One of the reasons I love teaching science is the diversity that comes with it. Teaching 5 different classes however can be rather monotonous so it is important to ensure that there is some differentiation in work that is completed in the classroom - otherwise marking become repetitive!

On a lovely day I took my classes out (one by one) to collect 5 different natural items. In order to do this each student was given a small bag which had a number attached to the bag (the number corresponded with their assigned seat number) which was just a laminated number on a string hooked onto the handle. I bought the bags in a pack of 3 from Cheap as Chips for about a $1 each.

When I first started teaching I don't think I truly appreciated how important word walls would become. I had always intended to work with older students - thus those first couple of years were a bit of a shock.

Here is what I have learned over the years about setting up and maintaining a working word wall...

Encouraging students to write well is occasionally difficult. The first time that someone puts pen to paper they are convinced it is the most fantastic piece of writing ever created...and then they learn to be brutal and edit...and then they embark on become a truly talented writer.

I was very disappointed to learn this week that Authonomy was closing. For those of you who have never used the website, Authonomy was run by HarperCollins and along with reading the work of other writers you could also review and comment. The highlight was the top 5 books being reviewed by HarperCollins...but this is now all closing down.