#145: Back to Basics: Things to Think About When Setting Cover Work

The time has come for you to miss a day or two, or more, of school. Maybe you are suddenly sick (it happens to all of us), maybe you’re on long-term leave, maybe you have a training workshop to attend, or maybe you have another legitimate reason to take time off school.What happens next could make or break your career at your school. That’s right – I did just say that. Poorly considered cover work, along with other factors, can result in dire consequences for you if you’re not careful. I’ve seen it happen all too often in my twenty years as a secondary school teacher, and I’m here to warn you, to educate you, and to empower you with the right information.This podcast episode is accompanied by a blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2026/02/22/back-to-basics-things-to-think-about-when-setting-cover-work/Check out my four books for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/books-for-teachers/

There are many changes coming to the teaching profession, and in this podcast episode I break them all down!My LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardjamesrogers/My website: https://richardjamesrogers.com/

The Senior Leadership Team at any school have the job of managing a wide-variety of school operations. Often, as educators, we can be anxious about what this group of senior teachers notice on a daily basis, and the behaviours we should adopt, and avoid. Check out my blog for teachers at richardjamesrogers.comMy award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/My second book, The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1689738995#teacherlife #richardjmesrogers #edchat

Traditional teaching techniques, such as cut-and-stick, retrieval practice, handwritten note-taking and many more are seeing a resurgence in popularity as the the dark days of EdTech overreach in the Covid times become a distant, yet haunting, memory. Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/My 1st book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management (winner of the Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal for Nonfiction, 2020, is available at https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/My 2nd book, The Power of Praise, is available at https://www.amazon.com/Power-Praise-Empowering-Students-Pedagogical-ebook/dp/B07WJXG4XJ#richardjamesrogers #teachingtips #edtech

The way a lesson begins determines the effectiveness of everything that has been planned. Start the lesson poorly, and watch sub-optimal learning take place later in the lesson. Start effectively, and you'll prime your students for deep, meaningful learning. | A podcast by Richard James Rogers, award-winning author and educator.Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, at https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/My second book, The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback, can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/Power-Praise-Empowering-Students-Pedagogical-ebook/dp/B07WJXG4XJI mentioned that I would include a blog post with ideas for starter activities. You can read that, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2016/03/04/7-starter-activities-for-pgce-students-and-newly-qualified-teachers/#richardjamesrogers #teachingtips #edchat #edtech

We’ve all been swept up by the hype that has come in the wake of the creation of generative AI (aka GenAI) systems. Back in 2023, when ChatGPT was launched, its capability was limited to text generation, spell checking and rudimentary admin work. Now, however, the form factors of GenAI come in so many shapes and sizes. People are using AI to create slide presentations, images and videos, to record meeting notes, to generate complex documents such as spreadsheets and academic papers and even to act as virtual therapists. In today's episode, I outline my favourite three GenAI apps for teachers in 2025. This podcast episode is accompanied by a blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/08/09/chatgpt-5-and-beyond-my-top-3-ai-tools-for-teachers-in-2025-and-beyond/Check out my books for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/books-for-teachers/Interested in some teacher training? I offer workshops! Check out my courses at https://richardjamesrogers.com/professional-development/#GPT5 #GenAI #EdTech

As teachers, we're often drawn to the idea of incorporating group work and group projects into our lessons. After all, when done well, collaborative tasks can boost learning, enhance retention, and strengthen peer relationships. But here's the catch: group work only works when it's structured properly. In today's podcast episode, I reveal the cold, hard truth about what many teachers are getting wrong with group assignments, and how to fix it.Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VCQPF2LEmail me for topic requests at [email protected]

As a teacher who’s worked with students across a range of schools and contexts, I often hear colleagues say, “The gender gap? Isn’t that old news?” At first glance, that might seem fair. After all, in many parts of the world, girls are now outperforming boys academically. But when you take a closer look, a much more complex picture emerges.Check out all four of my books for teachers at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard-James-Rogers/author/B017OVU06QThis podcast episode is accompanied by a blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/06/29/does-the-gender-gap-in-education-really-exist/Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/#gendergap #teaching #edchat #richardjamesrogers

In this episode, I share practical strategies for discussing war and conflict with high school students, especially in light of current global events such as the escalating situation involving Iran. Drawing on my experience as a teacher and author, I explore how to answer sensitive questions, maintain professional distance, and create a safe space for respectful dialogue. Whether you teach history, science, or any other subject, this episode offers clear guidance on how to support your students through difficult conversations. Read the full blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/06/21/teaching-in-troubled-times-how-to-discuss-war-and-conflict-with-high-school-students/My podcast page: https://richardjamesrogers.com/podcast/Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VCQPF2L

Like many early-career educators, I believed that equality, which means giving all students the same tasks, the same resources, and the same deadlines, was the fairest way to teach. However, time and experience taught me that equity, not equality, is what truly transforms learning. It involves giving each student what they need to succeed. Sometimes that means providing different forms of support to different learners.This episode is accompanied by a blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/06/01/equity-vs-equality-in-education-what-ive-learned-from-the-front-lines/Book me to train your team at: https://richardjamesrogers.com/professional-development/Check out my books for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/books-for-teachers/