Until a few months ago, most of my AI experiments had been quite basic – help with lesson planning, creating teaching resources, instant infographics, stuff like that. So I decided to set myself a challenge to help me learn more… Read More ›
teacher development
EAL Digest July 2026
I never really got this update off the ground a few years back. Feels like I need to keep track of different things I come across so I’m starting it again. New releases One Asia Readers A great series of… Read More ›
Interview task: driving forward multilingualism as a strategic goal
I’ve just been through a worthwhile interview process with a school network called ISP (International Schools Partnership). I didn’t get the job, but I enjoyed the experience and learnt a lot about the company (and myself) through it. ISP network… Read More ›
Webinar: Jeffrey Boakye on oracy
This week I attended a live CPD webinar at my school on oracy development, led by Jeffrey Boakye. He’s an ex-teacher, oracy specialist, and author on race and identity. Find out more about him here. There’s been a real push… Read More ›
More thoughts on using the CEFR in EAL contexts
I wrote about the CEFR framework a while back, explaining how I thought it was misused in many EAL contexts. It’s been on my mind again recently, so I just wanted to reiterate some points and add a few more…. Read More ›
Teach Meet: developing listening skills
In my previous school we did ‘Teach Meets’. Once a year, each teacher would share some research or teaching ideas related to their own practice. We’d come together once a term for some teachers to present (gallery walk style) and… Read More ›
Effective questioning
Jane Maria Harding da Rosa at EELT asked if I had any tips regarding effective questioning. She felt that effective questioning is not covered much on initial teacher training courses, so is planning some input on it for her blog/channel… Read More ›
Adaptations: Follower (Year 7 poetry)
The assessment for our Year 7 poetry unit was on how Seamus Heaney portrays his relationship with his father in the poem Follower. It didn’t require a super-detailed analysis, mainly recognizing the main themes and the time shift, but some… Read More ›
Teaching EAL learners: talk for iQTS candidates (Uni of Sunderland)
I was invited by Uni of Sunderland to talk to their iQTS candidates about EAL teaching strategies. I had an open brief, so I opted to share some more general tips for early careers teachers. I talked about: There was… Read More ›
EAL adaptations: Poetry, Year 6
Our current poetry unit with Year 6 is probably the strongest planning I’ve picked up this year. Minimal adaptation needed, mostly accessible, fun, and the level of challenge is spot on really. It just needs tiny tweaks. Here are some… Read More ›
ELT Planning 