1. Teaching girls

2. Plus ca change? Good teaching is good teaching Good teaching is good teaching Diversity of learning styles Diversity of learning styles Variety Variety Pace Pace Challenge Challenge Assessment for Learning approaches Assessment for Learning approaches Good questioning Good questioning Opportunities for discussion Opportunities for discussion Quality feedback Quality feedback Regular review of material Regular review of material

3. Male and female brains

4. What are the differences? Common (mis)conceptions Common (mis)conceptions Better at exams? Better at exams? Which subjects? Which subjects? The female and male brains The female and male brains

5. Possible causes for concern (1) Does school success mean success in later life?

6. Pupils’ approaches to thinking and learning Attitude to thinking Attitude to learning ACTIVE PASSIVE ACTIVE

7. Possible causes of concern (2) The course work approach

8. Possible causes for concern (3) Ongoing inequality in the workplace

9. Barriers to success 1 : risk avoidance “Children need risk to thrive as adults” – Dragons’ Den judge article “Children need risk to thrive as adults” – Dragons’ Den judge article “Children need risk to thrive as adults” – Dragons’ Den judge article “Children need risk to thrive as adults” – Dragons’ Den judge article TES article on risk and challenge TES article on risk and challenge Surprisingly low self confidence Surprisingly low self confidence What are we telling them? (Dweck article) What are we telling them? (Dweck article) What are we praising? What are we praising?

10. “Students are not fools. If regurgitation and getting the “right” answer are what bring high marks, then that is what they will try to do.” McPeck, “Teaching Critical Thinking”

11. “We need to encourage children to push themselves, to go beyond their limits, in order to build a nation of bold and confident people … Helping children to experience risks in a managed way is not only key to their general development but also to bringing on the next generation of entrepreneurs, to the benefit of the economy and society as a whole.” Simon Woodroffe, founder of Yo! Sushi, judge on BBC’s Dragons’ Den and supporter of HTI’s Go4it award

12. Barriers to success 2: Lack of creativity Prefer to repeat Prefer to repeat other people’s ideas than ideas than generate own generate own See this as See this as safest route to praise and school success Schools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talk Schools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talk Schools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talk Schools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talk X

13. Barriers to success 3: Low resilience

14. When we and others look at bright girls in our studies, we find that they are the group with the greatest vulnerability to helplessness. They are more likely than boys to hold an entity theory of their intelligence (i.e. that their intelligence is fixed and can’t be changed, for example by effort or experience), they are more likely to want tasks they are sure they can do well at and they are more likely to blame their abilities and show impairment when they encounter difficulties.” Prof Carol Dweck, Self Theories, 2000

15. Gifted girls need to “learn that the hallmark of intelligence is not immediate perfection, but rather the habit of embracing new tasks that stretch your skills and build your knowledge.” Prof Carol Dweck, Self Theories, 2000

16. Building habits for success Activities to raise awareness Activities to raise awareness of habits and their application Strategies for rewarding habits Strategies for rewarding habitshabits Focus on the dispositions which we wish to promote – show what we value – give them responsibility – report writing Focus on the dispositions which we wish to promote – show what we value – give them responsibility – report writingdispositions Provide quotations and role models Provide quotations and role models

17. Teacher behaviours which help (and hinder) How we label How we label How we give feedback How we give feedback What we praise What we praise How we plan our lessons How we plan our lessons How we become role models How we become role models

18. “… one factor in the development of … (helpless) patterns may be bright girls’ early successes which undoubtedly bring them acclaim from their teachers and parents for their intelligence and goodness. This may teach them a framework that can limit their later achievement.” Dweck, Self Theories, 2000: 124

19. “ … teachers may be over- indulgent in their praise of girls’ intelligence, as a means of overcoming harmful stereotypes and encouraging girls’ achievement.” Dweck, Self Theories, 2000: 125

20. “… these experiences can encourage an entity theory, performance goals, challenge avoidance and helpless responses to later difficulties. The diet of early success and praise may even make girls eager to buy into the entity theory and now we have a recipe for trouble.” Dweck 2000

21. “Analysis suggests that, while on the outside bright girls may appear industrious, well- integrated, responsible and successful, a paralysing instinct drives them to avoid the unknown – an undeniable sign of a lack of confidence and belief in their own intellectual abilities. A self-reinforcing cycle is set up and perpetuated in which girls become increasingly less likely to develop their strengths and more content to hide within the confines of what is known and safe.” C J Simister, Bright Girls who Fail, Gifted Education International, 2005

22. Study strategies & classroom tools to develop deeper understanding Lesson planning: content – disposition – thinking/learning skill Lesson planning: content – disposition – thinking/learning skill Diamond 9 Diamond 9 Information mapping Information mapping Mandalas Mandalas Odd one out Odd one out Jigsaw method Jigsaw method Mysteries Mysteries “Teach it” “Teach it”

23. Study strategies and classroom tools to develop deeper understanding What is the question? What is the question? Random limits Random limits Spot the mistake Spot the mistake Waynflete! Waynflete! Personal challenge award Personal challenge award Summarising (in 20 words) Summarising (in 20 words) What’s always true about …? What’s always true about …?

24. Study strategies and classroom tools to develop deeper understanding The main problem with The main problem with 10 ways to do X 10 ways to do X Oxbridge questions Oxbridge questions What if/just suppose … ? What if/just suppose … ? De Bono “Thinking hats” De Bono “Thinking hats” Ten steps to independent thinking Ten steps to independent thinking Alternative explanations Alternative explanations Persuade me that … Persuade me that … Patchwork thinking Patchwork thinking