#129: Building a Thriving School Community – Practical Tips for Teachers & Leaders

In my twenty years of teaching, I’ve come across numerous pedagogical techniques designed to boost student learning, but few have been as transformative as interleaving. This technique, backed by cognitive science, has the power to enhance long-term retention and application of knowledge: yet it remains underutilised in many secondary school classrooms. Today, I want to explore generalisable rules for interleaving (a structured approach that any secondary school teacher can apply) and one that, to my knowledge, has never been formally outlined before. Accompanying blog post: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/03/09/how-interleaving-works-universal-strategies-for-secondary-school-classroom-practice/Check out my award-winning book for teachers, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management?: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, here: https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/ref=dp_ob_title_bkBjork, E. L., & Bjork, R. A. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. Psychology and the Real World: Essays Illustrating Fundamental Contributions to Society, 56-64.Pan, S. C., Tajran, J., Lovelett, J., Osuna, J., & Rickard, T. C. (2019). Does interleaved practice enhance foreign language learning? The effects of training schedule on vocabulary learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(8), 1172–1181.Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science, 35(6), 481-498.Keep, B. (2022) ‘The spaced practice effect: what it is and how to leverage it’, Benjamin Keep, 15 December. Available at: https://www.benjaminkeep.com/the-spaced-practice-effect-what-it-is-and-how-to-leverage-it/ (Accessed: 9 March 2025).Rogers, R. (2022) ‘Deep learning vs surface learning’, Richard James Rogers, 24 May. Available at: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2022/05/24/deep-learning-vs-surface-learning/ (Accessed: 9 March 2025).

When students unexpectedly bring up sensitive or controversial topics in class—such as questions about Bonnie Blue (a British adult content creator who recently became wildly infamous due to provocative activities and public notoriety), or other ignominious public figures, such as Andrew Tate—teachers may feel unprepared. How should we respond when children ask about such material?Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/This podcast episode is accompanied by a blog post: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2025/02/23/responding-thoughtfully-when-students-ask-about-controversial-topics-the-example-of-bonnie-blue/Bibliography and referencesCRLT (n.d.) Guidelines for Discussing Difficult or Controversial Topics. University of Michigan. Available at: https://crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsd (Accessed: 23 February 2025).Harvard Graduate School of Education (2022) You Want to Teach What? Managing Controversial Topics in the Classroom. Harvard University. Available at: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/22/02/you-want-teach-what (Accessed: 23 February 2025).Teen Vogue (2021) Why Schools Should Teach Media Literacy to Combat Misinformation. Available at: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/media-literacy-schools-misinformation (Accessed: 23 February 2025).The Choices Program (n.d.) Teaching about Controversial Issues: A Resource Guide. Brown University. Available at: https://www.choices.edu/teaching-news-lesson/teaching-about-controversial-issues-a-resource-guide/ (Accessed: 23 February 2025).Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning (n.d.) Teaching Controversial Topics. Yale University. Available at: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/ideas-teaching/teaching-controversial-topics (Accessed: 23 February 2025).

Stepping into a senior leadership team (SLT) role for the first time can be both exhilarating and daunting. Recently, I was appointed as the Acting Head of Secondary at an international school in Thailand, and to gain deeper insights into the role, I reached out to SLT members in other schools for their best advice. Their responses provided me with invaluable lessons that I am now applying in my leadership journey. Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/ Blog post: Starting Out as an SLT Member: What I Learned from the Experts Blog post: Working With Colleagues: The Gossip Mill Produces Toxic Flour Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know

Joining the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) has given me a fresh perspective on the many interconnected elements that shape a positive school community. In this episode, I share key insights and practical strategies for teachers, middle managers, SLT members, and other stakeholders to collaborate effectively and foster a strong sense of belonging among students. Whether you're looking to strengthen relationships, boost school culture, or enhance student engagement, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you create a thriving learning environment.My website:richardjamesrogers.comMy award-winning, bestselling book for teachers (The Quick Guide to Classroom Management):https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/My Instagram: @richard_james_rogersMy Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/richardrogersauthor/My Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardjamesrogers/

Imagine mentoring a trainee teacher who’s eager to become the best educator they can be but feels unsure of where to start. If you could offer just ONE piece of advice to guide them, what would it be? Tune in today to hear my perspective on this important question! Check out my award-winning book for teachers - The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know Check out my second book entitled The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback Check out my blog for teachers at richardjamesrogers.com Instagram: @richard_james_rogers

In my classroom, SEL forms an integral part of each lesson’s structure and delivery, and today I’m sharing ten practical ways you can integrate it into your teaching too! Check out my blog for teachers, containing hundreds of useful posts, at https://richardjamesrogers.com/ The Quick Guide to Classroom Management (my bestselling book): https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/ This episode comes with an accompanying blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2024/11/25/how-i-use-sel-in-my-high-school-lessons-and-how-you-can-too/ How to Incorporate Mindfulness in the Classroom, by American University: https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/mindfulness-in-the-classroom/ Learning Journals: A Powerful Student Feedback System (blog post): https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/18/learning-journals-a-powerful-student-feedback-system/ Role-Play as an SEL Teaching Tool (Edutopia): https://www.edutopia.org/blog/role-play-sel-teaching-tool-kristin-stuart-valdes 5 Essential Executive Coaching Tips for Beginners (blog post): https://richardjamesrogers.com/2023/04/24/5-essential-executive-coaching-tips-for-beginners/ Gratitude Activities: Ideas for ELLs (Colorin Colorado): https://www.colorincolorado.org/gratitude

One massive part of the work we do as teachers is the finding, storing and organising of resources for use in our lessons. These could be worksheets, slides, exam papers, tools to help with reporting, learning games, and a whole array other valuable items. It takes a while, however, for teachers to learn how to manage all of this in a way that is efficient - so that precious time is not wasted re-finding resources, or doing things from scratch (again). In today's episode, I delve into the techniques and systems I use, and have used, to successfully organise all of my resources (paper-based, physical and digital). Check out my ward-winning book: The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1505701945/ Check out my second book, The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback, here: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Praise-Empowering-Students-Pedagogical-ebook-dp-B07WJXG4XJ/dp/B07WJXG4XJ/ Check out my blog for teachers, which has been running since 2015 and is a treasure trove of wisdom, here: https://richardjamesrogers.com/ Contact me at [email protected]

From time to time you may find yourself in a situation in which you must have a delicate conversation with one, or more, of your teaching colleagues. Sometimes this can happen when you least expect it, and a colleague chooses to divulge something (or rant) to you. Sometimes such conversations arise due to a cascade of unavoidable (and, sometimes, avoidable) events. How do we navigate such conversations in a professional manner? Find out, in this episode! 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/ Contact me at [email protected]

Is it possible to apply a consistent structure to every lesson we teach, whilst still retaining our creative freedom as teachers? I believe so. That's why I've created the Basic Lesson Structure (BLS), which can be applied to any lesson, at any level. Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know, here: https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/ Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/ Check out my blog index for teachers, which contains a list (with links) to all of my blog posts: https://richardjamesrogers.com/blog-index/ Blog post on Learning Journals: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/18/learning-journals-a-powerful-student-feedback-system/ Blog post on Active Engagement: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2022/09/18/5-exceptional-tips-for-teachers-to-engagestudents/ Blog post on starter activities: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2016/03/04/7-starter-activities-for-pgce-students-and-newly-qualified-teachers/ Blog post on plenary activities: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/25/7-plenary-activities-for-pgce-students-and-newly-qualified-teachers/

Starting your teaching career is an exciting adventure, but it can also feel overwhelming. When I first starting teaching high school science back in 2005, for example, I soon found myself struggling to succeed at (what I see today as) basic tasks, such as marking, lesson planning and managing behaviour. So many aspects of the job were completely new to me, despite the limited teaching experience I gained from the Army Cadet Force as a teenager. The reassuring news is that every teacher makes mistakes – it’s part of the learning process. To give you a head start, I will describe ten of the most common rookie blunders new high school teachers make (and, that I have made at some point on my journey!), along with some friendly advice on how to avoid them! This podcast episode is accompanied by a blog post at https://richardjamesrogers.com/2024/09/29/10-rookie-blunders-new-high-school-teachers-make-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Check out my award-winning book for high school teachers, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1505701945/ Check out my blog for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/ My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_james_rogers/ My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/richardrogersauthor/ E-mail me at [email protected]