‘How are you going to challenge the highers?’

The title of this blog is a question I heard often as a novice teacher and still hear being asked today, years later. I find this question problematic – mostly for these two reasons: First of all, I take issue with the lack of clarity surrounding challenge. What exactly constitutes a challenging task? The amount

In defence of ‘teaching techniques’

There is ongoing edutwitter discourse surrounding teaching techniques – a recurring critique appears to centre on the perceived infringement upon teacher autonomy. I think it is a valid point, but I believe the opposite to be true. I respect the view that prescribing techniques may relegate teachers to mere implementers, stifling their responsiveness and undermining