This document lists 59 tips for becoming an excellent teacher. It suggests focusing on developing a passion for your subject, caring about student outcomes, giving effective feedback, maintaining high expectations for behavior, building student character through teaching grit and growth mindset, being reflective in your practice, and focusing lesson planning around principles like challenging objectives and spaced practice. The overall message is that teachers should aspire to excellence by applying insights from cognitive science and continually developing their skills.

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Excellence
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Shaun Allison, Durrington Research School
@shaun_allison
https://classteaching.wordpress.com/

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Excellence
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59 things that you
can do and think
about to make
yourself a really good
teacher

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1. Have a seating plan

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2. Memory is the residue of
thought.

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3. Care about how they
do…and show them.

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4. Be passionate about
your subject …and know it
inside out!

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5. When you give them
feedback, make sure they
do something with it.

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6. Follow up their response
with another question.

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7. Never tolerate talking
when you are.

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8. Try to link your
explanations to what they
already know.

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9. Start most lessons with a
recap…or something to
think about.

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10. Students need to
encounter new material at
least 3 times in order to
learn it.

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11. Learning is a long term
venture.

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12. Give them time to
practice what you have
taught them.

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13. Don’t assume that
because one student has
‘got it’ they all have.

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14. Keep them in the
struggle zone – avoid the
comfort zone & panic zone.

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15. Effort trumps natural
talent.

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16. Marginal gains.

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17. Read about teaching &
learning and cognitive
science.

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18. Ask for evidence –
don’t believe the edu-
myths.

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19. Use the wisdom of
your colleagues – find out
the things students find
hard and how they teach it.

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20. Know you school’s
behaviour policy and apply
it consistently.

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21. Believe that all
students can get better.

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22. Don’t just show them
the end product, show
them how you got there.

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23. Meet & greet them at
the door.

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24. If it’s not excellent, it’s
not finished.

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25. Know your impact.

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26. The effect of
achievement on self-
concept is stronger than
the effect of self-concept
on achievement.

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27. Perfect practice makes
perfect.

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27. Perfect practice makes
perfect.

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28. Show them excellence.

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29. Use single &
challenging learning
objectives.

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30. Chunk your
explanations.

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31. Use low stakes quizzes.

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32. Avoid gimmicks.

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33. Use cold calling when
questioning.

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34. Know the specification
& exam questions…try
them!

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35. Don’t worry about
boring…but still have fun!

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36. Build their character
through your teaching
GRIT
ASPIRATION
CONFIDENCE
RESILIENCE
GROWTH MINDSET

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37. Be reflective

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38. Build bridges

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39. Avoid phrases like
‘gifted’ and ‘fulfil potential’.

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40. Praise effort, not
intelligence…the power of
‘yet!’

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41. Use twitter for CPD
@shaun_allison

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42. Set homework that
embeds, improves, applies
or extends their learning.

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43. Never underestimate
the power of the board
pen.

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44. Think about your starts
and finishes

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45. Plan some ‘think hard’
& ‘hinge’ questions

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46. Remember…you set
the weather

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47. Knowledge is power!

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48. Make it your business
to know the students you
teach

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49. You’re the grown up
and they are children.

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50. Don’t worry about
straying from your plan.

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51. Always expect the very
best behaviour and
manners.

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52. Think about straddling.

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53. The best care we can
give to a student from a
deprived background is a
great set of exam results.

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54. Make your classroom a
RHINO free zone.

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55. Every lesson is a fresh
start.

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56. Group work & peer
assessment – proceed with
caution.

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57. Pace can be over-rated.

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58. Be aware of Evie.

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59. Focus
your
planning
around
these 6
principles.

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Excellence
Transformation
Shaun Allison, Durrington Research School
sallison@durring.com
@shaun_allison
https://classteaching.wordpress.com/