The laziest teacher in town
There are two things that will transform the nature of teaching and learning in this country – brave heads and lazy teachers.
So, when it comes to helping teachers to teach less (and the children learn more) there’s one person who can really show schools how it’s done. After all, Jim Smith is one of the laziest, offloadiest, most delegation–happy teachers we’ve ever met.
And it’s no coincidence that he’s also one of the best classroom practitioners we know.
Apart from his teaching responsibilities and role as a senior leader at Clevedon School in North Somerset he has also worked closely with Independent Thinking for several years on a variety of different projects, including the innovative Learning Bug software.
Jim is passionate about ensuring learners get more from their education than the standard diet of classroom-based teacher-led learning. To this end he has instigated a whole variety of opportunities and projects for students both from his own school and from schools across the authority but always with a common theme. See if you can spot it:
• Asked by schools to create a package for CPD on learning styles – he got the students to do it!
• Asked by a school to examine 'Schemes of Learning' – he got the students to do it!
• Asked to act as a consultant over a new homework policy – he got the students to do it! (And they scrapped homework at the same time - but that’s a different story…)
• Asked to develop a range of challenges for raising aspirations – he got the students to do it!
• Asked to act as a consultant on the Learning Bug project – he got the students to do it!
• Asked to design new 21st century learning spaces for a Sixth Form Centre – he got the students to do it!
See what we mean? What Jim will do is help your classrooms to become places where children and students understand the nature of teaching and learning to become genuine independent thinkers and learners.
Jim has a number of roles with Independent Thinking – including leading on a major BSF Transformational Learning project in the south west – and is now available to help spread his ‘lazy teacher’ ethos through his powerful, practical and entertaining INSET sessions and conference addresses. These are comments from teachers who have already had the Lazy Teacher INSET Experience:
- Deputy head has used the 'nominate a student to answer questions' technique (and got an otherwise silent student talking as a consequence!) and mobile phones have been used legally in many lessons (the Head started her beginning of term briefing yesterday afternoon waiving the no phones in lessons ban providing the use of them supported learning). Forgot to mention the talk of competitions to create House mascots and the teacher who has finally taught a poetry lesson without having to download millions of work sheets from the internet! I think we can safely say you did a marvellous job - thank you!!!!
- I just wanted to thank you very much for yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the day - it was informative, challenging and entertaining
- The evaluations were really positive - you got 'excellent' from all!
- Thanks again for today - I really enjoyed it and was genuinely challenged and excited. A measure of your success was that I forgot to take photos until after lunch
- ‘You really inspired our Staff – they are looking forward to starting work next term which is a first!’
- ‘Thank you for giving me the confidence to teach differently’
- ‘Not patronising. Very practical – loved it’
- 'A lot of staff have come away feeling quite challenged (in a positive way) about their classroom practice so you certainly provided food for thought’
- 'The feedback I have had from staff has been really positive and people have been inspired to get cracking this term’
You can even have Jim in the classroom with you as part of our unique Show Me! INSET approach, but in true lazy style your learners will be the busy ones.
And he’s finding the time to write the Lazy Teacher’s Handbook, part of the Independent Thinking Series.
For more information about how Jim can help you help the learners learn more by teaching less please e-mail us on learn@independentthinking.co.uk or call us 0844 589 0490.
For Jim's prices click here
And remember, if the word ‘laminate’ crops up in your lesson planning, you’re trying too hard.
Article Written by Jim Smith
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