So what is it with staffrm?

Staffrm is a new kid on the block, and a few have been left wondering what it is and what it’s for? I’m no expert but am happy to share what it means to me and would encourage you to have a look. Dip your toe into the water and feedback.

What is it?

To me, it’s a blogging platform for those who don’t want, or need, their own platform. The idea is to be a virtual staffroom where partially, or even totally, unformed ideas and lesson plans can be shared. It’s a space to think out loud, to poke the fire of debate and lubricate the thought processes. Already, there is a positive vibe, and it feels like a safe environment in which to ‘think aloud.’ This is an important element.,

Most of all, it’s a space not taking itself too seriously, and I like this. You only have 500 words too, which is easy to eat up. And, the look is fit and the interface evolving. At the moment, it’s full of some really bubbly and positive people sharing all kinds of stuff from the profound, the sublime, the practical and the simply selfie obsessed insane (ok, that’s just me). Sometimes, the titles wouldn’t look out of place on some sort of innuendo bingo, but that’s all part of the charm.

Blog here or there?

A few people have asked how I decide what to post where. I’m still working this through, but for me, this blog is for fully formed ideas and thoughts. It’s what I want to project as myself and share. It’s where I point people who want to find out about what I think and what I’ve been up to. Staffrm is a place to quickly share thoughts and ideas amongst an increasingly engaged bunch. I’m enjoying the ‘hive’ mind as themes spring up and develop. Some, like Jo Debens is posting the same on both her personal blog and Staffrm. It’s very much like running – there’s not one way of getting involved, it’s personal and it takes a while to figure out how it fits you.

I really like the primary / secondary balance too, especially in seeing different perspectives on the same theme or issue. Some posts there have certainly made me reconsider and rethink some policies and ways of doing business at secondary level.

So what?

Like anything on the internet (and it is a busy space) you can take it or leave it. However, for me Staffrm is one of the places I am starting to head to regularly and find that I leave with far more than I contribute. Take a look at some of the #28daysofwriting posts on the platform for a taste.

Staffrm? It’s like the staffroom, only better. There when you need it. My advice – dive in.

Comments

High Impact, Low effort

This month is the start of the #29daysofwriting challenge. I enjoyed this last year and will be using my Staffrm account to post. I'll also be reporting here, both to give a little more detail and to keep a log of what I have written. The challenge developed a great sense of community last year, which is why I'm choosing to write on Staffrm. What I would say to those who are new to writing or don't want to run out of ideas is: Write for yourself. Clarify an idea, write something out loud. The process of distilling thoughts into writing is immensely beneficial to your practice. If other read, comment and respond, that's a bonus. Ignore the muppets who know nothing of your context, style or students. Mix it up - I like to read about real stuff from real classrooms and schools and also about other stuff. If we always write about school, how does that work for workload? If you've nothing nice to say, don't say it. So, the following has been ...

What makes a learning experience profound? Personal reflections and possible implications for classroom practice.

I have recently begun a Leadership Pathways journey. As part of the first core day, we were asked to reflect on a profound learning experience. This got me thinking about how many profound learning experiences I have both been involved in, and how many I have been able to give to others. Our group came up with a huge long list, but these are my five. Emotional Connected Demanding Reflective Collaborative As always, these are personal thoughts and quite mixed up. I put them here so that I can look back on them (plus they’d get lost inside my world-cup-free brain) 1. Emotional I can’t think of a time where deep learning hasn’t engaged my emotions. From being awe inspired to that tingle feeling when a student gets a light bulb moment. From this-is-the-happiest-day-ever, to I-think-I’m-about-to die. How often do we engage the emotions of those we teach? Here, I would argue that having a safe learning environment i...

Banned Word Board

Today I want to share some simple ideas that I have found to be very effective in the classroom. I can't say that they are my own original ideas, although I have played around with them. The first is the Banned word Board. This is a simple display in the classroom that lists a number of words that are not allowed to be used by pupils in their written or oral answers. The effect has been an increase in the quality of written work, and I have almost made comments such as 'Sir it's simple, the stuff just affects the thing and causes people problems'. Pupils are now more able to use specific language, something that is vital especially at GCSE. I have had to make a few modifications, such as the introduction of 'Heavenly Words' This is an additional display placed on the ceiling. I found this necessary as pupils needed some stimulus in finding replacement words. After advice received after posting the idea on the SLN forum , I have also introduced semi-banned words...

David Rogers

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