The School of School

Sucking it up, Johnny cash, and more. In this episode, Andy and Adam are joined again by Justin Bullard, Founder and CEO of MPath Productions, to continue their discussion on building confident, empathetic learners. How can we manage punishment to better a bully’s perception and understanding? What was a turning point for Justin in terms of understanding others? Plus, the generational difference w...

Fake accounts, Erik Estrada from CHiPs, and more. In this episode, Andy and Adam are joined by guest Justin Bullard, Founder and CEO of MPath Productions to discuss the building of confident and resilient learners. What helps improve a child’s empathy skills? Would these skills be useful for a bullied child? Plus, the challenges and dangers of having children using social media are discussed.

Feeling welcome, hanging up coats, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam are joined again by special guest, Fiona Smith - a Product Manager from Maths — No Problem! How do we ensure kids get the best start possible? Just how valuable are early years observations? Plus, Andy reflects on the profound experience of being in a new environment as a kid.

Justin Timberlake, Gnomeo and Juliet, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined again by special guest, Dr. Mario Trono, to discuss the role of popular media in today’s classroom. Is there a risk in showing popular media to learners? What are the benefits? Plus, here if it’s okay to replace reading a book with audio or a film?

Pizza Fridays, falling from footballs, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam are joined by special guest, Fiona Smith - a Product Manager from Maths — No Problem! to discuss beyond early learning goals. What are the goals exactly? Plus, hear which topic is deemed to be less important for kids to be taught, and which topic is potentially emphasised as too important?

The debate continues! In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined by special guest, Dr. Mario Trono, to further discuss 'WOW' word of the week. Have our podcasters ever used the wrong word for the wrong occasion? What bodily function did Mario once threaten to do at a conference? Plus, find out which animal has over 40 different names in the UK, including 'Cheesy Bobs' and 'Monkey Peas'.

Contradictory Dialect, Golf Karts, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined by special guest, Dr. Mario Trono, to discuss 'WOW' word of the week. Is there a place for it in the classroom? Are these words easily forgotten? Plus, Emily suggests a regular activity that would likely have more impact.

Minecraft, Plastic Surgeons, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined again by special guest, Dr. Rachel Ralph from The Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, Canada. Does play have a bad name in education? Do we need to allow more artistic freedom? Plus, hear what Zoltan Dienes' influence is on the classroom of today.

The King's foot, Andy's experiments, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam discuss standards and conventions. What colour should clock hands be? Can too many conventions lead to misconceptions? Plus, find out where the world's original standard ruler lives.

Dodgy haircuts, Henry Kissinger, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam talk about feedback, prompts and punishment. Does criticism create better outcomes? Is a 'stick' only effective when the person wielding it is trusted? Plus, find out who got kicked out of their first high school...

Upside-down glasses, passport mistakes, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam weigh up the pros and cons of both old-school and new-age ways of writing. Has the paper seen its day? Should we digitise everything? Plus, hear Andy tell of an interesting experiment on the brain.

Trilingual childhoods, B-E-A-U-tiful, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam discuss the point of spelling tests. Are they essential? Are lots of random words the best way to learn? Plus, hear Emily speak of the importance of root words and phonics.

Crocodiles, TikToks, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined again by special guest, Dr. Mario Trono, to discuss maths visualisation. What memories does everyone have of early maths visualisation? What word did Mario struggle with? Plus, Andy discusses a frustrating maths exercise that'll lead to misconceptions.

Framed report cards, the maths gene, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined by special guest, Dr. Mario Trono an Associate Professor from Mount Royal University, Alberta, Canada. Why do people say they're less confident with Maths than other subjects? Plus, find out one of the reasons why Mario became an English Professor.

Dinosaurs in the kitchen, Free apps, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined again by special guest, Dr. Rachel Ralph from The Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, Canada. Are apps even sustainable to run? Is augmented reality the way forward? Plus, hear some research talk from Rachel's studies.

Emojis, The Lord of the Rings, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam discuss today's reading culture. Do all schools have a positive reading culture? Does the amount of text that kids consume nowadays affect them? Plus, Emily explains some reading research findings.

Tablets, blowing budgets, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam are joined by special guest, Dr. Rachel Ralph from The Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, Canada. What's the purpose behind technology in the classroom? Does technology add engagement? Plus, discussion on rote learning and memorisation.

Frankenstein, The Right Not To Read, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily and Adam discuss ways to help support your child's reading. Are there unwritten rules about reading? Are comics and graphic novels 'real' reading? Plus, find out at what age Andy read his first book.

Euclidean geometry, the CPA approach, and more. In this episode, Andy and Adam discuss representations and symbols. How important is it to use the right resources? Who is Jerome Bruner? Plus, hear why when learning how to count, pupils should use objects, not something abstract.

The learning police, gym equipment, and more. In this episode, Andy, Emily, and Adam discuss all things structures and routines. How strict should they be? Should we be teaching to the clock? Plus, hear what is suggested for a new teacher in terms of getting the right balance.

Straw holes, straight jackets, and more. In this episode, Andy and Adam chat about early years reform. What is the purpose of a curriculum? How flexible should it be? Plus, a discussion about how a teacher is supposed to know a child understands what 3 is.

Top tips, golden rules and more. In this episode Emily asks Adam to diagnose some crippling questions. How many slides does a circle have? How many vertices does a cone have? You may need a pen and paper here to help visualise the concepts discussed!

Butchers, mobile phones and more. In this episode Andy and Adam discuss the great debate: Man or Machine. Why can't we always use calculators? What do they take away from learning? Plus, advice on what age that calculators should be introduced at school.

Didactics, comfort drinking and more. In this episode Adam shares some invaluable advice on delivering the mastery approach effectively. Does the term 'covered' mean a topic is learnt? Does it help to film yourself teaching? Plus, advice on how teachers can get through topics quicker.

Ice Cream, citizenship tests and more. In this episode Emily and Adam discuss fluency and understanding. What is the definition of fluency? Is it more than simply being able to recall a fact? Plus, discussion of the danger of relying on memorisation.