Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · 23h

🌟Twilight Sessions are proving especially popular and spaces are filling fast! DM/website www.teach-lead.com🌟

CPD offer:
✨Bespoke CPD designed around your sch priorities
🗂️Action planning and implementation for effective sch development
🎯Specialist seminars in SEND, literacy, and adaptive teaching

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · 3d

📚Workload Hack: In my Teach-Lead.com sessions I’ve modelled AI(CoPilot) for curating resources. Trialling a progression model for formative assess:
MCQs▶️MatchUps▶️Cloze▶️ Comprehension▶️Stems▶️Essay
So far, working well! Inspired by @daisychristo.bsky.social 'Making Good Progress'

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · 5d

Kicked things off with Plath’s “You’re” by doing a quick word assoc on the very first word of the poem.

🗣️ SEND Tip: jot down each contribution with pupils’ initials. Shifted the lesson - suddenly everyone wanted to chip in. Images also drove discussion & debate in small group.

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Sep 11

If you aim to do one thing this year that will enhance your practice and provide moments of reflection, then sign up to @xpateducator.bsky.social DistillED - loaded with research, strategies and bitesize information - great for dept meetings on T&L or just a refresh! newsletter.jamieleeclark.com

DistillED

⚗️ The 5-minute email that makes evidence-informed teaching crystal clear

newsletter.jamieleeclark.com

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Aug 20

📚Excited to be visiting this Friday (22nd Aug) to deliver a CPD session. Looking forward to meeting the staff and celebrating their achievement of the Research Mark Plus Kitemark from the @CharteredColl 👏📚

For more information visit Teach-Lead.com

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Jun 5

I attended the TransformEd Strategic Review of NI Curriculum by @lucy_crehan today — bold ideas and a shared commitment to shaping a better future for every learner through equity and opportunity. Very keen to see how this is shaped and implemented. #EducationMatters
@Education_NI @Ed_Authority

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · May 13

📢This week’s blog:
Using A3 Knowledge Organisers for GCSE Creative/Personal Writing and Literary Comparatives - links to research and resources are included. #EnglishGCSE #SeeOneDoOneTeachOne

teach-lead.com/2025/05/13/u...

Using Knowledge Organisers: Personal Writing & Literary Comparative

Unit 4 is quite a tricky wee paper due to the demands placed on pupils to partake in ‘task switching’ (great read if you are interested in knowing more). The shifting of approaches from…

teach-lead.com

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · May 11

📚 Just arrived yesterday!
@xpateducator.bsky.social "One Pagers Vol 2"
In the fast-paced school & edu environment, this book offers great clarity and is a cornerstone for school improvement - grateful to have been included in this book - fantastic work by Jamie once again! 👍🏻
Good luck with it! 😊

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Apr 30

📢This week’s blog:
Using Knowledge Organisers for GCSE Persuasive Writing and Non-Fiction Texts.

teach-lead.com/2025/04/30/u...

Using Knowledge Organisers: Persuasive and Non-Fiction Texts

In this blog, I’ll share some last-minute practical tips for using Knowledge Organisers (KOs) for Unit 1. Over the years, I’ve printed and distributed these for GCSE classes across the …

teach-lead.com

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Apr 17

📢🚨Updated KO for @CCEA_info English Lang U1
Tried and tested revision scaffolds, mnemonics and writing stems that are excellent for short and focused revision tasks. Pupils love them and helps to change the 'cannot revise for English' mindset.

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Apr 6

📚Delighted to hear colleagues have recently bought my book.
It is packed with lesson ideas, model examples and oracy based exercises and scripts for GCSE.
See One Do One Teach One
amzn.eu/d/7yy531p
Hope you find this wee book #SODOTO useful! 😊

See One. Do One. Teach One: 12 lessons to support GCSE English: Amazon.co.uk: Ferguson, Martin: 9781915261328: Books

Buy See One. Do One. Teach One: 12 lessons to support GCSE English by Ferguson, Martin (ISBN: 9781915261328) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

amzn.eu

Reposted by Martin Ferguson

Litdrive @litdrive.bsky.social · Mar 28

🗓️ #LitdriveCPD25 🗓️

Litdrive's national conference at Aston University is happening tomorrow! Arrive by 9am with our welcome talk starting at 9.30am. Let us know if you are coming along! 🐝

#LitdriveCPD #TeamEnglish

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 25

New Blog Post Out Now! www.teach-lead.com
📢 Standardisation and Moderation 🚨 👉Free Resources Included✍️

teach-lead.com/2025/03/25/e...

Everything in Moderation: How can we harness the power of Standardisation & Moderation?

The Rule of Saint Benedict, written around 530 AD, advises that “all things be done with moderation,” ensuring that monks avoided extreme asceticism and maintained a sustainable lifesty…

teach-lead.com

Reposted by Martin Ferguson

Mark Enser @ensermark.bsky.social · Feb 22

*** NEW POST ***

@greeborunner.bsky.social explores why you sometimes just need to get out of teachers' way...

wp.me/p7mhqT-OI

Getting Out of the Way

Much of my adult identity was bound up in being a teacher. For over 20 years I had lived my life by bells and terms and assessment deadlines. Most of my friends were teachers (that is still the cas…

wp.me

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 22

Really excited about the upcoming LitDrive event in Birmingham next Saturday!
One Week To Go!
#LitDrive25 #TeamEnglish

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Feb 6

🚨 @litdrive.bsky.social🚨
Cannot wait to take part in LitDrive Conference. The lineup is excellent and it is a real opportunity to meet practitioners and experts, and magpie the best practice out there! Well done to the organisers 👏

Tickets available here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/litdrivecp...

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 14

🚨One Pagers: Volume 2🚨
Another superb title from Jamie Clark that needs to be in every CPD library. This is the second installment of the highly rated and highly successful 'One Pagers' series.

Good luck, Jamie! 👍 #OnePagers #JamieClark

Pre order here: amzn.eu/d/4q5qdoz
amzn.eu/d/9YQ6MXe

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 12

📚📖 CPD Courses Available 📖📚
www.teach-lead.com
Bespoke CPD Available!
From Action Planning and Formative Assessment to Scaffolding for Success and Literacy Across the Curriculum - there are seminars available for whole staff training or departmental collaboration.

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 12

Two very important, ambitious and aspirational docs - there is lots of good will, talent and skill across the edu sys in NI. What is evident is our sys needs flex & high quality training.
We also need to address selection if we are to truly make long lasting changes & tackle social mobility.

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 7

Incredible night @gohbelfast to watch family friend, Aidan Halfpenny, perform as Marius Pontmercy. The cast & production were superb. We especially loved hearing the Belfast brogue and one liners in there too! Lovely touch.
Congratulations to all involved.
#LesMiserableBelfast🌹
#LetThePeopleSing

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Mar 3

Scaffolding GCSE and A Level.
Slides finalised and ready to go for @LitdriveUK Conference @AstonUniversity Birmingham! Can't wait to take part in this event and meet the other speakers too. Schedule is packed full of brilliant presenters and English experts. #LitDriveCPD2025 👏

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Feb 18

Happy to share that I've successfully achieved the Development of Teaching Practice Award (Leadership) from Chartered College of Teaching with support from the Education Authority (Northern Ireland) 🙌

Would highly recommend the courses on offer! #CharteredCollege

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Feb 6

🚨 @litdrive.bsky.social🚨
Cannot wait to take part in LitDrive Conference. The lineup is excellent and it is a real opportunity to meet practitioners and experts, and magpie the best practice out there! Well done to the organisers 👏

Tickets available here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/litdrivecp...

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Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Jan 30

🚨 My New Blog Is Out! 📚
Thinking, Talking and Writing:
Using Starters and Stems
This blog features ways to support writing and structure talk. There are some FREE support resources for class teachers too 😊

teach-lead.com/2025/01/30/t...

Thinking, Talking and Writing: Starters, Stems and Scaffolds.

The content emphasizes the significance of language and communication in education, particularly in enhancing pupils’ potential. It highlights various strategies such as using scaffolds, info…

teach-lead.com

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Jan 26

Sunday Reading 📚

Alex Quigley @alexjquigley.bsky.social · Jan 25

🚨 NEW POST 🚨

‘Supporting shy pupils to talk in class’

“The quiet, and seemingly passive, behaviour of shy pupils can see them miss important learning opportunities.”

alexquigley.co.uk/supporting-s...

Supporting shy pupils to talk in class

Shy pupils can easily, often unnoticed, slide to the sides of lessons. Supporting such pupils, who are nervous to talk with their peers or in front of the class, can be a tricky business but also vita...

alexquigley.co.uk

Martin Ferguson @mrferguson85.bsky.social · Jan 24

Thanks @johncattedu.bsky.social for @rethinkingjames.bsky.social great book for making effective & sustainable change. This book helps focus minds & energy. Stakes are too high & poor implementation is costly for all involved. This book offers clear & detailed roadmaps for success. Congrats James👍

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