Teachers Talk Radio

Chris is joined by guest James Nichols to explore the importance of political education in schools. How can we help young people understand democracy, engage with current affairs, question what they hear and form their own informed opinions? The discussion explores how schools can encourage political awareness and critical thinking while remaining impartial, and why equipping the next generation to understand the world around them matters more than ever.

We talk facing up to the facts and how acceptance could help you in the classroom and beyond.

In today's show, Darren looks at the leadership data to consider what type of headteachers teachers best respond to and why, ultimately, being a nice person is the most important thing of all.

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.