Our trio are joined this week by experienced educator, Jerry Mussio, from British Columbia. We’re discussing the historical context of curriculum implementation, the challenges faced by teachers, and the role of policymakers in shaping education. What are the systematic issues within educational frameworks? Is more support needed for teachers in effectively implementing curriculum changes? Plus, Jerry emphasises the necessity of returning to real-world experiences in policy-making and the influence of external agencies on curriculum development.

We’re talking community this week on The School of School Podcast, with special guest, Sarah Matthews joining us. Sarah’s school has a nearby army barracks, so has high mobility. What things does her school do to build a sense of community and safety for pupils? How are transitions for newly-joining students managed? Find out!

We’re delving into differentiation this week, chatting about various strategies for differentiation, including scaffolding, varying learning environments, and adapting expectations based on student readiness. Do pupils get labelled too soon based off of perceived ability?

This week, our trio are discussing a word that can have many meanings to many different people in education: Mastery. Our crew focus on the distinction between instrumental and relational understanding in mathematics, and how in other fields, the two types of understanding apply.

In this episode, our hosts delve into the concept of problem solving, discussing its historical context, significance, and practical applications. We explore the contributions of both George Polya and the Cockroft Report.

It’s time to wrap up our core competency mini series, with Metacognition. Why is consistent practice of metacognitive strategies essential for improvement? What is Andy talking about when he says the teacher needs to act the buffoon? Plus, we revisit why the core competencies are so important.

This week’s core competency is Number Sense. What does having good number sense mean? How can we spot if students have poor number sense? Plus, the gang share the importance of contextual understanding of number.

This week’s focus is another core competency, Communication. We’re wondering — Is reading mathematically completely overlooked? What did Lev Vygotsky teach us about interactions and social learning? And should teachers be facilitating more opportunities for talk? Listen to find out!