Teachers Talk Radio

Tim Smyth, US teacher and author, talks to Huma Mirza and Jon Biddle about using comics and graphic novels effectively in schools.

Two-week half-terms in the autumn term are becoming more commonplace in schools around the UK. While for students and teachers, this is welcome respite in the middle of a gruelling, dark and long term, the challenge arises for parents (and many parent-teachers with conflicting school schedules) in organising childcare.
The benefits for wellbeing and workload are clearly reported by those schools that have already adopted this as the norm… but does it create more problems than it solves?
Tonight, the panel will debate the pros and cons of a two-week October half-term. Is it necessary to improve staff and student wellbeing in schools?
Should it be an “all schools or no schools” approach to prevent conflicting schedules and demands within families? Is this the start of a reform of the distribution of school holidays?
Join Maud Waret, Michael Wright, Ollie Bayliss and Liz Webb on tonight’s panel, live at 8 pm, to share your thoughts.

Should speaking and listening have equal status with reading and writing and what would that mean in the classroom? Tony Harwood, Rae Whitehouse, Lucy Trimnell and Christopher Vowles join TTR Points of View to debate plans to put oracy at the heart of the curriculum.
Could this help tackle disadvantage and equip pupils for a world shaped by AI? How should spoken language be taught and assessed and will teachers get the time, training and resources to make it work?
With reports of a wider shift towards practical assessment, we also ask whether these reforms offer a better balance or risk creating more uncertainty over knowledge, skills and academic standards.

Carl explores why teachers are really leaving the profession and it might not be what you think.

We talk dealing with conflict at work alongside a host of other things to help you process stuff. That's if you need it. And if you're on half-term we'll talk what that means. And if you're not, we'll talk when you are.

Continuing the mini-series on teacher job satisfaction, Darren explores the literature about the satisfaction criteria for teachers and considers whether the length of time you've been in the job impacts how satisfied you feel.

Chatting, calling out, tapping and answering back: how much disruption has become accepted as part of everyday teaching?
On Points of View, we debate the cumulative impact of so-called low-level disruption on teachers and pupils. Where is the line between ordinary classroom restlessness and behaviour that stops others learning?
Are expectations clear and consistent and do teachers get the support they need to uphold them?
We reference a Teacher Tapp survey from this week. Plus, does describing disruption as “low-level” minimise the damage it can do? On the panel: Tom Rogers, Liz Webb, Beejesh Deva.

Who keeps our schools running when the classroom doors close? This show shines a light on the often-overlooked support staff who keep education moving. From dealing with frustrated parents to supporting teachers and school leaders, their contribution is vital but often unrecognised. Featuring an interview with an 18-year-old school office apprentice, the show explores the realities behind the scenes and asks a powerful question: Are the people schools rely on the most the ones they value the least?

Tim Smale is joined by executive headteacher Adrian McLean to ask why school values so often go out of the window, and why schools might need virtues instead. They also get into teacher overload and the rise in AI-written complaints to schools. Adrian has taken one question to the TEDx stage and the House of Lords: what does character ask of a leader when holding the line is the lonely and expensive option? Tim and Adrian take it on together.

Know Your Worth, hosted by Mehmet Ali Zekay, explores confidence, professional value and having the courage to ask for more. In this episode, Mehmet speaks with Dr Rebecca Taylor, a Physics teacher, about recognising your worth, career progression and why teachers shouldn’t be afraid to have conversations about pay.