Navigating the Digital Jungle Together: Building Digital Citizenship at Home and School.

  As a former Deputy Head and Class Teacher for over 20 years I have a real interest in helping schools and homes work together. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, teaching digital citizenship and literacy has become essential for both families and the school community. The huge increase of devices and online platforms presents […]

Screen Time, Digital Poverty, Education & Why NOT all Educational Apps are Equal in Quality‼️

If you have time I highly, highly recommend watching or listening to this absolutely fascinating  parliamentary evidence on screen time, digital poverty and education, with Baroness Kidron who’s career has taken her from making movies for Stephen Spielberg to groundbreaking protections for young people online Screen time and Wellbeing  Speakers include: John McGee, Senior Policy […]

Classroom Compassion: Supporting Pupil’s Through Divorce. Divorce Support for Teachers

I’m writing a Continued Professional Development Course (CPD) supporting parents, children & families, and the people who work with them around divorce. Supporting pupils who are going through a divorce requires a thoughtful and sensitive approach. Here are some tips and advice for teachers to navigate this situation: Open Communication: Maintain an open line of […]

Digital Wellness Tips for Parents & Children

‘The New Digital Divide’ is digital wellness — which means responsible and healthy relationships with technology — all part of overall children & student wellbeing which is an essential 21st-century skill. It is not uncommon that children spend 6 to 8 hours on digital screens every day. Some children are taught knowledge and skills necessary […]

Helping Children Behave Better in the Classroom with Sue Atkins

An interview with my great pal across the pond – Dr. Lynne Kenney on how kindness and collaboration can improve children’s behaviour in the classroom. Lynne Kenney, Psy.D., is a practicing pediatric psychologist, author and international educator in Scottsdale, AZ. With a keen interest in changing the trajectory of children’s learning through cognitive-exercise, Dr. Kenney […]

Dear Teacher.

  Here’s a beautifully heartfelt letter I discovered on Mamapedia as kids return to school this week. Dear Teacher, Today I relinquish my precious children into your care. Do you know how important you are to me? To them? From this day forward, you are a valuable force in what defines them. You will encourage […]

‘Tick Box Teaching’

  Today thousands of teachers in the UK are on strike. I sympathise because education has become a world of what I call “Tick Box” Teaching – where teachers are snowed under with data. Ticking boxes about whether a 5 year old in Year 1 can “ Recognise common graphemes and common alternative pronunciations” in […]

Secret Teacher: ‘Dear Ofsted inspector, I am giving you notice to improve’

I know just how this teacher feels as a former Deputy Head ! Schools quake in fear of Ofsted instead of seeing it as an opportunity to get inspiring new ideas and positive feedback. The culture of blame and shame really doesn’t help schools or teachers feel valued or  improve morale as everyone has become […]

The Sue Atkins Wednesday Story To Ponder for Parents

CHANGE  Here is a true story from my never ending notebook and everlasting pencil taken from Chip and Dan Heath  the authors of Made to Stick and the soon-to-be-released book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. “A troubled teenager named Bobby was sent to see his high-school counsellor, John Murphy. Bobby had […]