Darren Leslie

I’m delighted to announce the launch of the new TEACHING POWERUPS membership website for schools: teachingpowerups.com

🔵 Over 100 Trusted Techniques
🔵 Coaching frameworks
🔵 Extra professional learning supports

If this is of interest for your school, local authority or trust, please get in touch 😊

✈️ Evidence-Informed Wisdom is here!! ✈️

RT for a chance to be the first to read it.

Today we received our advance copies.

It’s a serious book written in a funny way. It’s my favourite thing I’ve ever done.

Will pick someone at random on Sunday night and post them a copy!

There are lots of ways to provide opportunities for retrieval practice. There are benefits/limitations to different techniques that's why I embrace variety. As a history teacher, quizzes are great for knowledge recall but students must be given opportunities for elaboration & application too.

Andy Creamer Talking Scottish Education · Episode

Find the episode here - open.spotify.com/episode/0ZIp...

Great point from Andy to finish about the importance of *time* for teachers to access and engage with professional learning, for preparation and to work together.

Another really interesting episode of 'Talking Scottish Education' from @stuartphysics.bsky.social and @dnleslie.bsky.social speaking about #curriculum #reform with Andy Creamer from @educationscotland.bsky.social
Many shortcomings of #CfE identified and discussed. Need for clarity and decluttering

YouTube video by GTC Scotland 60 years of Trusted Teaching

An interesting whirlwind tour of the history of @gtcscotland.bsky.social, reminding us why it was set up 60 years ago. youtu.be/zZbMlc0ExPI

💧Water = Exam Power

Drinking water during exams can boost focus, memory & mood.
Simple habit, big impact.

👉 https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/drink-water-in-an-exam/

Hi Adam, how do you make slides like these? Are they hand written by you?

Sheena Bell & Lynne Jones Talking Scottish Education · Episode

Awake early on a Sunday, but very much enjoyed listening to this great discussion about supporting the teaching of languages on Talking Scottish Education.

Great to hear the about the importance and positive impact of subject specific professional learning.

open.spotify.com/episode/3fqZ...

😴 + 📚 = 🚀

Struggling students? Start with their sleep.

Better rest = better memory, focus & mood.

💡 Download our FREE guide on Sleep & Learning:
https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/guides/sleep-and-learning/

“Amidst a raft of other changes to the school’s ethos and to the level of expectation placed on children, [Berwickshire High School] injected content based on knowledge into a curriculum which has been largely stripped of it. The outcome was astonishing.”👇

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

I’d welcome questions, feedback and support for this sharing.

#PEchat
#teamphysed
#physicaleducation
#PEshare

To close I asked pupils that observed the pairs to give one piece of feedback to the group. Based on what they wrote on the worksheet above.

They focussed on communication as they felt it was lacking and this will form where we will go next lesson.

After a good 30 minutes of learning it was time to pack up and review.

I asked the pupils to describe to their partner the front and back. I took some responses and held a discussion.

The pupils who were off court for no more than 5 minutes then used this worksheet and completed one row.

They were tasked with identifying whether or not their chosen pair was using the front and back tactic.

They also gave them feedback.

I spent time providing feedback, posing questions and observing performance.

I also explained and demonstrated how to communicate effectively.

Once this was set up I explained and then demonstrated the front and back tactic and gave them two strategies on how to set it up:

1. The server always covers the front
2. The stringers overhead shot player always covered the back

I then introduced a fixture list and because I had an extra team I set a worksheet task for the team off so that they could provide feedback to their peers.

As the pupils entered they began cooperative rallies.

I then rotated them so that worked with different partners and once I was happy their final opponent was to be their doubles partner.

My learning intentions and success criteria for this lesson is below

👇

My favourite lesson this week was with a third clear class and in recent weeks we have looked at the rules of serving and service rotation in doubles badminton.

This week we began learning about the front and back tactic in doubles badminton.

As a PE Teacher I am keen to begin sharing an insight into my lessons and how I plan them. I hope this helps fellow teachers of Physical Education

#PEchat
#teamphysed

Paul Cochrane Podcast Episode · Talking Scottish Education · 20/05/2025 · 1h 7m

@dnleslie.bsky.social @stuartphysics.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

@barryblackne.bsky.social @sstatradeunion.bsky.social

Darren, Stuart...I succumbed and listened to my voice droning on....'surprisingly' entertaining and interesting listen but OMG! I can talk! 😀

Thank You!

I might be wrong but could it be because we simply don’t have a shared understanding of what excellent looks likes

Which then means excellent isn’t shared explicitly in a way that schools can look at and work towards.

Do we all know (and agree) on what excellent looks like?

I wonder what the most used colour is?

As a teacher of physical education I’d love to work afternoons only 😉

Agree Drew the decades of change with diminished supports has applied so much unnecessary pressures to the role. Often the consequence is less sports/activities available.

Paul gave a great summary of the decades of change and increasing pressure they have put on teachers, coupled with the diminished supports available. Really struck by the idea of a morning academic timetable and afternoons for sports/creativity. It'd be great to share what I love beyond my subject!

Thanks for listening Drew. What stood out to you in the conversation?