kirstiemurray.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Nice to see that some of my ideas about retrieval practice/ quizzing are not drawn from the ether or out on a limb, but similar to other research in this area. As we approach GCSEs I can see a huge impact from our QR code quizzing. Blogged about here onebighistorydepartment.com/2025/03/05/u...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

#historyteachers I’ve just reread TH183 what’s the wisdom on extended reading. But I’m looking for something else I think - something about extended reading at KS4 in particular. Probably about reading outside the classroom, extension activities, homeworks etc Any other recommendations?

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

Terrifying and fascinating to read in detail. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Definitely need to work on conveying a sense of the medieval world just being fewer people. The intimacy of a village. Other big thing I’m increasingly aware students lack is an understanding of premodern farming - starvation in bad harvest, the precariousness of work #historyteacher #edusky

submitted 14 days ago • 5 comments

Intriguing blog. We look at medieval towns/villages at GCSE and it blows their minds how small everything was in terms to population. My students live in a mini new town of no importance. Yet it has a population of the biggest medieval city.

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

My gorgeous school had Ofsted visit this week. Who knows the conclusion but we showed our best - colleagues lifting up colleagues, teaching our socks off, buzzing with passion for our subject and our pupils #historyteacher

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

I had a chat with a trainee #historyteacher today about how AI is superficially a useful tool for creation of resources. But if it fundamentally does the opposite to the work of historians who have painstakingly researched and nuanced claims with transparent citing of sources, well…

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

My first ever blog post, contributed to the One Big History Department blog. I’ll admit, I’m quite excited to see some (sketchy) thoughts in print. Do have a read if iPads/ quizzing/ knowledge recall is your thing. onebighistorydepartment.com/2025/03/05/u...

submitted 30 days ago • 1 comment

Our trust, school, department and my ECT have ‘reading’ as a CPD priority right now. So I’m devoting some waiting-in-the-car dead time to reading this. My ECT and I have chosen to read it together and we are particularly interested in vocab learning in a post 16 setting.

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

New blog! ‘The Teachers’ knowledge that has no name’. What should we call this knowledge? heatherfblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/23/t... With special thanks to @michaelfordham.bsky.social

submitted 42 days ago • 9 comments

We have a brilliant initiative at our new 6th form. Teachers take turns to give mini 10 minute lectures on their history specialist subject for 6th form at lunch time. Runs every two weeks so not onerous at all for staff. Minimal prep, all topics that students will never have encountered. 1/

submitted 51 days ago • 3 comments

I was caught out using a catchphrase I didn’t know I had today. Greeting Y9 at the door ‘Quick year 9 I want to start quickly - this is one of my FAVOURITE things to teach’ Y9 pupil: you always say that! True. I think I do. Because most of it is amazing. #historyteacher

submitted 57 days ago • 0 comments

Parents’ eve for Y12. Such a fun evening for sharing stories of how well students have made the jump from GCSE. And plenty of reminders that everyone needs to be reading around the subject! Now I’m a parent myself I see how important parents’ eve is for sharing positivity and praise.

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

I’ve used this blog both with my PGCE student and ECT this past week. A thought-provoking, quick read with practical ideas. We tied it into work on extended reading and the importance for kids (even at secondary school) hearing an adult read aloud so they access that ‘incidental’ vocab learning

submitted 63 days ago • 1 comment

Just listened to and enjoyed this from @mroscott.bsky.social Thought provoking on how to prioritise narratives that students produce. Great caveats at the end - how do we avoid students regurgitating narratives that WE see? How can students see big changes in 1st order concepts for themselves?

submitted 68 days ago • 1 comment

Brilliant day. No kids in school and the whole day given to departments for curriculum planning We had the perfect blend of some CPD videos watched as team history, priorities discussed for shared planning, workload divided up and plenty of peace and quiet for reading, planning, resourcing lessons.

submitted 68 days ago • 1 comment

My friend @jessangell.bsky.social was a fab line manager for me and is now looking for a new colleague in her job.

submitted 74 days ago • 0 comments

#historyteachers #edusky My wonderful friend is researching retellings of classical myths and their use by teachers and students. Think Women of Troy, Circe etc. She has a super quick survey for teachers who have come across retellings of Greek and Roman myths: forms.office.com/e/APbQt2B028

submitted 80 days ago • 0 comments

It’s such fun being a history teacher. Today we moved the tables and did a reenactment of the Battle of Hastings (Y7), told Y12 the story of Robespierre’s grisly arrest and execution and worked with Y8 describing the EIC. The sheer variety of what we do still astonishes. #historyteacher

submitted 82 days ago • 5 comments

We have a brand new 6th form and little money to stock a new library. What have other schools done to square this? We do French Rev, 20th century Britain and American rights.

submitted 89 days ago • 0 comments

New term, same focus. Reading. Any #historyteacher ideas on promoting (insisting on?) extended reading at A level?

submitted 89 days ago • 0 comments

I have a display in my room of ‘history in the news’ where I display stories directly related to things we study. This is heading straight there. I hope the display goes someway to dispel ‘when will I ever use this?!’ Well, pretty much every time you read the news, have a job, interact…

submitted 104 days ago • 0 comments

Across the Y7 curriculum we build deep knowledge of medieval Christianity, Christian symbolism, the Reformation, the Renaissance, the political situation in Europe in the later Middle Ages, trade links across the Old World, the New World and more.

submitted 108 days ago • 0 comments

We look at the Ambassadors with Y7 later in the year. Super interesting thread here. I love it when we get the kids looking at art! It’s definitely one of those cultural capital things. A little knowledge is hugely powerful for unlocking national art treasure like this….

submitted 108 days ago • 0 comments

A tricky customer in Y11 asked me why I was a teacher, when I could earn lots more money. I told him all the MANY joys - history is cool, I get to read for a living, the pay is fine, flexibility, holidays, kids are FUN. Even kids like him on a good day. That got a wry smile. #historyteacher

submitted 108 days ago • 0 comments

Chat GPT may yet have its uses, but, speaking as a historian interested in how young people learn about the past, it utterly terrifies me. It is a bespoke garbage howitzer

submitted 116 days ago • 37 comments

We popped @counsellc.bsky.social and @paulalobo.bsky.social on the big screen to better watch and discuss as a dept. Thought provoking stuff. We definitely had plenty to say in our room!

submitted 117 days ago • 1 comment

And if there are any #historians out there who would like to come and give the next HistoricAll lecture at a totally fab state secondary near Cambridge do say! We have space in the Spring term.

submitted 130 days ago • 0 comments

Such fun to gather with 100+ others this evening - students, community members and visitors from another @camacademytrust.bsky.social school. We enjoyed THE Professor David Reynolds talk about Churchill. We host these termly so if you’re local to Cambridge watch out for our next one.

submitted 130 days ago • 1 comment

I had this exact puzzle with a trainee teacher this week. Thinking too about lights, glare, blinds etc. So much is automatic for experienced teachers before you even get to thinking about the teaching. Training to teach is like thinking of 100 things at once and realizing you’ve missed point 101

submitted 133 days ago • 1 comment

Today the lovely @marloavidon.bsky.social came to give a lecture to our 6th students. Staff, students, students who don’t even take history came along to hear about Samuel Pepys, fashion plates, gold lace, India goods, the ever present threat/influence of French fashion.

submitted 136 days ago • 0 comments

Tomorrow a history PhD student is coming to talk to our 6th form history society at lunchtime. Excited! We’re a brand new 6th form with around a dozen Y12 historians. What else to history departments to do generate a bit of buzz around their subject, post 16? #historyteacher

submitted 136 days ago • 0 comments

Super idea here. QR codes are brill. We have made Microsoft forms revision quizzes, each one self marking, can be completed by each student multiple times. Each quiz had a QR code stuck in the front of GCSE books so revision always at hand. Reusable year on year. (All our students have iPads)

submitted 137 days ago • 2 comments