Teaching blog review

As with most topics on the internet there is often too much information available. A quick google search for a teaching blog returned over 23 million hits in less than half a second. It takes much longer to sift the wheat from the chaff; however I soon came across a comprehensive blog that should provide useful support in my teaching.

Joe Kirby is an Assistant Head and Head of English at a London school. His blog Pragmatic Education covers teaching, research, curriculum and assessment, teacher training, leadership, and the education system, and offers a wide range of information for current and prospective teachers. The content has added relevance as rather than being purely academic, it is written from the perspective of a senior teacher striving to continually develop as a professional.

The most important aspect from my perspective is the focus on identifying what good teaching entails, and how teachers can improve their skills in the classroom. As an example, a seemingly straightforward task of setting a multiple choice quiz to enhance student learning is more complex than it first seems. Kirby's advice on setting a multiple choice quiz offers sound, evidence-based guidance on how to make them more effective as a teaching and learning tool.

There is a plethora of information available on the blog (and also on numerous others) some of which will not be relevant to my placement or future career, but I like the style of the writing and can see it being a very useful reference point for my continuing development.