them with the kind of arrogance, faux intelligence and misplaced confidence that has served this country so well?
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You know what needs to stop in secondary schools... students being removed from non-core subjects to focus on English, Maths and Science. These types of unhelpful interventions are short-term responses to wider curriculum problems. And create unnecessary division in schools.
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If you’ve never responded to a pupil’s question with ‘I think that should be your homework to find out’ then you’re not a proper teacher.
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Anyone else getting a little bored of all the pedagogy bashing on EduTwitter? Teachers need to work out what works for them and their students in their settings. The last thing the teaching profession needs is overly prescriptive and reductive pedagogy.
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Not going to lie, I approached this with a heavy dose of cynicism. And was quite wrong to do so. It’s actually a fabulous book.
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Teachers, this is the longest and toughest term. Well done - you’ve almost nailed it! Give yourselves the night off work...watch a film, read a book, have a beer, take a bath. Seriously, you deserve it!
#EndOfTerm
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“Children learn from reading, not learning lists of words, and when they write creatively, they should write from their own language base, not some vocabulary list handed to them by adults. Creativity can (and should be) a pleasure.” 👏👏👏👏👏
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Lying in bed thinking ‘what the hell’s that smell...’
... 8 y/o has only got up and made eggy bread for everyone...
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I’m so bored of all the ‘what’s the worse advice you were given on your PGCE course’ threads. Unhelpful, unhealthy and unnecessary. Much more interested in the advice emerging teachers were given that had a positive impact on their practice.
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Children in Year 7 should not be doing GCSE-style exam questions, or variations of. Unless, of course, you’re looking for a surefire way to kill-off their imagination, curiosity and passion for learning about the arts, sciences and humanities.
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I don’t know any teachers who would rather teach online instead of face-to-face but look at these figures (53,135 new cases) - schools simply cannot open to all pupils next week. And probably for the whole of next month.
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I know I’ve said it before but I genuinely think it’d be good if all schools did this.
Welsh council to shut all schools a week early on December 9
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If there’s anything positive to take from
#School
it is that there are lots of amazing teachers, working in impossible conditions, to do the very best for the children in their care.
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Haha, my kids will not be doing a 10 hour school day. No chance. No way.
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