To help a newly qualified teacher (NQT) of Key Stage 3 science balance his reliance on rhetoric with more thorough lesson planning, behaviour expert John Bayley provides pedagogical advice.
Jim Weiss, a former youth worker and experienced public speaker, is aware that his reliance on rhetoric can sometimes lead to under-planning his lessons at Lampton School, Hounslow.
John watches him teach a top-set Year 9 double lesson. Jim's a great entertainer but the secondary students are under-stretched and John thinks they could learn more if Jim talked less.
He believes Jim should save his storytelling skills for the most important moments, planning a stronger framework to his lessons and introducing a variety of activities to encourage independent learning.
Two weeks later John returns to find an improvement. Jim is carefully monitoring his talking and his lessons have a better structure, as shown in this classroom-management resource.
