@carmenzs.bsky.social
The trends on displays serves to keep the SLTs busy. I cannot put anything on my walls because of the materials used. Officially to prevent cognitive overload. I had verb tables to quickly point and justify corrections. You could call it dual coding. Ad hoc explanations to justify prejudices, fads.
January 24, 2026 at 4:52 PM
The trends on displays serves to keep the SLTs busy. I cannot put anything on my walls because of the materials used. Officially to prevent cognitive overload. I had verb tables to quickly point and justify corrections. You could call it dual coding. Ad hoc explanations to justify prejudices, fads.
Reposted
This system has not being good for languages, my field. When I started teaching I could be a responsive teacher: I knew my students and I could adapt my teaching. Now we have a "knowledge" system that doesn't make any sense and focuses too much on made up grammar rules and too little on usage.
January 17, 2026 at 11:36 AM
This system has not being good for languages, my field. When I started teaching I could be a responsive teacher: I knew my students and I could adapt my teaching. Now we have a "knowledge" system that doesn't make any sense and focuses too much on made up grammar rules and too little on usage.
Or give up on the toxic system of accountability and acknowledge that education outcomes are complex, not fully dependent on schools and that schools should not be competing against each other, but collaborating to succeed. And that teaching should not have a negative impact on your mental health.
January 17, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Or give up on the toxic system of accountability and acknowledge that education outcomes are complex, not fully dependent on schools and that schools should not be competing against each other, but collaborating to succeed. And that teaching should not have a negative impact on your mental health.
Actually, I always tell them that the pleasure of "cussing" somebody is that they understand you, so they do not need to worry about that. Mostly I have been told that by adults, not by children.
January 14, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Actually, I always tell them that the pleasure of "cussing" somebody is that they understand you, so they do not need to worry about that. Mostly I have been told that by adults, not by children.
If they hear a conversation in another language they are full of admiration. And many of them do it every day!
Never worked in only English allowed schools, I worked in one with no EAL provision and Spanish only kids. They were told they would catch English just by sitting in lessons, like a cold.
Never worked in only English allowed schools, I worked in one with no EAL provision and Spanish only kids. They were told they would catch English just by sitting in lessons, like a cold.
January 14, 2026 at 8:36 PM
If they hear a conversation in another language they are full of admiration. And many of them do it every day!
Never worked in only English allowed schools, I worked in one with no EAL provision and Spanish only kids. They were told they would catch English just by sitting in lessons, like a cold.
Never worked in only English allowed schools, I worked in one with no EAL provision and Spanish only kids. They were told they would catch English just by sitting in lessons, like a cold.
I always found that objection weird: "you could be talking about me". Yeah, and you could be eavesdropping.
January 14, 2026 at 6:42 AM
I always found that objection weird: "you could be talking about me". Yeah, and you could be eavesdropping.
And the pretence that schools compete against each other, like "one meter or track competing against another", and the fiction of teachers making a huge impact when they have no freedom and they are told how and what to teach by not experts and politicians, because "we are fed up of experts".
January 14, 2026 at 6:37 AM
And the pretence that schools compete against each other, like "one meter or track competing against another", and the fiction of teachers making a huge impact when they have no freedom and they are told how and what to teach by not experts and politicians, because "we are fed up of experts".
I might be biased because I hate the workload the new GCSE is giving me, but I think I am starting to see this kind of question in the new GCSE higher materials. They are concentrating on what grammar can be explained, so they are testing grammar rather than understanding.
January 8, 2026 at 8:21 PM
I might be biased because I hate the workload the new GCSE is giving me, but I think I am starting to see this kind of question in the new GCSE higher materials. They are concentrating on what grammar can be explained, so they are testing grammar rather than understanding.
My degree was mostly linguistics, I hated writing essays when I could be reading more. Languages were for nearly everybody when I started teaching and we were teaching better, students became fluent, had decent accents without "phonics" or Spanish through English from textbooks.
December 17, 2025 at 8:24 PM
My degree was mostly linguistics, I hated writing essays when I could be reading more. Languages were for nearly everybody when I started teaching and we were teaching better, students became fluent, had decent accents without "phonics" or Spanish through English from textbooks.
I don´t agree that some philology is useless. Not sure how else you can access C1 without philology content that includes modern linguistics, not the nonsense that passes for grammar in schools.
A friend of mine recently completed a masters in AI and he had to learn linguistics to be admitted.
A friend of mine recently completed a masters in AI and he had to learn linguistics to be admitted.
December 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I don´t agree that some philology is useless. Not sure how else you can access C1 without philology content that includes modern linguistics, not the nonsense that passes for grammar in schools.
A friend of mine recently completed a masters in AI and he had to learn linguistics to be admitted.
A friend of mine recently completed a masters in AI and he had to learn linguistics to be admitted.
The role play kills me. What is the point? Tell the students what to say in English before they hear the other person in the role play.
December 14, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The role play kills me. What is the point? Tell the students what to say in English before they hear the other person in the role play.
Cognitive overload for the examining teacher. A very stressful day.
December 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Cognitive overload for the examining teacher. A very stressful day.
I watched an ALL webinar last week that made me realise I have a lot to ponder before the speaking mocks in February.
December 14, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I watched an ALL webinar last week that made me realise I have a lot to ponder before the speaking mocks in February.
I don't think I will ever teach it again, and I miss it. Stupid as it might be, it makes more sense than this "knowledge" GCSE, full of made up nonsense by non-native speakers and rules that have nothing to do with how one learns or speaks a language. If I could I would transfer to primary.
December 13, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I don't think I will ever teach it again, and I miss it. Stupid as it might be, it makes more sense than this "knowledge" GCSE, full of made up nonsense by non-native speakers and rules that have nothing to do with how one learns or speaks a language. If I could I would transfer to primary.
In a recent subject area meeting all teachers were concerned about the viability of MFL A Level. One school changed from AQA to Edexcel because paper 1 has less weight in the final grade.
My students have really enjoyed the syllabus. Boards are killing A level with ignorance and bad exams.
My students have really enjoyed the syllabus. Boards are killing A level with ignorance and bad exams.
December 13, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In a recent subject area meeting all teachers were concerned about the viability of MFL A Level. One school changed from AQA to Edexcel because paper 1 has less weight in the final grade.
My students have really enjoyed the syllabus. Boards are killing A level with ignorance and bad exams.
My students have really enjoyed the syllabus. Boards are killing A level with ignorance and bad exams.
I'll teach till holidays. Exam week, I was sick but exams made it manageable. Yesterday I showed Y9 Saludos Amigos, gave historical content and I told them to focus on the portrayal of the four countries then and now and why. Poor behaviour made watching a movie not a nice experience.
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 PM
I'll teach till holidays. Exam week, I was sick but exams made it manageable. Yesterday I showed Y9 Saludos Amigos, gave historical content and I told them to focus on the portrayal of the four countries then and now and why. Poor behaviour made watching a movie not a nice experience.
Education reminds me of Tacitus: they create a desolation and they call it outstanding. Teachers are leaving the profession, UK children, unhappiest at 15 (just before GCSE).
Gove, Bennet and Gibb: I hope it is as good for you as it was for the rest of us.
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...
Gove, Bennet and Gibb: I hope it is as good for you as it was for the rest of us.
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...
‘Happiness recession’: UK 15-year-olds at bottom of European satisfaction league
Quarter of British teenagers in age group report low life satisfaction, compared with 7% of their Dutch peers
www.theguardian.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Education reminds me of Tacitus: they create a desolation and they call it outstanding. Teachers are leaving the profession, UK children, unhappiest at 15 (just before GCSE).
Gove, Bennet and Gibb: I hope it is as good for you as it was for the rest of us.
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...
Gove, Bennet and Gibb: I hope it is as good for you as it was for the rest of us.
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...
Children with more challenging needs often don't attend "outstanding" oversubscribed schools. They go to undersubscribed schools that have less money and overrepresentation of challenging needs. I am also reading of home educated children because they cannot cope with mainstream schools.
December 13, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Children with more challenging needs often don't attend "outstanding" oversubscribed schools. They go to undersubscribed schools that have less money and overrepresentation of challenging needs. I am also reading of home educated children because they cannot cope with mainstream schools.
Overpromoted loud mouths arguing "evidence" while ignoring what is staring at them. A system allowing free academies to pick students, leaving other schools to clear their mess, as all children are entitled to education.
December 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Overpromoted loud mouths arguing "evidence" while ignoring what is staring at them. A system allowing free academies to pick students, leaving other schools to clear their mess, as all children are entitled to education.
The siren suit is work wear? Please, where can I find out more!
December 12, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The siren suit is work wear? Please, where can I find out more!