From 1st September 2026, the online subscription resource will be closing and moving to a free model. While I continue to get really good feedback from teachers about the writing lessons within the resource, the truth is that I find the pressure of continually developing new material quite overwhelming as I try to cut down my workload. I’m not getting … Read More
As you know, large parts of a new draft of the English Curriculum came out in Term 3, 2024. I was particularly interested to look at its content, having been a major writer of the 2008 version. Our briefs were obviously very different – we were instructed to condense what was to be covered into an Essence Statement supported by … Read More
Kia ora tatou Here we are, right into the third term of 2024. Hope everything is going well for you and that you have managed to avoid most of the winter ills. I’ve been good though realised how tired I was when the July break started. I think many of us felt the same. I led two Teacher Only Days … Read More
For three months between Feb-April 2024, I have been living and working in Sweden, employed by Stockholm University as ‘guest lecturer’. This post is the fourth of a series that discusses some of the highlights of my time there. Following on from my work with students in Stockholm, along with Undertaking PD in Finland and giving multiple lectures at the … Read More
For three months between Feb-April 2024, I have been living and working in Sweden, employed by Stockholm University as ‘guest lecturer’. This post is the third of a series that discusses some of the highlights of my time there. Following on from my work with students in Stockholm, along with Undertaking PD in Finland, I’ve also given multiple lectures at … Read More
For three months between Feb-April 2024, I have been living and working in Sweden, employed by Stockholm University as ‘guest lecturer’. This post is the second of a series that discusses some of the highlights of my time there. Following on from my work with students in Stockholm, and the various lectures I have been giving to undergraduates, I’ve also … Read More
For three months between Feb-April 2024, I have been living and working in Sweden, employed by Stockholm University as ‘guest lecturer’. This post is the first of a series that discusses some of the highlights of my time there. In addition to the Professional Development I’ve been undertaking in Finland, and along with the various lectures I’ve been giving to … Read More
It’s only a few weeks since I sent out my last newsletter but so much has happened during February and March that I wanted to share more with you. A lot of it is to do with the launch of my book….. I am currently working at Stockholm University and will be here until the end of May – having … Read More
Kia ora tatou Here we are just starting the first term of 2024 already. Hope it has all started well for you. Despite wanting to slow down a bit, it has been hectic for me. My Book Completing my book (Building Young Writers: Engaging and Motivating Year 4-8 Students in Writing) and getting it ready for publication has been my … Read More
Kia ora tatou Here we are in the fourth term of the year already. Hope your October break went well. Literacy Association Conference I spent the first week of my so-called October break in Invercargill, at the NZ Literacy Association’s Conference, aptly titled Lighting the Literacy Pathway. It was excellent. With 420+ attendees from across the country and seven keynote … Read More