This week I managed to find a new time window in my days for reading edu-blogs, so there's a cornucopia of interesting articles this week : )

T1 has received a lot of love. It's a post by @nomad_penguin on a ‘functions menu', essentially a list of characteristics of functions, and the goal for students is to satisfy all of the characteristics on the menu with the least number of functions. Great stuff!

T2 is a fascinating insight into what (and it's A LOT) @bennewmark and colleagues have been doing to shape a culture of exam preparation at school.

T3 is also about shaping culture, but this time about belonging and connection between students.

T4 is more great Ed Leadership from @Teacherhead. If you're wondering about setting school priorities, this article is a great place to start.

Other headings are probably pretty clear, but T9 perhaps needs a bit more explanation. It's about a study that measured the impact on student outcomes (e.g., school retention) as a result of an intervention focussed upon bringing in more culturally relevant curricula. Quite interesting.

T12 is for parents, especially with very young children, or soon-to-be parents. It's a fascinating podcast.

Then I've got a quick photo (make that photos, just added one more) for thought shrapnel. They were taken from a recent visit to Triabunna District school, on the east coast of Tasmania, where I saw some fantastic teaching and learning going on.

Enjoy!

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Functions menus: A great way to get students focusing on the key features of functions, via @nomad_penguin

What does it take to foster student commitment to comprehensive exam preparation? via @bennewmark

Connecting students and helping them feel part of a community, via @hfletcherwood

Some great places to start when setting the teaching and learning agenda at your school, via @teacherhead

How to start a book club in your school with students, via @rhwave2004

Why expanding suspension powers for schools must be carefully considered via @drlindagraham

On the dangers of denying the 30 million word gap, via @KathyandRo1

One way to deal with an anonymous/insulting email from a student, via @effortfuleduktr

A compelling case for an ethic studies curriculum, via @EmilyKPenner

A reflection on those students who don't have parents to congratulate them, via @bennewmark

Public schools outperform private schools, and with less money, via @dzyngier ‏

Emily Oster on what the data says about how to parent, via @EconTalker

THOUGHT SHRAPNEL: Language and understanding

Language and Understanding

Following my discussion with Judith Hochman for the ERRR podcast recently I've been a little more tuned in to the link between language and understanding. It prompted me take this photo the other day when a teacher I was observing, an experienced maths teacher from Triabunna District School, did a great job of scaffolding understanding by sharing what a given line of mathematics is' saying'. Jay Lemke tells us that effective science teaching helps students ‘become fluent speakers of science', this teacher was helping students to learn to ‘talk maths'

Thought I'd also add a photo of TDS's behaviour management flow chart. The early career teacher I was spending time with said that they'd found this super helpful, and it makes behaviours and consequences really clear to students also. I thought it was a great idea.

Ollie Lovell Oliver Lovell Triabunna District School behaviour plan

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