Video and audio tips

215 short tips from world-leading educators

Each video focuses on one specific, concrete strategy or idea you can try in your classroom.

Tips shared by me and my guests, including Dylan Wiliam, Daisy Christodoulou, Tom Sherrington, Mary Myatt, Tom Bennett, Adam Boxer, Clare Sealy and Peps McCrea. Feel free to play the clips as part of any CPD you run. New videos go on my Tips for Teachers YouTube channel.

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Tips for Teachers Top 5s

Five tips on one topic in a single video. These collections are all taken from my Tips for Teachers book.

Top 5Paired discussions

Top 5Mini-whiteboards

Top 5Checking for understanding

Top 5Silent Teacher

Top 5The Do Now

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All 215 tips

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Search, pick a topic, or choose one of the 35 people who share tips. Every tip is a short video; where there is one, you can also listen to the full audio conversation it comes from.

9Habits and routines

Build habits, not one-off things Harry Fletcher-Wood Listen to the full audio episode

Willpower is overrated Peps McCrea

Consistency before challenge Peps McCrea

Be aware of the Valley of Latent Potential Craig Barton

Don’t just describe a routine, justify it Craig Barton

Don’t just introduce a routine, retrieve it Craig Barton

Teach students what to do when they are stuck Tom Bennett Listen to the full audio episode

Beware the distraction addiction Jamie Thom Listen to the full audio episode

Interruptions leave a wake Peps McCrea

15Behaviour and relationships

Validate introverts Jamie Thom Listen to the full audio episode

Three reflections on behaviour in schools Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Teach behaviour lesson one Femi Adeniran Listen to the full audio episode

Use the school behaviour policy Tom Bennett Listen to the full audio episode

Use non-verbal gestures for better behaviour management Mark Roberts Listen to the full audio episode

Students need to know you are in charge of the classroom Tom Bennett Listen to the full audio episode

Be clear and follow through Charlie Burkitt Listen to the full audio episode

Think creatively when attempting to improve engagement/performance of boys Jon Mumford Listen to the full audio episode

Enjoy the kids’ company Charlie Burkitt Listen to the full audio episode

To develop resilience you need both high challenge and high support Bradley Busch Listen to the full audio episode

Teach students how to behave in a supply or cover lesson Tom Bennett Listen to the full audio episode

Teach students how to have the right equipment Tom Bennett Listen to the full audio episode

Make detention work fit the crime Dylan Wiliam Listen to the full audio episode

Ban mobile phones Bradley Busch Listen to the full audio episode

Some behaviours are more important than others Kieran Mackle Listen to the full audio episode

5Increasing the participation ratio

Lesson phases and formative assessment strategies: an exercise Craig Barton

Securing 100% student attention Pritesh Raichura Listen to the full audio episode

To reduce “choppy time” in lessons, use a Front Loaded Means of Participation and wait for Golden Silence Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

Ask the whole class questions Charlie Burkitt Listen to the full audio episode

Use All Hands Up Cold Calling Pritesh Raichura Listen to the full audio episode

4Mini-whiteboards

To make sure your students are ready to practise, use mini-whiteboards Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

Mini-whiteboards: go deep on the routine Craig Barton

Mini-whiteboards: start from the back Craig Barton

Keep spare mini-whiteboard pen lids Emma Turner Listen to the full audio episode

2Paired and group work

Use partner work as a chance to recruit quiet kids to share their thinking Michael Pershan Listen to the full audio episode

When doing group work, make clear the group is responsible Sammy Kempner Listen to the full audio episode

25Checking for understanding

Find a tool that tells you what’s really happening Harry Fletcher-Wood Listen to the full audio episode

Be aware of student bias Sarah Donarski Listen to the full audio episode

Three reasons students don’t know the answer Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Check for understanding Ollie Lovell Listen to the full audio episode

Always build from what they know Sarah Cottingham Listen to the full audio episode

Always check for understanding Clare Sealy Listen to the full audio episode

No hints before a check for understanding Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Planning the checks for understanding Craig Latimir

Ask a question at the end of every lesson that every student should be able to get right Daisy Christodoulou Listen to the full audio episode

Planning the end of a lesson Craig Latimir

Consider lengthening wait times to maximise retrieval Bradley Busch Listen to the full audio episode

How to ensure questioning involves all pupils Jade Pearce Listen to the full audio episode

The Tick Trick Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Ask students to make a pre-topic mind map Alex Quigley Listen to the full audio episode

Use talk cubes to encourage students to contribute Emma Turner Listen to the full audio episode

Start with whoever got 8 out of 10 Tom Sherrington Listen to the full audio episode

Use Post-it notes to find out what they don’t understand Mark Roberts Listen to the full audio episode

Play “Just a minute!” Alex Quigley Listen to the full audio episode

Provide explicit scaffolds for verbal responses Tom Sherrington Listen to the full audio episode

Pick the student least likely to know Sammy Kempner Listen to the full audio episode

Foster cross-class accountability Tom Sherrington Listen to the full audio episode

Trick your students to test if they really understand Sammy Kempner Listen to the full audio episode

Depressurise learning Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

Diagnostic Questions – the perfect exit ticket? Craig Barton

How to design good multiple-choice questions Kate Jones Listen to the full audio episode

8Responsive teaching

17Planning lessons

The crucial role of curriculum Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Lesson planning mistakes Craig Latimir

Lesson planning principles Craig Latimir

The first thing to think about Craig Latimir

Make question planning part of lesson planning Dylan Wiliam Listen to the full audio episode

Focus on explanations, not resources Femi Adeniran Listen to the full audio episode

Plan sequences not lessons Jemma Sherwood Listen to the full audio episode

Backwards plan. ALWAYS backwards plan! Ollie Lovell Listen to the full audio episode

Be super clear about what you want children to learn Clare Sealy Listen to the full audio episode

Do less, but better Harry Fletcher-Wood Listen to the full audio episode

We should all be focussing on doing fewer things and greater depth Mary Myatt Listen to the full audio episode

Review every lesson plan in terms of what the student is thinking about Daisy Christodoulou Listen to the full audio episode

Plan for error Emma Turner Listen to the full audio episode

Take a low effort, high impact approach to task and question design Kate Jones Listen to the full audio episode

Teach what you mean to teach Jemma Sherwood Listen to the full audio episode

Focus on the concepts and the Big Ideas in our curriculum Mary Myatt Listen to the full audio episode

Learning doesn’t start in Year 7 Craig Latimir Listen to the full audio episode

28Examples and modelling

Beware the curse of knowledge Sarah Cottingham Listen to the full audio episode

Set out the big picture Tom Sherrington Listen to the full audio episode

We know more and remember more when we’ve heard it in a story Mary Myatt Listen to the full audio episode

Planning the exposition Craig Latimir

Planning the modelling Craig Latimir

Mind your modes Peps McCrea

Question, don’t tell Sammy Kempner Listen to the full audio episode

Use explicit instruction for novice learners Jade Pearce Listen to the full audio episode

Model techniques live Jo Morgan Listen to the full audio episode

Try teaching from anywhere in the room Jake Gordon Listen to the full audio episode

Begin your explanations as a series of questions that everyone can answer Michael Pershan Listen to the full audio episode

Use, where possible, dialogic teaching Sarah Donarski Listen to the full audio episode

Encourage students to say “stop!” if they are confused during an explanation Emma Turner Listen to the full audio episode

Avoid the Split-Attention Effect during worked examples Craig Barton

What you say matters Jemma Sherwood Listen to the full audio episode

What you don’t say matters Jemma Sherwood Listen to the full audio episode

Don’t ask students to listen and read simultaneously Craig Barton

Explicitly teach the skills an expert in your domain uses Craig Latimir Listen to the full audio episode

Use visual aids, including props and online tools to bring explanations alive Jo Morgan Listen to the full audio episode

Reduce clutter from everything students see and hear Jake Gordon Listen to the full audio episode

Beware of seductive details Craig Barton

Use examples, not definitions, when teaching & assessing Daisy Christodoulou Listen to the full audio episode

Get used to asking “what if” after explaining something Michael Pershan Listen to the full audio episode

Provoke curiosity in our students Mary Myatt Listen to the full audio episode

Further thoughts on the Myth of Copying Things Down Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Hone your public speaking Jamie Thom Listen to the full audio episode

Feign enthusiasm when necessary Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

9Student practice

22Memory and retrieval

We have little insight into our learning Dylan Wiliam Listen to the full audio episode

Challenge students on what they like versus what’s best for them Bradley Busch Listen to the full audio episode

How to overcome the limits of working memory Ollie Lovell Listen to the full audio episode

Have a robust culture of retrieval Clare Sealy Listen to the full audio episode

Understand the active ingredients of retrieval practice Jade Pearce Listen to the full audio episode

Retrieval practice is worth investing time to understand and use Sarah Cottingham Listen to the full audio episode

How to make retrieval practice work David Goodwin Listen to the full audio episode

Try using a collage collection to stimulate ideas Alex Quigley Listen to the full audio episode

Show your students the Forgetting Curve Craig Barton

Show your students a model of memory Craig Barton

Show your students that being familiar with something is not the same as knowing it Craig Barton

Develop systematic revision Charlie Burkitt Listen to the full audio episode

Planning the Do Now Craig Latimir

Give worked examples with retrieval starters Jake Gordon Listen to the full audio episode

Get your students to assign confidence scores to their answers Craig Barton

How to organise the disorganised Jon Mumford Listen to the full audio episode

Make corrections quizzable Craig Barton

Sometimes it is better to review than retrieve Kate Jones Listen to the full audio episode

Make use of the Encoding Specificity Principle Kate Jones Listen to the full audio episode

How to make the best use of technology for retrieval practice Kate Jones Listen to the full audio episode

Choose the purpose of your Do Now… and tell your students! Craig Barton

Revision should start from day one of a course, not at the end Julia Smith Listen to the full audio episode

3Data and assessment

To make good use of data, compare to other subjects Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

Know how to effectively assess Sarah Donarski Listen to the full audio episode

Stop talking about grades Mark Roberts Listen to the full audio episode

3Homework

To make homework more effective, integrate it with classwork Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

My favourite homework activity Craig Barton

Rebrand homework as practice David Goodwin Listen to the full audio episode

10Marking and feedback

Don’t give negative managerial feedback Mark Roberts Listen to the full audio episode

How to improve feedback Jade Pearce Listen to the full audio episode

Choose the right feedback type Sarah Donarski Listen to the full audio episode

Don’t do written comments Daisy Christodoulou Listen to the full audio episode

The best feedback is a learning activity, and it’s much better than written feedback on the page Michael Pershan Listen to the full audio episode

No feedback, more teaching Clare Sealy Listen to the full audio episode

Make feedback into detective work Dylan Wiliam Listen to the full audio episode

Consider the impact of audio feedback Jon Mumford Listen to the full audio episode

Use D.I.R.T. as a post-assessment formative tool Jon Mumford Listen to the full audio episode

How to get students peer-assessing with group critique Jon Mumford Listen to the full audio episode

21Improving as a teacher

Use tips when they act as solutions to problems you face Sarah Cottingham Listen to the full audio episode

Ask students “What was the most useful thing I did today?” Emma Turner Listen to the full audio episode

Inquire into mechanisms Ollie Lovell Listen to the full audio episode

Study the teachers you respect Charlie Burkitt Listen to the full audio episode

Have your coffee whilst sitting in the classrooms of effective teachers Femi Adeniran Listen to the full audio episode

Work out why things work Harry Fletcher-Wood Listen to the full audio episode

The power of teachers reading research Jade Pearce Listen to the full audio episode

Ask yourself “what evidence would change your mind?” Bradley Busch Listen to the full audio episode

Use research on learning not as a prescription but as a compass Sarah Cottingham Listen to the full audio episode

Ignite the CPD culture Sarah Donarski Listen to the full audio episode

Leave space between reading and implementation Kieran Mackle Listen to the full audio episode

Treat the act of teacher development like teaching Kieran Mackle Listen to the full audio episode

Read for pleasure and read for progress Sonia Thompson Listen to the full audio episode

Be clear about your career pathway Sonia Thompson Listen to the full audio episode

Make use of the NPQs Sonia Thompson Listen to the full audio episode

You can learn something from everybody Ollie Lovell Listen to the full audio episode

Go out and visit other schools Sonia Thompson Listen to the full audio episode

Nobody really knows what they are doing Kieran Mackle Listen to the full audio episode

Ask “who is this for?” Mary Myatt Listen to the full audio episode

What’s happening in AI right now, and what does it mean for education? Peps McCrea

Rethinking To-Do lists Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

4Observations and coaching

How to observe a lesson Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

How to give a colleague feedback Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

Diagnosis in coaching Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Develop competing hypotheses when observing teaching and learning Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

5Leadership and culture

To lower workload and build a better team ethic, make culture explicit Adam Boxer Listen to the full audio episode

Think about implementation Sonia Thompson Listen to the full audio episode

Be explicit when modelling for colleagues Kieran Mackle Listen to the full audio episode

The principles of Cog Sci apply to humans (not just students) Craig Latimir Listen to the full audio episode

Leave a legacy Craig Latimir Listen to the full audio episode

6Health and well-being

Maintain perspective Harry Fletcher-Wood Listen to the full audio episode

Remember the tortoise and the hare Jamie Thom Listen to the full audio episode

Tackle the negativity radio Jamie Thom Listen to the full audio episode

How to get better sleep Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

The secret to a happy life Craig Latimir Listen to the full audio episode

End the day on a positive Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

8Maths, Maths, Maths!

Use the same questions, with different numbers Sammy Kempner Listen to the full audio episode

Use calculators with students from the earliest opportunity Jo Morgan Listen to the full audio episode

The power of a slideshow for teaching mathematics Ollie Lovell and Craig Barton

Doing maths is not the same as teaching maths Jemma Sherwood Listen to the full audio episode

Practice, practice, practice…not until you can get it right but until you cannot get it wrong Julia Smith Listen to the full audio episode

It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it…and that’s what gets results Julia Smith Listen to the full audio episode

Fluency in the four operations is a cornerstone of developing mathematical understanding Julia Smith Listen to the full audio episode

How to deal with students who say they hate maths or are no good at maths Julia Smith Listen to the full audio episode

10Reading, literacy and oracy

Learn about reading development Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

Provide opportunities for students to read in lessons David Goodwin Listen to the full audio episode

Every teacher should make the teaching of literacy a high priority Clare Sealy Listen to the full audio episode

Analyse words using morphology and etymology Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

Focus on developing keystone vocabulary Alex Quigley Listen to the full audio episode

Develop vocabulary David Goodwin Listen to the full audio episode

Assess reading difficulties and respond Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

How to improve students’ ability to write David Goodwin Listen to the full audio episode

Support your students using sentence expanding Alex Quigley Listen to the full audio episode

Get your pupils to spell their name backwards Daisy Christodoulou Listen to the full audio episode

1Micro-tips

7 micro-tips from Chris Such Chris Such Listen to the full audio episode

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