Brian's Blog

As educators, we constantly seek methods to cultivate environments where students feel valued, respected, and supported. Over the years, restorative justice has emerged as an approach that addresses disciplinary issues and promotes a culture of care, empathy, and mutual respect. This article reflects on my experiences with restorative justice in education, highlighting its strengths, benefits, and connections to positive behaviour theories such as positive behaviour in schools (PBIS). I'll discuss the role of traditional disciplinary measures, like time-out, detention, and suspension, within a restorative framework. However, my stance is that these should be employed as a final option when there is no room for relationship coaching or the other strategies prove unsuccessful in achieving positive behavioural outcomes. I am going to preface this article and state that it is informed by my Christian perspective. I am committed to fostering a learning environment where students are enc...

  Over the last few weeks, I have been intrigued by the concept of optimising learning by limited cognitive overload. While this concept is not new, it was a great opportunity to reread some of the evidence base and look for areas of my own practice that could be honed.  Educators play a crucial role in shaping the learning experiences of their students. One key aspect of effective teaching is understanding the concept of cognitive load and its impact on learning. Cognitive load theory (CLT) provides a framework for educators to design instruction that minimises mental distraction and maximises student learning. In this post, I will explore the different types of cognitive load, the phenomenon of cognitive overload, and practical strategies for optimising learning in the classroom. As educators, our goal is to facilitate learning and help students reach what they can achieve. To attain this, we must understand how the human mind processes information. We realise the human bra...