The Leading, Language and Literature Podcast

In this episode I’m talking with Drew Perkins. Drew is Director of Thought Stretchers Education and host of the ThoughtStretchersEducation Podcast. I wanted to speak to Drew as I continue my exploration of what inquiry looks like in the classroom and particularly how it applies to English. Drew is an active advocate for implementing inquiry in a meaningful manner within education and has helped thousands of individual teachers to do so.

We discuss:

The difference between inquiry, project-based and other constructivist approaches to teachingWhat inquiry is for and what it offers students that other approaches do notHow we know when to give students the level of autonomy they can handleHow we can best aid students in generating their own questionsWhat Drew means by ‘order of operations’ and how it is practically appliedAnd finally, whether Drew thinks there's a difference between inquiry in elementary and middle-school and between different subject disciplines.

Thanks again to Drew for discussing inquiry approaches with his customary enthusiasm and expertise.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

This week I’m talking to Zach Groshell. Zach is an instructional coach, teacher in the American school system, has a PhD in instructional design and hosts the Progressively Incorrect Podcast.

I have listened and loved Zach’s podcast for a long time now, particularly as the first season deals with the tension of progressive ideas and ideologies around inquiry based teaching as well as direct instruction as a pedagogy. For me, these are two approaches that a teacher delivering the PYP, MYP or DP for IB has to wrestle with on a daily basis as well as any teacher operating in any school where competing pedagogies are prevalent.

We discuss:

- What direct instruction and inquiry based teaching mean in practice

- Whether there’s scope for inquiry to play some part in a unit given that topics such as: the information age, masculinity, travel, ways of life, love of literature can be explored according to students' standing interests, experiences or passions

- How Zach feels about suggestions that relying solely on direct instruction and not “culturally responsive education” is narrowly Western, Eurocentric and racist

- If there's a disconnect in international and state schooling with regard to improving teaching and learning

- If seeking guidance as an international teacher about how to improve teaching, what Zach would suggest teachers start with

- And lastly, when implementing an instructional coaching culture in a school, what are the most important things to consider and prioritize at the outset?

Thanks so much to Zach for weighing in on what I believe is hugely important set of topics for international teachers or teachers of IB curriculum more specifically. His podcast is linked to in the show notes below and is well worth a listen for people working in any walk of education.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Zach’s podcast

Zach’s blog

Roshenshine’s Principles of Instruction

THAT Kirschner, Sweller and Clark paper

Zach’s conversation withGene Tavernetti

In this episode I’m speaking with Sarah Donarski. Sarah is a Head Of English Department, PGCE & NQT mentor, speaker, blogger, researcher and author of The researchED Guide to Assessment. I recently relistened to an episode of Craig Barton’s Tips for Teachers with Sarah and immediately jotted down a number of questions and I had about assessment in English, which she has been kind enough to come on and answer.

We discuss:

1. What final or summative assessments should look like in a KS3 department

2. Whether teachers should ever give grades and if so, when and why?

3. What should feedback look like at KS3?

4. How should students follow up on feedback?

5. The 'novice / rote / inflexible / flexible' spectrum of knowledge

6. And finally, Sarah’s favorite things about having studied in Australia and formerly working in an IB school.

Thanks again to Sarah for not only contributing to the online discussions around assessment but also evidence informed professional development more broadly.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Sarah’s book, edited for ResearchED

In this episode I’m talking with Kirun Goy. Kirun is the co-founder and co-host of the BrainTools podcast, a show dedicated to sharing practical brain science for everyday people. Additionally, he is a Leadership Facilitator with Harvard Business Publishing.

I was lucky enough to have Kirun run a workshop for teachers at my school recently and after looking up his podcast, I realised it was rare to have someone with so much actionable insight on neuroscience also be well versed on students and school.

We discuss what teachers might need to consider when it comes to the following in and out of the classroom:

- Habit formation and maintenance 

- Focus on the task in hand

- Memory and what is learnt

- Anxiety and self-esteem

- Students’ sense of resilience 

- Teamwork when interacting with peers

Thanks again to Kirun who not only offers consistently excellent and concise insights here but also via his regular podcast that you will find linked to in the show notes below.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

BrainTools - Kirun’s podcast

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Ali Abdaal on YouTube

In this episode I’m speaking with Andrew and Dave of the IB English Guys. 2023 saw the first roll out of the IBDP English A course’s Paper 2. As such, teachers across the world rallied to prepare students for a comparative literature essay that featured unseen prompts and the opportunity to select any of the studied texts from across their two years of study.

I was keen to chat with Andrew and Dave as they have been a fantastic point of contact on relevant IB teaching forums and of course across all their content on YouTube. Additionally, both of the guys were examiners for Paper 2 this year and had access to extended conversations with the principle examiner regarding expectations for students’ responses.

We discuss:

1. Since the last time we spoke, something new Dave and Andrew have taught or would like to teach in the coming year.

2. Whether this year’s Paper 2 and its focus on thematic prompts is a sign of things to come

3. The observation that students fared better if they stayed out of sentence-level analysis and instead aimed at broad authorial choices.

4. How to write conclusions in a meaningful manner.

5. What the tell-tale signs are that an essay has been learnt and therefore forced onto a question provided

6. And finally, what we should all be doing more of on a formative assessment level to prepare students for this paper

Thanks again to the guys for being so generous with their time as well as the practical advice gleaned from reading hundreds of responses and consolidating what they believe to be best practice for a demanding exam.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

The IB English Guys YouTube Channel

In this episode, I’m speaking to Chris Youles. Chris is a Classroom Teacher at Taipei European School and author of Sentence models for creative writing: A practical resource for teaching writing. 

Chris’ book is one of the most instantly applicable teaching books that I’ve come across in recent years and coupled with a robust grammatical understanding for students, it can really help students to understand how and why writers make certain choices in their sentence structures as well as how they can go about applying some of these techniques themselves.

We discuss:

1. The best text Chris has ever read, taught or been taught

2. How he went about amassing all of the different sentence types in the book

3. What the prerequisite grammar knowledge he would advise teaching before or alongside such structures

4. The extent to which certain sentence structures genuinely create a tone, mood or impression of some sort versus purely serving as a way to add variety in expression

5. How teachers might arrange such structures in a horizontal and vertical curriculum

6. Where teachers should go if they want to approach the sentence construction of rhetorical, discursive or analytical writing in the same way

Thanks again to Chris for researching and producing a brilliantly replete resource for teachers in Primary and Secondary alike as well as giving up some time to talk with me.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Chris’ book - Sentence models for creative writing: A practical resource for teaching writing.The Arrival- Shaun Tan

The Writing Revolution - Natalie Wexler and Judith Hochman

On Writing - Stephen King

The Elements of Eloquence - Mark Forsyth

The Art of the Sentence - Greg Keast

First You Write a Sentence - Joe Moran

How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One - Stanley Fish

In this episode, I’m speaking with Craig Barton. Craig is an author, maths consultant, former Secondary Maths Adviser to TES and OG podcaster who originally hosted a TES podcast before going on to produce the Mr Barton Maths Podcast and Tips for Teachers podcast. 

For me this was an enormous highlight of my own podcasting experience so far given that Craig’s was the first teaching focused show I ever listened to many years ago and was responsible for my discovery and interest in the likes of Dylan Wiliam, Adam Boxer, Daisy Christodoulou and many more who have ultimately enhanced my teaching to a better and better standard. 

We discuss:

1. A brief summary of Craig’s transition from teacher to podcaster to author to consultant

2. What his typical working day and week looks like now that he’s doing a variety of roles

3. Whether the fantastic amount of publications, podcasts and other media we now have access to can lead to a sense of professional dysmorphia 

4. How Craig has managed to juggle his many ventures with kids

5. Craig’s advice for someone who sees teaching as their passion, wants to help as many people as possible and wants to work hard at establishing themselves as a writer, consultant or podcaster

6. And finally, what’s motivating him to keep creating such brilliant resources and what has he got planned for the future

Thanks again to Craig for finding a time in his busy schedule and being so candid and insightful with his responses. All of his writing, broadcasting and other services can be found in the show notes and I would strongly encourage you to check them out. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Craig’s books

Mr Barton Maths Podcast

Tips for Teachers podcast and YouTube channel

Craig’s CPD services

In this episode I’m speaking with Carly Leung and Vinci Tam. Carly and Vinci are Development Director and Business Executive respectively at V’air, Hong Kong. V’air is a youth-initiated environmental education organization with the mission to promote low-carbon local tourism as a means to mitigate climate change. V’air uses its digital platforms, ecotours and public education events to recommend less conventional travel destinations in Hong Kong.

I wanted to talk to Carly and Vinci as part of an ongoing interest in how Service or Action can play a larger role in the taught curriculum of the MYP.

We discuss:

Thanks again to Carly and Vinci for giving up their time to talk to me as well as the fantastic work done by V’air more broadly in promoting sustainable local tourism and nature conservation as well as youth empowerment.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

V’air’s website

COP28’s website

WWF Hong Kong

Green Hub Hong Kong

O Park 1

O Park 2

Local Conference of Hong Kong Youth

In this episode I’m speaking with Kate Beatty. Kate is the first returning guest I’ve had on the podcast and one I’m always very pleased to speak with about all things MYP. Kate is an IB Consultant, workshop leader, IB school accreditation team leader and programme leader, executive coach and author of educational resources including the INTHINKING MYP English Language and Literature website.

For this episode, I wanted Kate to guide me through her thoughts on an MYP unit I had constructed with any of the salient strengths and weaknesses that she could see. Additionally I wanted to pose a few questions based on the work she’s done for the INTHINKING MYP site to better broaden my knowledge of English Language and Literature in the MYP.

We discuss:

1. How she feels about the suitability of the Statement of Inquiry, Questions and GRASPS in the unit

2. The fact that a number of different facts or skills are taught in a direct and teacher led manner and whether this is okay given that they will go onto produce something that is also borne out of inquiries

3. What Kate thinks of the ATLs and the way they have been implemented in the unit

4. Kate’s general opinion of PPTs and other materials being used to communicate the course's knowledge, skills and tasks

5. On the MYP InThinking site, Kate’s decision to offer units that fall into Key Concepts outside the typical Creativity/Communication/Connection/Perspective associated with Language and Literature and why this was

6. And staying with the site, given that Kate has offered units on some classic topics of English study, how does she ensure that such a unit has a conceptual lens, connects to global contexts and has an authentic assessment?

Thanks again to Kate for guiding a way through the rewarding but challenging experience of MYP curriculum construction. All of the materials mentioned in the episode will be linked to in the show notes for anyone who wants to refer to them.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Unit plan discussed in the episode

INTHINKING for MYP Language and Literature

Kate’s website

In this episode, I’m speaking with Leon Furze. Leon is an international consultant, author, and speaker with years of experience as an teacher in the UK and Australia. Leon is currently studying his PhD in the implications of Artificial Intelligence on writing instruction and education and as an English teacher is very well placed to advise how recent innovations in AI may affect the subject. 

We discuss: 

1. In laymans terms what is a chatbot? What can it do and not do?

2. Why the likes of Elon Musk have called for a halt on AI development.

3. What Leon would advise schools and departments to consider in terms of the way in which they work with the a technology that has certain ethical and environmental impacts.

4. The ways in which AI should and shouldn't be used to aid students' writing.

5. Whether chatbots are useful in terms of planning individual lessons or a sequence of learning. 

6. What this technology does for the likes of coursework and written examinations

7. And Lastly, what does this do for certain jobs? How does Leon see the creative, informative and rhetorical professions evolving in the coming decades?

Thanks again to Leon for providing answers to a number of burning questions that I’ve had ever since Chat GPT came into the educational scene. His writing is an excellent way to ease your way into this new landscape of technology and you’ll be able to access it via the show notes 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Leon’s blog

Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford

On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots by Emily Bender and Timnit Gebru

Tom Barrett’s CREATE advice of using AI

In this episode I’m speaking with Julie Stern. Julie is a four-time, best selling author with titles that include: Learning that Transfers, Visible Learning for Social Studies, The On-Your-Feet Guide to Learning Transfer and Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding. 

She is an advocate for sustainability, equity and well being in education and has spoken internationally to help facilitate this in many schools around the world. 

We discuss: 

1. How conceptual learning and transfer compliment each other

2. How teachers or schools can accurately assess that transfer has taken place

3. Julie’s stratification of different kinds of concepts and how this might apply to English 

4.  David Perkin's book, Future Wise, and where his 'lifeworthy knowledge' would they fit in this conceptual stratification

5. Whether Julie thinks the current paradigm of dividing schools up into: Math, Social Studies, English etc is an appropriate model looking into the future

6. When designing the closest thing to a perfect assessment, what she thinks it should entail for students

7. And lastly - when, if ever, is a good time to do project based learning with a class?

Thanks so much to Julie for being a passionate and engaging voice on the topic of conceptual learning and offering a framework that better allows IB educators and beyond to crystallize their teaching approaches. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

In this episode, I’m speaking to Ben Walker. Ben is an English and TOK teacher here in Hong Kong as well as the current CAS coordinator. Next year he will be taking up the Head of Secondary English role at his current school.

We discuss:

1. The best book he’s ever read, taught or been taught

2. The advantages and disadvantages of running the 5 year MYP course all the way up to the DP

3. His perspective on inquiry and authentic assessment and whether they look different in Year 7 v.s. Year 11 

4. How much Ben’s current school implement the element of service within the curriculum and the directions he’s considering moving forward

5. The feasibility of CAS playing a part in the academic curriculum

6. And finally, a somewhat insular one but HK v.s. Singapore. What's the difference and what's Ben’s advice if considering a move from one to the other

Thanks again to Ben for his eloquence and insights across the CAS and English curriculum. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Go Went Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

Black Boyby Richard Wright

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

In this episode I’m talking with Cathryn Berger Kaye. Cathy is president of CBK Associates, ABCD Books and travels globally to provide professional development on the likes of service learning, 21st century competencies and environmental sustainability.

She is the author of'The Complete Guide to Service Learning', 'Going Blue' and 'Make a Splash!', which are student guides to Protecting Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands. In addition she has also authored a range of books for the ‘How to Take Action’series, which is aimed at guiding students through the issues of hunger, homelessness and climate change to name but a few.

We discuss:

1. How Cathy reflects in her own practice and to what extent can we expect students to follow our example when it comes to reflecting well

2. The MISO method and elements of it which younger students typically need more guidance

3. How and why to combine units and work towards a service goal at some stage within the curriculum

4. Direct, indirect, research and advocacy service styles and the advice Cathy would give in terms of the practicalities of establishing direct opportunities for service

5. The dangers of 'voluntourism' and how to develop an asset based mindset in students doing service

6. Whether schools need to see the way they interact with local service and international service on a sliding scale in terms of age or experience

7. And finally, what advice Cathy would give educators who aren't sure where to start when it comes to adapting the curriculum to integrate service

Thanks again to Cathy who is nothing short of a legend in this field for speaking to me today. I was overjoyed to have some time to pose the questions, which you may pick up on through my sometimes overzealous phrasing of the questions. All of Cathy’s books mentioned will of course be linked in the show notes and I’d strongly encourage you to consider these first when developing your knowledge of service in the curriculum.

Find out more about the online course "Getting Started: Service Learning and Global Citizenship Foundations" here. Designed by Cathy and two of her associates, Shei Ascencio and LeeAnne Lavender, this is a dynamic way to advance your understanding and turn ideas into action!

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Cathy’s email

Cathy’s books

The Purpose and Process of Reflection: Helping students write meaningful CAS reflections (article)

In this episode, I’m talking to Benita Chick. Benita is the CEO and Founder of Encompass, a social enterprise in Hong Kong,which supports different social causes and NGOs financially as well as advocating for how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be better implemented in businesses and schools. Benita is also a Board Member at KELY Support Group and Youth Arch Foundation, Education Director of Pink Alliance, Mentor for HKUST HeadStart Fellows and a mentor at the RESOLVE Foundation, here in Hong Kong. 

I was lucky enough to hear Benita speak earlier this year and was overjoyed to gain a conversation with her in light of the constant desire to make MYP English as authentic as possible, by integrating and exploring the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

We discuss:

1. The extent to which Hong Kong people are aware or unaware of the SDGs

2. Benita’s opinion regarding whether there is a hierarchy in the city in terms of which SDGs need to be addressed more often or immediately

3. How schools can go about reviewing or auditing the way in which they are engaging with the SDGs

4. Any lesser known but pressing issues that the city is facing in relation to a few of the SDGs that schools might be able to highlight in their curriculum

5. Routes young people can take to become involved in service that aids some of the SDGs 

6. And finally, after the 2030 deadline set by the UN, where do Benita feels the world will go from there

This was a succinct and in-depth discussion for someone like me who is on talking terms with the SDGs but would really benefit from speaking to those who work with or advise on the SDG targets on a regular basis. Thank you to Benita providing just as well as plenty of resources or extra reading that I will link to in the show notes. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Encompass, Hong Kong

SDSN Hong Kong Commissions Youth Survey on SDGs

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

Hong Kong is diverse, but far from inclusive; here’s how we can change that

Learning to transform the world: key competencies in education for sustainable development (p43)

Kids for Kids (Hong Kong)

Become A Young Leader for the SDGs Fellowship (International)

In this episode I’m talking to Eoin MacCarthaigh. Eoin is a Head of Department in Bangkok, teaching the IGCSE and IBDP. He is an active participant on Twitter and can be relied upon to ignite, continue and support conversation for international teachers. 

We discuss:

- The best text he’s ever read, taught or been taught

- A quick introduction to his career to date

- What he has seen or read in the last 12 months that has had the biggest impact on his practice

- The significant challenges he is working on with an IGCSE / IB English department

- One area of his department's routine or approach that he’s most satisfied with

- What his department do in the Key Stage 3 years in terms of curriculum 

- And finally, Eoin’s perception on why improving teaching and learning can be a challenge in the international sector

Thanks again to Eoin who can always be relied upon to maintain the healthy culture of debate, sharing and discussion on Twitter as well as the time he took to talk to me today. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov

Walkthrusby Tom Sherrngton and Oliver Caviglioli

Teaching and Learning Playbook By Michael Feely and Ben Karlin

Tips for Teachers by Craig Barton

In this episode I’m speaking with Nadia Abdallah. Nadia is a former Head of Department for English, Director of Teaching and Learning and MYP Principal in Jordan. She has also worked as a workshop leader for the IB and is currently Chief Education and Development Officer for Junior Achievement Worldwide, a nonprofit organisation providing hands on learning in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills

I wanted to speak to Nadia about the IB’s MYP and more specifically the Inter Disciplinary Unit that is expected in each year of the course. Nadia recently ran an excellent 2 day training seminar that I attended and was kind enough to share more of her time discussing it for the podcast.

We discuss:

- A quick introduction to her career to date

- Some of the common misconceptions or mistakes teachers make in respect of the IDU and what the most important things to remember as a school attempting to implement it  are

- How and when Nadia sees the assessment criteria of evaluation, synthesis and reflection actually taking place in a unit 

- Examples of the ways in which different subjects can come together to form an IDU

- Advice on the mechanics of actually timetabling IDUs

- What constitutes action or service in an IDU and examples from Nadia’s own practice

- And final advice for Heads of faculty, coordinators and teachers in respective departments embarking on their first forays into an IDU

Thanks again to Nadia for an extensive and firsthand account of considerations that are needed when approaching the Interdisciplinary Unit. Despite the time, resources and collaboration required, it is an undertaking that can massively benefit students and their appreciation of the respective subjects. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

In this episode I am talking to Amber Rhinehart. Amber is an MYP Coordinator in an international school in Accra, an MYP Workshop Leader, an IB Site Visitor, MYP Personal Project Examiner and teaches Language and Literature as well as individuals and Societies. I was really keen to speak to someone as experienced and knowledgable as Amber owing to the many valuable but demanding aspects that the MYP framework has to offer.

We discuss:

- A short introduction to Amber’s career to date

- Whether Amber recommends combining the likes of analytical and producing texts strands from the outset of MYP or waiting until these respective skills have been developed and therefore consolidated

- How to marry GRASPS with the assessment strands when aiming for valid and reliable assessments

- How teachers can ensure they are covering global contexts in the same depth as they would the related or disciplinary concepts

- My school’s recent struggles with Criterion Biii and the need to assess formatting and/or referencing twice a year in the curriculum.

- And finally, what Amber thinks is the best approach to implementing ATLs in individual units and the curriculum holistically

Thank you again to Amber who speaks with a fantastic degree of balance, nuance and passion about the curriculum as well as her ongoing contribution to IB’s online community of teachers.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

In this episode I’m talking with Tanay Naik. Tanay is Secondary School Deputy Principal for Teaching and Learning at United Nations International School of Hanoi. He has recently co-authored an article in The International Educator and is a  contributor and advocate for the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color.

In the show we discuss:

- A quick introduction to Tanay’s career in education to date

- As a school, why and how UNIS Hanoi recently decided to gather staff demographic data

- What unconscious bias training is and what Tanay took away from it personally

- What a UNIS Hanoi interview looks and sounds like

- The most common advice Tanay had for people who wanted to join the school but weren’t yet suitable

- And finally, advice Tanay would give to teachers or Heads of Department that want to move into whole school teaching and learning roles in the future

Thank you again to Tanay for sharing some excellent best practice, plenty of management insight and his school’s ongoing commitment to DEIJ approaches. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Tanay’s co-authored article for The International Educator

Tanay’s presentation on behalf of AIELOC

Overview of common hiring biases

In this episode, I’m talking with Dr Daniel Rosen. Dan is currently Head of Secondary at St George's Düsseldorf. He also writes a brilliant blog entitled Musings of a Dr and more recently hosted the International version of TeachMeet Icons. Over the course of the conversation, we discuss:

Thanks again to Dan for giving up part of his weekend to elaborate on some of his excellent blog posts that I’ll link to in the show notes as well as practical advice on how to approach  any ambitions people may have about accessing middle or senior management.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Dan’s blog - musingsofadr

TeachMeet International Icons recording

Drive by Daniel Pink

Nick Hart’s blog

In the episode I’m talking with Dr Rick Smith. Rick is a former teacher and now provides individual counselling for students working with stress and anxiety. He specialises in ADHD and attention-related disorders and has helped a great many students from his practice in Hong Kong and beyond.

The conversation with Rick came about due to watching him in a fantastic seminar he did earlier this year and also a longstanding sense that despite my efforts, I may never have been doing enough to support some students who struggle to adapt to the demands of school.

We discuss:

1. A quick introduction to Rick’s career in education 

2. Whether there is a recurring need or concern that families often bring to his practice regarding school and schoolwork

3. How teachers can prepare for a new academic year with regard to implementing: regular breaks, written instructions or task checklists for some students.

4. How to manage the balance between tailoring lessons for a student and not alienating them through different treatment

5. How a form tutor and/or teacher should deal with the likes of unfinished homework or incomplete class work 

6. And finally, the role that the rest of the class play in accommodating students with certain learning needs

I found this conversation and Rick’s advice to be revelatory. Some of what is said goes against what I have been taught to believe about certain students in my classes and yet reflecting on my experience and reference to research, I found myself nodding to everything that Rick had to offer. Thanks again to him for giving up some of his valuable time to make this information more readily available.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

This is the latest in a series of podcasts where I focus on a particular part of English instruction or English related matters in detail. In this episode I’m talking with Trevor MacKenzie. Trevor is a world-renowned speaker and author and is best known for his work with inquiry based teaching approaches. As an IB educator, inquiry is a word, strategy or concept that comes up on a daily basis with students and colleagues. Given its fundamental role within the MYP and DP, getting Trevor on to ask him questions and learn from his experience was a massive privilege. 

We discuss, 

1. What is the best literary text he’s ever read, taught or been taught? 

2. What does an inquiry classroom look like and sound like in Trevor’s experience? 

3. Typically what would be the ratio between need-to-know or non-negotiable skills/knowledge and the inquiry process time wise? 

4. How do teachers strike a balance between non-negotiable exam / coursework specification in English and student passion?

5. What are the difficulties or challenges Trevor’s faced with asking students to design their own assessment in middle-school?

6. What Trevor thinks of statements of inquiry and real world assessment in MYP unit planning.

7. And finally, what Trevor thinks of the increasingly popular explicit instruction over the inquiry approach. 

From beginning to end, this conversation continually clarified things I’d heard about the inquiry approach and left me with plenty of considerations for how to enhance my own approach to the classroom. Thanks again to Trevor who spoke concisely, passionately and transparently throughout. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga

Trevor’s books

Kath Murdoch’s YouTube Channel

In this episode I’m speaking with Rosie Georgiou. Rosie is an English teacher, KS5 Lead and PhD student living in London. She first came to my attention during the most recent TeachMeetEnglishIcons event, in which she discussed the process and benefits of creative writing in English.

During our conversation we discuss:

It was real pleasure to speak to Rosie at length about the creative process as well as how that translates into teaching practice, feedback and assessment. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I’d really recommend her presentation for TeachMeets too. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Rosie’s TeachMeetEnglishIcons Appearance

Colloquium by Katherine Stockton

In this episode I’m talking to Natalie Obiko Pearson. Natalie is a journalist and bureau chief at Bloomberg Vancouver. Natalie’s work came to the attention of lots of International educators this year after writing an article entitled: Elite International Schools Have a Racism Problem. This provoked a lot of discussion online as well as amongst my colleagues and friends in the industry. 

Having spent time at an international school herself, Natalie’s incredibly well informed and wide ranging investigation confirmed a number of growing doubts that people within international schooling may have had as well as introducing a variety of other issues within the system that were yet to come to light. 

We discuss: 

For anyone who is yet to read Natalie’s article it is an essential piece of journalism for those of us who have made a life abroad or plan to in the future. It explores the role of parents, students, teachers and school management in terms of the questions we should be asking of ourselves and the sense of self-identity we’re guiding our young people towards. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Article: Elite International Schools Have a Racism Problem.

In this episode I’m speaking to The IB English Guys, otherwise known as Andrew Cohen and David Giles. Andrew and Dave are both English teachers at the International School of Bangkok and moonlight as YouTubers in their spare time.

Andrew and Dave’s channel has grown far and wide in such a small amount of time, in no small part thanks to their engaging manner on camera and concise, practical advice for students.

We discuss:

1. The best text they’ve ever read, taught or been taught

2. Their background in international teaching and what made them start a YouTube channel

3. Which of the videos have garnered the biggest views and why they you think that is 

4. Focusing on the Individual Oral specifically, what Andrew and Dave think are the most important aspects to prepare students for

5. Whether they feel Paper 1 is more challenging in Lang/Lit or Literature and why

6. What makes a good HL essay in their opinion

7. How their department approaches formative assessment given the need to offer students agency in terms of the texts used in respective examinations

8. And finally, a selection of the texts they currently use for the respective courses

This was easily one of the most engaging conversations I’ve had about the IBDP for some time and it was hard not to be buoyed by Andrew and Dave’s positivity and clear love for the subject.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Andrew and Dave’s website and channel

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Breaking Boundaries: The Science Of Our Planet

Mary Oliver poetry

In this episode I’m speaking with Elaine McNally. Elaine is an English Head of Department and enthusiastic presence on Twitter, where she she tweets @mrsmacteach33. 

I reached out for a chat with Elaine after seeing her speak at the TeachMeetEnglishIcons event earlier this year. Her presentation -  ‘Powerful Voices: A Year 8 Curriculum’, tackled the topic of how she had tried to deliver diversity within her department’s curriculum thinking. Although an important and timely endeavour, what stood out about the way Elaine navigated the discussion was her observation that she had felt out of her depth at times. This was due to ‘the thorny nature of diversity as a term,’ which is me quoting Elaine, who was quoting Bennie Kara. Needless to say, this was a fantastic exploration of the consequences for planning and teaching around the concept of diversity and something that I wanted to be able to talk about in more detail. 

We discuss:

At a time when my own school foundation is considering its output in relation to empire, imperialism and inclusion, this was a conversation I hugely benefitted from thinking forwards into the future so thanks again to Elaine for that. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

TeachMeet English Icons Recordings

Slides from Elaine’s presentation

A Little Guide for Teachers: Diversity in Schools by Bennie Kara

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

Raymond Antrobus - poet

Christine Sun Kim - poet

In this episode I’m talking with Sarah Davies. Sarah is, amongst other things, an Assistant Headteacher, Early Career Teacher Mentor and  Author of Talking about Oracy. 

After a conversation I had with Donal Hale a few months ago, I began searching for resources or guidance on how best to implement oracy in my own practice. Sarah’s was the first and best book I came across in a field that seems shockingly under considered. 

We discuss:

1. What secondary teachers need to know about the transition between Primary into Y7 in terms of student’s oracy

2. How teachers can embed oracy instruction on a daily / weekly basis

3. What the most important types of talk we need to foster in secondary schools are

4. Strategies we can use for particularly reluctant speakers in class

5. Whether we need to consider preparation for how students use apps or meeting software as opposed to purely presenting in person

6. And finally, the best resources for teachers keen to instruct oracy techniques and non-verbal communication techniques such as body language

Thanks very much to Sarah for giving up her time for a chat as well as continuing to be a vocal presence on Twitter and beyond when it comes to English and oracy matters respectively!

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Talking about Oracy: Developing communication beyond the classroom

Voice 21

Oracy Cambridge

In this episode I’m talking to Kate Anderson. Kate is the Head of the EAL department at The British School in the Netherlands and as such leads on English as an Additional Language provision across the secondary phase.

I was looking to talk with someone like Kate after giving a lot of thought to how I work with EAL teachers in my own school and the obvious deficits in regard to my understanding and ability when doing so. Kate offers lots of fantastic insight and advice surrounding what it means to have EAL students in the classroom and school as well as how best to support them within the school community.

We discuss:

- The best book she’s ever read, taught or learnt at school herself

- How or what to review in terms of EAL provision each year

- What the EAL department does at The British School in The Netherlands

- The ways in which Kate’s department spend time building relationships both with prospective students and their family online

- What is the one thing EAL teachers would like to say to teachers of other subjects if they had the chance?

- The possibility that being assisted by the EAL department may lead to some self-consciousness and whether or not this can be overcome

- And finally, where teachers can look for resources or training with regard to better connections and teamwork with the EAL department

Thanks again to Kate for a clear understanding of the type of conversations and considerations that go on within the EAL department. With some hardworking and attention to detail I hope that what I’ve heard from Kate can inform my own planning and work alongside her counterparts in my own school.

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

Links:

Breaking Through The Language Barrier by Patricia Mertin

Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning by Pauline Gibbons

Educating Second Language Children by Fred Genesee

In this episode, I’m talking with Chris Shaw. Chris is Assistant Headteacher and Head of English at a Welsh-medium school in Swansea. In addition to that he is a regional advocate for @LitdriveUK and a vocal presence on Twitter, where he tweets under the handle - Athro Saesneg. 

We discuss: 

1. The best text he’s ever read, taught or been taught

2. The teaching and learning initiatives he’s been part of that makes him proud to do the job

3. The fact that it's a changing time for the Curriculum in Wales and what this has meant in English

4. Experiences Chris has had in attempts to improve students' home learning

5. An element of his approach or practice he would like to improve on in the coming year

6. And finally, how Key Stage 3 is structured in Chris’ school and an explanation for the choices made

Thanks again to Chris for sharing his time and passion for the subject and being candid about all the ways in which he’s looking to improve alongside the elements of the job in which he clearly excels. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk  

In this episode I am speaking with Brad Philpot. Brad is an English teacher in Frankfurt but is best known for his brilliant range of textbooks and instructional courses for teaching the IBDP. Brad is someone who has worked within IB education for a long time, holding numerous roles, affording him a massive amount of experience and knowhow when it comes to English instruction and curriculum design. 

We discuss:

Brad offered up a variety of insights in this conversation that I’m already looking to implement into my own practice. This was really a refreshing blend of pragmatism and idealism around the many demands made of teachers by the IB. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links: 

Brad’s IB education consultancy services - Philpot Education

Brad’s textbook range

Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Belonging by Nora Krug

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller

In this episode I’m speaking with Amy Staniforth. Amy is an Acting Head of Department, Assistant Principal and co-author of the amazing Ready to Teach Macbeth. 

We discuss:

1. The best text Amy’s ever read, taught or been taught

2. What kind of timescale and process goes into planning the books in her ‘Ready to teach…’ series

3.  What made Amy and Stuart choose Macbeth and A Christmas Caroland whether the guides are written with any particular Key Stage in mind

4. How Amy approaches a significant extract of a play or novel with her students

5. One area of practice she’d like to improve on

6. The texts Amy’s department covers at Key Stage 3 and why

7. And lastly, when we can expect Ready to Teach A Christmas Carol to be ready 

With Twitter always ready to offer an incredibly diverse and insightful amount of reading material, I hope I managed to convey to Amy the outstanding effect that Ready to Teach Macbeth has had on my teaching and its place as an outstanding resource for English teachers around the world. I imagine that my anticipation for Ready to Teach A Christmas Carol is also shared by all those who are lucky enough to be familiar with Amy and Stuart’s work and are looking forward to reading it later this year. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

Guardian articleon teacher questioning

Say it Again Better strategy (halfway down the post)

The Fire Eaters by David Almond

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

In this episode I’m speaking with Josie Sacks and Bridie McPherson. Bridie is Head of Department at Oasis South Bank Academy and Josie is National Curriculum Lead for Oasis Community Learning. This interview came off the back of me watching Josie and Bridie talk as part of a ‘We are in Beta’ presentation. The ideas and insights offered around the likes of whole class feedback and standards within English teaching more broadly were fantastically concise and a brilliant indication of the work being done in the UK around curriculum and feedback. 

In this episode we discuss:

- The best text Josie and Bridie have ever read, taught or been taught? 

- The KS3 curriculum at Oasis South Bank and the specific ideas that Bridie and Josie have chosen to construct the learning around 

- The kind of conversations or debates that led to textual choices in the scheme of learning

- An example of one unit and the type of specific vocabulary and sentence structures that are introduced that then leads to whole class feedback in subsequent tasks 

-Specifically, what are the things teachers cover in whole class feedback

- How misconceptions are reviewed in the long term

- And lastly, why models, exemplars or live writing are not entirely effective in guiding students’ understanding of a task

Thanks a lot to Bridie and Josie for giving up time on the last Friday of term to chat about these things with such a massive amount of passion and investment. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

We Are in Beta - a network of practicing teachers and leaders learning from each other and growing together. 

In this episode I’m speaking with Alethea Bleyburg. Alethea is the Director of Learning Curve Education Consulting Ltd and an IBDP Core Consultant. I was particularly keen to talk to Thea about the IBDP Extended Essay, about which she has extensive knowledge. 

We discuss:

As I state in the episode, I was bowled over by not only Thea’s knowledge but also her personal connection to the project and process of writing an EE. Her advice would serve any IBDP teacher well during what can be a demanding assignment and would also be a valuable listen for the students tasked with writing it. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk

This is the third in a series of podcasts where I focus on a particular part of English instruction or English related matters in detail. In this episode I’m talking to Kathrine Mortimore. Kathrine is the Associate Assistant Principal at a secondary school in Torquay and author of the book: Disciplinary Literacy and Explicit Vocabulary Teaching: A whole school approach to closing the attainment gap.

We discuss:

I’m extremely grateful to be able to talk to people like Kathrine, who are clearly experts in their field and are ready with a litany of practical examples and strategies to go away with. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

New Group Reading Test

Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck et al

Closing the Reading Gap by Alex Quigley

Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction by Doug Lemov et al

The Writing Game by Robin Hardman

The EEF’s advice on disciplinary literacy

Scarborough’s Reading Rope

Alice Visser-Furay - @AVisserFuray

In this episode I’m talking to Donal Hale. Donal is an English Head of Department at a secondary school in York and respected voice in English teaching on Twitter and beyond.

We discuss:

Thanks again to Donal for crossing the timezone divide and offering a frank and fantastic lowdown on how he sees English instruction in its many forms. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

Donal on Twitter - @HaleDonal

I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb

Beowulf translated by Michael Morpurgo

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

The Writing Revolution

Reading Reconsidered

Crafting Brilliant Sentences by Lindsay Skinner

Jennifer Webb books

How to Teach English by Chris Curtis

In this episode I’m talking to Alice Gibbons. Alice is the IBDP Coordinator for English at West Island School Hong Kong and also one of 3 contributors to a 2019 textbook for the IBDP Language and Literature course. 

We discuss:

- The best book she’s ever read, taught or been taught

- Alice’s experience as a teacher at home in the UK and abroad

- How the opportunity to write a textbook come about and what she gained from the process

-  Alice’s thoughts on the new iteration of the IBDP English A course and what she likes and dislikes about it

- Her interpretation of what intertextuality means in practice and how she implements it in the classroom

- The best 3 Language or Non-literary Bodies of Work Alice has come across or taught and the Lit texts they work well with

-  And finally, the best resources for people looking to continually improve within the DP

Thanks again to Alice for finding time to discuss English at IBDP level and offering so many useful ideas for those building or reviewing a curriculum. 

If you want to be kept up to date on when educational chat like this happens, then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

Alice’s co-authored textbook

Barbie Savior Instagram Account

Burmese Days by George Orwell

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong

This week I’m talking to Kate Beatty. Kate is a former Head of Department in English and now spends her time communicating with people around the world as an MYP English Language and Literature consultant. Having recently made the move into an IB world school that teaches the MYP I was really keen to ask someone like Kate a number of burning questions regarding planning a sequenced curriculum. Thankfully she offered lots of clarification and excellent ideas throughout the chat. 

We discussed: 

- The best book she’s ever read, taught or been taught

- Her experience in international teaching and why did she made the move into consultancy

- How the MYP is a different opportunity for those more used to a British curriculum

- Where the MYP fits into recent discussions regarding a knowledge rich curriculum

- Effective strategies to implement inquiry within the English classroom

- How coordinators / teachers can accommodate the need to teach literary analysis, which is something of a niche pursuit given the MYP’s prioritisation of global contexts

- Kate’s advice on how to build ATLs into the planning of a unit or make them more meaningful to students

- And finally, examples of units that she’s taught or seen that best encapsulate the mission of IB and support English learning in equal measure

Thanks again to Kate for guiding me and anyone else who cares to listen in the ways of the MYP.

If you’d like to be made aware of when more education chat like this happens then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo

A Children’s Bible - Lydia Millet

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

Kath Murdoch - Education Consultant

Trevor Mackenzie - Inquiry Guidance Books

Harvard’s Thinking Routine’s Toolbox

This is the second in a series of podcasts where I focus on a specific area of English instruction. In this episode I’m delighted to be talking to Zoe Enser about how generative learning can be implemented in the English classroom. 

Zoe and her partner Mark have offered the education world a number of fantastic publications, including their most recent book The CPD curriculum. But it is their book released earlier this year, which takes a teachers-eye view of Fiorella and Mayer’s Generative learning theories, that I am discussing with her today. For anyone who hasn’t read it yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough as a source for formative assessment and consolidation of learning in the classroom. 

We discuss: 

- The best book Zoe’s ever read, taught or learnt at school

- Who are Fiorella and Mayer and how she came across their work?

- As an English teacher by trade, can Zoe see some of the activities lending themselves more to the subject or does each one offer an equal opportunity for consolidation of learning? 

- What kind of transaction cost would Zoe associate with the respective activities, as some seem more intuitive to students than others?

- Are some of the strategies more effective at certain moments in an English scheme of work, i.e. at the end of a lesson v.s. homework. 

- And lastly, in her own experience, which of the activities do you more naturally gravitate towards and why?

Thanks so much again to Zoe for finding time in her busy schedule to speak to me about this brilliant resource. 

If you’d like to be made aware of when more education chat like this happens then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links to Zoe’s books:

Fiorella & Mayer's Generative Learning in Action

The CPD Curriculum: Creating conditions for growth

This week I’m talking to Dr. Liana Silva. Liana is an English teacher in Houston Texas, Chair of the Modern Language Association’s Committee on K-16 Alliances and Managing Editor of Sounding Out blog. 

We discuss:

Thanks so much to Liana for bridging the massive time difference between Houston and Hong Kong in order to offer her ideas and advice on teaching. There is a passage of audio in the recording where it sounds as if the microphone is muffled or playing up in some way but in actual fact this just a curious cat, purring at the superb observations made by Dr. Silva. It does pass quickly and doesn’t obscure the dialogue too much so please bear with it! 

If you’d like to be made aware of when more education chat like this happens then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

Links:

The Writing-Rich High School Classroom by Jennifer Berne

This is the first in a series of podcasts where I focus on a specific area of English instruction. In this episode I’m delighted to be talking to David Didau about how to construct a knowledge rich curriculum.

David has authored numerous books on a wide range of school topics, including literacy, accountability and psychology. But his most recent publication, Making Meaning in English is the one that I was most keen to question him on. The book’s ideas and further reading recommendations have fundamentally altered the way I see the subject moving forwards and as such it was a pleasure to have David on to discuss aspects of it in more detail. 

We cover: 

A massive thanks again to David for offering up some time to discuss the book. If you haven’t read it already then I strongly suggest you do, particularly if you’re in a position requiring curriculum design and review. 

If you’d like to be made aware of when more education chat like this happens then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and/or follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk 

In this episode I’m talking to Rebekah Ricketts. Rebekah is Head of the English Department at Safa British School in Dubai. In addition to that, she hosts The Drive Home show for Teachers Talk Radio every Monday. 

We discuss:

- The best book Rebekah’s ever taught, read or learnt in school and why

- A text or unit that she’s been keen to introduce to the classroom but isn’t quite ready to do so yet

- An introduction to her career to date and why she took the opportunity to host a show on Teachers Talk Radio

- Rebekah’s opinion on how best to give feedback during formative or summative assessment 

- The most challenging part of being a Head of Department in Rebekah’s experience

- The best advice she’s ever been given or come across in terms of teaching

-  And finally, resources that she’d recommend for teachers seeking to improve.

Thanks again to Rebekah for giving up part of her weekend to offer up lots of fantastic ideas and advice for people working or looking to work abroad. 

If you’d like to be kept abreast of chats like this then be sure to subscribe to the podcast or simply follow me on Twitter, @chrisjordanhk. 

Links:

Rebekah’s interview with Chris Curtis

Crafting Brilliant Sentences by Lindsay Skinner

Retrieval Practice by Kate Jones

litdrive.org.uk

In this episode I’m talking to Fiona Mulholland. Fiona is Head of the English Department at West Island School in Hong Kong.

We discuss:

- The best book Fiona’s ever taught, read or learnt in school and why

- A text or unit that she’s been keen to introduce to the classroom but isn’t quite ready to do so yet

- An introduction to her career to date and why she took the opportunity to teach abroad

- The best and worst things about living and working in Hong Kong

- The challenges brought about when West Island switched to the MYP

- The most challenging part of being a Head of Department in Fiona’s experience

- And finally, the best advice she’s ever been given or come across in terms of teaching

Thanks again to Fiona for giving up her valuable time to offer up lots of fantastic ideas and advice for people working or looking to work abroad. 

If you’d like to be kept abreast of chats like this then be sure to subscribe to the podcast or simply follow me on Twitter, @chrisjordanhk. 

Links:

Translations by Brian Friel

Sweat by Lynn Nottage

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck

The Ecopoetry Anthology

The Winter the Wolf Came by Juliana Spahr

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

In this episode I’m talking to Art and English teacher, Ethan Lester. Ethan is a multidisciplinary artist from Toronto, Canada. He holds a BFA from the University of Western Ontario and an MFA from the University of Victoria, where he taught photography and drawing. He currently teaches Secondary Visual Art and English in Hong Kong.

We discuss:

Thanks again to Ethan for taking the time to enlighten me on a portion of the new IB Language and Literature course that I feel relatively insecure about. Be sure to check out all of his suggestions in the show links below as they make for excellent consideration if you fancy teaching photography in the future. 

If you’d like to be kept abreast of when educational chat such as this becomes available in the future, then please subscribe using whichever podcast platform you use. Alternatively you can follow me on Twitter @chrisjordanhk. 

Links:

Alfred Stieglitz

Man Ray

Ansel Adams

Cindy Sherman

Andreas Gursky

Vikky Alexander

Jeff Wall

The Photograph as Contemporary Art by Charlotte Cotton

How to Write About Contemporary Art by Gilda Williams

In this episode I’m speaking with Jennifer Browne. Jennifer is Head of the English Department and TOK coordinator at Stonehill International School, Bangalore. 

We discuss:

Thanks a lot to Jennifer for agreeing to chat at a time when India continues to toil with pandemic based problems. 

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you usually get them and/or give me a follow on Twitter @chrisjordanhk if you’d like to be kept abreast of this kind of education chat. 

Links: 

The Reader by Bernard Schlink

Project Zero - Harvard University

In this episode I’m talking with Nick Webber. Nick is a Head of English and IBDP Coordinator at Carmel school in Hong Kong as well as being a PhD graduate in Literature. 

We discuss: 

If you haven’t already, subscribe via Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts if you’d like to be made aware of when more educational chat like this becomes available! Alternatively, you can follow me on Twitter by searching for @chrisjordanhk

Thanks again to Nick for finding time around his IBDP summer admin and offering a wide variety of insights and ideas for new writers. 

Links:

The poetry of Wisława Szymborska

The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt

In this episode I had the great pleasure of speaking to Amanda Bostock. Amanda is an English teacher and IB Extended Essay coordinator out in Europe’s sunniest capital, Lisbon, working at St. Julians School. 

We discuss: 

Thanks again to Amanda for offering up a portion of her Summer holiday to speak with me as well as the many insights she offers regarding her approach to English instruction. 

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you usually get them and/or give me a follow on Twitter @chrisjordanhk if you’d like to be kept abreast of this kind of education chat. 

Links: 

Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay

MASSOLIT

In this episode I’m talking with Harm-Jan Langelaar. Harm is an English teacher and coordinator of his school’s bilingual programme in Sassenheim, The Netherlands. In addition he’s a marker for the IBDP English A course.

We discuss: 

Thanks again to Harm for giving up a portion of his Summer, very early in the morning, to chat with me about education in The Netherlands and the IB more broadly. 

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you usually get them and/or give me a follow on Twitter @chrisjordanhk if you’d like to be kept abreast of this kind of education chat. 

Links: 

Fiela’s Child by Dalene Matthee

Dutch writers: 

Harry Mulisch 

Tim Krabbe

Marga Minco

Herman Koch

Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer 

Lesson Up - Create your own online lessons, add interactive elements to your lessons like polls, clickable hotspots, mind maps and many more

Test Correct- a Dutch, independent specialist in digital testing and CO-Learning, founded by teachers, for teachers. 

InThinking  - IB English course support

Brad Philpot - IB English course support

In this episode I’m talking with Shannon Kavanagh. Shannon is Head of Senior School English at King George V school in Hong Kong. 

In the episode we discuss

If you haven’t already, subscribe via Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts if you’d like to be made aware of when more educational chat like this becomes available! Alternatively, you can follow me on Twitter by searching for @chrisjordanhk

Thanks again to Shannon for discussing life at KGV with me and for the variety of recommendations she makes around pedagogy and literature respectively.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

IXL - Grammar and Language Skills Platform

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Jared Horvath’s YouTube Channel

The Chartered College of Teaching - Research, resources and insight to enable excellent teaching.

In this episode, I had the great privilege of speaking to Paul Farley. Paul is a poet originally from Liverpool who has won multiple awards for his work, including the Sunday Times Young Writer of Year, is a member of the Royal Society of Literature and also had the esteemed honour of teaching me creative writing in his post as professor at Lancaster University. 

We discuss: 

Thanks again to Paul for putting up with my questions so early in the morning and providing ideas that I’ve been considering ever since. 

If you haven’t already, subscribe via Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts if you’d like to be made aware of when more educational chat like this becomes available! Alternatively, you can follow me on Twitter by searching for @chrisjordanhk

Links

Paul’s publications on Amazon

In this episode I’m talking to Jamie Walker. Jamie is Head of English at St Nicholas’ international school in Sao Paolo. 

We discuss: 

Thanks a lot to Jamie for taking the time to talk with me as well as working around the enormous time difference between him and Hong Kong!

If you haven’t already please subscribe via Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Links:

The Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Blasted by Sarah Kane

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

Daytripper by Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon

Captains of the Sands by Jorge Amado

In this episode I’m speaking with Head of School Improvement at Raha International school, Luci Willis. Luci has worked in London, Japan and now Abu Dhabi, serving a whole host of roles that support students and teachers alike. 

In the interview we discuss: 

- A brief introduction to her teaching career and what recently led her to the UAE;

- What the post 'Head of School Improvement' entails and what a day in Luci’s shoes looks like;

- Examples of strategies she has tried to implement within the school and their levels of success;

- Whether improvement can actually be gauged after an intervention has been rolled out;

- The government inspection teachers can expect in Abu Dhabi;

- And what the work life / balance is like in Abu Dhabi compared to previous places Luci has lived.

Thanks again to Luci for sparing some time to discuss her new role and I hope that all goes well for Raha, Abu Dhabi and the Emirati’s working through their lockdown. 

In this episode I’m speaking with Head of English at the International School of Brussels, Matt Fron. It’s always fantastic to speak to a fellow English teacher about the choices, challenges and joys of teaching the subject so thanks a lot to Matt for offering up his time to chat!

We discuss: 

I hope all my fellow Heads of Departments and English teachers out there find something that resonates with them in the show as well as new ideas to help them through our international curricula. 

Links:

Matt’s Youtube and Twitter accounts

Chris is a social media marketing expert operating out of Los Angeles. He runs highly strategic Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns for small and big businesses alike and was someone I was seeking to interview after considering my current approach to teaching advertising somewhat out of date. I was also keen to learn about how the marketing industry has evolved and what this means for our students’ futures and privacy whilst online. 

We discuss:

Thanks again to Chris for giving up his time to discuss the ever changing landscape of marketing and the impact it will inevitably have on future generations. 

If you’d like to stay up to date on the latest podcast, feel free to subscribe via Apple or Spotify or follow me on Twitter (@chrisjordanhk)

Links: 

Emilia is a journalist working for the Liverpool Echo, a daily print and online newspaper back in the UK. I was eager to speak to someone with expertise in the media after questioning whether or not my teaching of this specific type of mass communication was as effective or even relevant as it could be. In addition, I also thought it was good opportunity to learn more about how to advise students with an interest in the media about their career prospects and how best to approach the industry. 

We discuss: 

- How Emilia came to work at the Echo and whether it was something that she’d always aimed for as a career;

- How journalism has changed from the time she initially trained to the present day;

- The extent to which the Echo is written with social media in mind;

- Whether 'clickbait' is a necessary evil in the industry nowadays;

- How the Echo's relationship with its readership has changed in recent years;

- And finally, the kind of conversations editors are having about the future of the profession. 

Thanks again to Emilia for offering up her time to discuss the state of the media landscape as well as offering advice on how aspiring journalists can get started. 

If you’d like to stay up to date on the latest podcast, feel free to subscribe via Apple or Spotify or follow me on Twitter (@chrisjordanhk)

Andy is CEO of Shmoop. Shmoop is an online platform that offers mental health tools, study guides and test prep to over 8 million middle and high school students across the U.S. and beyond.

We discuss:

Thanks a lot to Andy for finding time in his busy schedule to talk to me and I hope that some of Shmoop’s many functions can offer support to your and your students in the near future. 

If you’d like to stay up to date on the latest podcast, feel free to subscribe via Apple or Spotify or follow me on Twitter (@chrisjordanhk)

Links: 

Guillermo is Curriculum Manager for Language A in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and is based in The Hague. Today’s episode was released slightly earlier in the week as I believe that what Guillermo has to offer may help with any Language A teachers currently reviewing the course for next term.

We discuss:

Many thanks to Guillermo for speaking so passionately and in-depth about topics hotly debated on forums and in English department staff rooms around the world! I wish him well with his continued leading of the course. 

Craig is host of the brilliant Ignite Edtech podcast, which has recently hit the 50 episode mark. He is also digital consultant to schools around the world as well as being a former teacher and expert speaker for educational innovation. 

We discuss: 

A massive thanks to Craig for both his consistent insights via his own podcast as well as the one he shares with me. All of his suggestions can be found below: 

Links: 

In this show I’m speaking with Dominic Salles, aka Mr. Salles Teaches English. Dominic is a former teacher, current consultant on teaching and learning, published author and YouTuber. 

We discuss:

Many thanks again to Dominic for giving up his time to give me some thorough advice on what has been a long term ambition of mine. 

Links:

Dr. Sadie Hollins is the Head of the 6th form at Lanna international school, Chiang Mai, as well as being founder and blogger of the brilliant WISEducation. Having started the site’s online magazine in the middle of last year, Sadie has now overseen 4 consistently compelling editions that offer advice on all things Wellbeing-within-International-School-Education

We discuss: 

Thanks again to Sadie who raised some really important talking points that perhaps don’t get discussed enough in schools by staff or students respectively. Everything we mention in the podcast as well as the magazine itself can be reached in the show notes below. 

Links from the show:

WISEducation blog and magazine

The Cabin, Chiang Mai 

Krista Scott Dixon interviews

Sadie on twitter: @_WISEducation

Freya is an English teacher at St. George’s International School in Rome. Freya is a former Head of Department, Literacy lead and current member of the Twitter glitterati, loving life in the Eternal city. 

It was a fantastic opportunity to speak with Freya, who is the first English Head of Department I’ve had on the podcast, despite the fact she is now enjoying her time focusing purely on classroom instruction and letting someone else do the leading. Thanks again to Freya for sharing her insights and myriad suggestions for texts, pedagogy as well as twitter people worth following!

We discuss:

Mark is Principal and CEO of Kellett school, in Hong Kong. He is a regular speaker at the likes of the COBIS conference, has multiple articles published in TES and remains a go to voice for podcasters looking to discuss innovation for international teaching. 

I would like to say a huge thank you to Mark for offering his time and insights, which ultimately led to an extremely enlightening conversation. Anyone who has plans to teach or lead abroad will hopefully find what he had to say, very useful indeed. 

We discuss:

Many, many thanks again to Mark for giving me the opportunity to talk with him today and I wish him well steering Kellett further into future. 

Links to texts and events mentioned: 

The Alliance by Reid Hoffman 

https://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked-Age/dp/1625275773

Mark’s TES articles: 

https://www.tes.com/author/mark-steed

COBIS conference 2021

https://www.cobis.org.uk/professional-learning/annual-conference

Flourish by Martin Seligman

https://www.amazon.com/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-Well-being/dp/1439190763

Mark is Secondary Assistant Principal at the ISF Academy in Hong Kong. He is a trained History teacher who has also dabbled in Maths and is looking forward to starting a new Leadership role with the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong, later this year. 

We discuss: