#147: The Importance of Vigilance in Teaching

The number one question I get asked is "How do I make my lessons more exciting?". In today's episode, I break down the fine details of what it takes to bring excitement into your lessons: things I've learned from being a front-line teacher for just over twenty years. Book me for teacher training at https://richardjamesrogers.com/professional-development/Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, at https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/Blog post: 7 Starter Activities: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2016/03/04/7-starter-activities-for-pgce-students-and-newly-qualified-teachers/Blog Post: Spatial Learning: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2017/11/12/spatial-learning-a-powerful-teaching-tool/#teacherlife #teaching #learnchat

The new school year is almost upon us. It is important to be well-prepared. Find out how to get ready in today's podcast episode.My blog: https://richardjamesrogers.com/blog-index/My award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know: https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-Classroom-Management-Teachers-dp-B08VCQPF2L/dp/B08VCQPF2L/#teacherlife #edchat #amteaching

The recent controversy surrounding Jason Arday and his resignation from the University of Cambridge offers many important lessons for students and teachers alike.Nathan Cofnas' Substack: https://substack.com/@nathancofnasMy website: https://richardjamesrogers.com/My books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard-James-Rogers/author/B017OVU06Q#jasonarday #plagiarismrow #nathancofnas

'Vigilance' has become somewhat of a forgotten word in education. Today, I aim to rekindle everyone's interest in the subject of vigilance, and how it should be applied in an educational setting. Check out my blog at https://richardjamesrogers.com/Blog Post: The Importance of Vigilance in Teaching: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2026/04/18/the-importance-of-vigilance-in-teaching/Blog post: Using Data to Empower Students: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2020/10/04/using-data-to-empower-students/Book me for teacher training at https://richardjamesrogers.com/professional-development/Check out my books at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard-James-Rogers/author/B017OVU06Q#richardjamesrogers #teacherlife #edchat

Showcasing student work is a powerful technique for raising standards, empowering learners, and creating a positive school ethos where a culture of celebrating student achievement become well-embedded. In todays episode, I explain how to showcase student work correctly.My blog for teachers can be found at: https://richardjamesrogers.com/Check out my award-winning book, The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VCQPF2LCheck out all of my books for teachers at https://richardjamesrogers.com/books-for-teachers/

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