funkypedagogy English Teachers Blog
Catch up with a slice of fresh news on all things education! Whether you're an English teacher looking for innovative classroom strategies, a language enthusiast exploring new learning techniques, or an educator passionate about shaping the future, this blog has something for you. We bring you insights, tips, and the latest trends in English teaching, curriculum development, and educational technology—all served with a dose of inspiration. Stay tuned, stay curious, and let's make learning more engaging than ever!
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Apparently, I will do anything for a nice pen…
When I was approached by @Pen_Heaven about the #backtobasics challenge, I’ll be honest, at the words, “we will send you a free fountain pen”, I was pretty much sold. Abiding...Continue reading→
Vocabulary Project: Part 1- Rationale and Launch #appletonacademy
To an English teacher, words are everything. Put in the right order, they have immense power to move us, fascinate us, make us laugh and teach us. Words excite and...Continue reading→
Five displays which work…
If there has been one pattern in my teaching career, it has been the slow realisation that nothing is worth doing unless it can answer ‘yes’ to two questions: 1)...Continue reading→
What I learned from spending a year in the wrong school…
Teaching is my vocation. I love my job and the challenges it brings, but in the past year I have questioned my planning, decision making, relationships and my worth as...Continue reading→
What happens in Slam Club, stays in Slam Club…
Slam has been a huge part of my teaching life for over two years, and in that time I have worked with hundreds of young people, shared their stories and...Continue reading→
My battle with “teacher talk”, plus tips for winning the skirmishes.
I am, fundamentally, a performer. I thrive when in the lime light and love to entertain my students but, if I’m really honest, I must admit that sometimes I run...Continue reading→
Doodling in the English Classroom
Everyone loves a bit of colouring in. As a dyslexic English student I developed my own coping methods when writing notes, planning essays and internalising language during my A Levels...Continue reading→
Marginal Gains with Controlled Assessments
My Year 11 boys are getting restless and, since coming back from their mock exams, they have no focus… GCSEs feel miles away for them (all of four months) and...Continue reading→
Universal Panacea? The Number 1 Shift in UK Education I Wish to See in My Lifetime… Shake the Dust
Shake the Dust. Is teaching about repetition or creativity? In my own school there is a real divide. Some have decided that they know what to teach and how to...Continue reading→
5 Reasons why you should bring Spoken Word into your classroom…
A wise lady once told me that ‘Poetry is the music of language’. I take this to mean that poetry is simultaneously pure and abstract, both direct and ambiguous. Just...Continue reading→