Book Review: 'Cogheart' by Peter Bunzl

I must admit that I was skeptical about reading 'Cogheart' in the way that I'm skeptical about most popular things. That attitude probably comes from the regular confusion I feel when I hear the music that gets into the charts - how can so many people be so wrong?

However, I laid aside my misgivings, trusted the scores of teachers (on Twitter) who actually bother to read children's books and picked up a copy of Peter Bunzl's debut effort.

With its oh-so-en-vogue strong female lead (Lily will be held up as a role-model for my three girls) this rip-roaring adventure travels through a steam-powered, alternative-history Victorian landscape which is largely signified by the plethora of airships and steam-powered vehicles. Oh and the automatons.

And it's the book's wonderful 'mechanicals' and 'mechanimals' who steal the show. They are clockwork machines, robots essentially, who have been created largely to perform menial tasks - cook, butler, chauffeur and so on. Malkin, a mechanical fox and one of the book's most integral characters, is a little different - he was created as a companion. 

As a teacher I'm always on the look-out for books with the potential to provoke discussion and exploration of contemporary issues. In 'Cogheart' it's the relationship between humans and mechanicals that provides the most scope for developing empathy in children. The book provides a safe space to discuss why people use difference as an excuse for hatred. The fact that the book portrays the automatons to display more feelings than some of the human characters leaves the reader thinkingthat the machines really should be treated equally - children would enjoy debating this issue, and without belittling issues such as slavery, racism, sexism and so on, they could easily be introduced to the arguments and ideas behind the need for equality.

Without spoiling the story too much there are also multiple opportunities to explore moral dilemmas as the characters have to make decisions where neither option is particularly inviting.

Key stage 2 children will love the pacy action and the danger at every turn but you might want to be careful who you recommend it to - it deals a lot with death of family members. All in all, 'Cogheart' is a brilliant story of good triumphing over the considerably stronger evil of some truly fearsome criminals and is a portrait painted especially for children of how greed and desire corrupts. Definitely worth a read - I'm glad I followed the crowd!

From The @TES Blog: Ten Ways To Maximise Learning Time In Lessons

Written with newer teachers in mind, this 10-point article is a run down of all the simple things to bear in mind when planning and delivering a lesson to ensure that time is not wasted. Although many of the points may seem obvious, it's actually quite a juggling act even for the most experienced teacher to keep all the balls in the air.

Every teacher wants to make the most of the time children spend sitting in their classroom. And by "making the most of" I mean that we want them to be learning.

But how streamlined are your lessons in reality? Here's a 10-point checklist to run through to see if your teaching really is maximising learning as much as it could be.

Read the ten-point list here: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/your-10-point-checklist-maximising-learning-time-lessons

From The @TES Blog: Why Every Primary School Needs To Embrace Non-Fiction

Everyone has their favourite children’s book. And it is almost always a work of fiction. While children do read a lot of non-fiction, it is not venerated in the same way as the novels and picturebooks beloved to us all.

Unfortunately, this can make non-fiction seem somehow less important and some can even question its place in the primary classroom.

We need to fight this denigration of the genre: non-fiction books are essential tools in the primary classroom. Here is why:

Click here to read on over on the TES blog: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/six-reasons-why-every-primary-school-needs-embrace-non-fiction

How To Stay Sane Now The KS2 SATs Are Over

The fourth and final post in my series of blog posts for Third Space Learning focusing on teacher and pupil wellbeing during the key stage 2 SATs testing period:

An almost audible collective sigh of relief rises from Year 6 teachers and KS2 pupils across the realm. Suddenly, the prospect of life beyond SATs becomes tantalisingly real and, at least for now, it is there to be enjoyed.

Feelings during the next few weeks will (though I hate to have to remind you) morph from the relief that the end of the SATs week brings into the impatient wait for results day on July 4th.

Click here to read my five tips for staying sane now that the key stage 2 test are over: https://www.thirdspacelearning.com/blog/2017/sayonara-sats2017-5-golden-rules-for-year-6-teachers-to-make-the-most-of-lessons-after-sats

Being A Writing Teacher: 6 Reasons Why Teachers Should Write

This blog post can now be read at: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/being-a-writing-teacher-6-reasons-why-teachers-should-write

Twas The Night Before SATs by @parky_teaches

Twas the night before SATs, and all through the land

Not a teacher was stirring, the curriculum banned.

Past papers pored over, practised just so,

Fingers are crossed that thresholds are low.

The children were fretful, nervous in their beds

While visions of ticking clocks danced in their heads.

Heads in their offices give keyboards a tap

Writing excuses for that OFSTED chap.

When out in the playground arose such a chatter

Of parents and media to see what was the matter.

They could not believe just what they had heard, 

And started to panic about things like adverbs.

Would the Reading test reduce children to tears?

This was just the first of their fears.

Revision packs bought, tutors booked up

Parents stressed out, leaving nothing to luck.

A courier arrives, so lively and quick,

The papers are locked in the safe with a click.

Staff arrive early, their visages bleak,

Year 6 teachers wishing for just a quick peek.

"Now, Kirsty! now, Donna! now, Seb and Mina!

On, Holly! On, Dev! On Connor and Tina!

To your new seating plan! Right next to the  wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As children that before the biggest challenge try

When they're met with a SAT they let out a cry

"Not more past progressive, not more long division

We can take no more of the government's indecision!"

And then, in a twinkling flash of inspiration,

Memories flicker across the nation.

The teacher sits, fidget spinner in hand,

Hoping beyond hope things go just as planned.

They were just about dressed, from their head to their feet, 

And their eyelids droopy from the lack of sleep

A bundle of assessments, flung on their back, 

In case a standardised score is starting to slack.

His pupils - how they twinkled! (Well they did in year 5)!

Now they were dull, barely alive

Drilled into submission, all out of fear

That somebody's job might be gone next year.

The stumps of pencils found gnawed by teeth, 

And clumps of hair torn out in disbelief 

Looking over shoulders, "Is that a four or a nine?"

Mentally of course, we don't want a fine.

Once the first one is over, it's onto the next

They're really relentless, they are, these tests.

We jump hoops through SPaG, through every last trick,

Then it's onto the maths, the ol 'rithmetic!

They spoke not a word (they weren't allowed),

But when the time was up, they cheered and they howled, 

And laying aside their pencils and pens, 

They breathed a sigh of relief, along with their friends.

Teachers sprang to their desks, to their teams gave a whistle,

And outside they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard them exclaim, ‘ere they drove out of sight,

"Oh wait, it's writing moderation next, bugger..."

10 Things I Still Do Today That I Learned As A Lazy NQT

This blog post is now available at: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/10-things-i-learned-about-teaching-as-a-lazy-nqt