A half-term pause
time for a breather!
Thoughts and musings
I am not sure about you, but the first 6 weeks of the new year (and the second academic term here in the UK) feel like they have flown by! I have written before about how the arrangement of the educational calendar can often feel at odds with the calendar year and associated seasons (‘Slowing down and gearing up’). So, this week (as many schools in England have reached the point of a week’s holiday) I felt that it may be the perfect time to take a little pause and an intentional breath.
To do this, I thought that it may be helpful to recap some of my previous glimmers, which may be worth a revisit (and could be of interest to a number of new subscribers who I have recently welcomed). This also felt like a good opportunity for me to signpost a few events, initiatives and recommended reads (and listens) which could be added into the mix.
Ideas and practical suggestions
So, grab a preferred drink of choice (a caramel latte for me) and settle in for a little round-up and reminder of glimmering ideas and practical suggestions which I hope cast a shimmer of inspiration as we continue forth into 2026, ever nearer to the revitalising energies of spring!
1. Glimmers which you may have missed or could be interested in revisiting
At this point of the year, many of us are nearing the mid-point of the current academic year. We may be taking a moment to reflect on the time which has passed and that which is yet to come. Some of you may be considering your next steps for the next academic year. Whichever your current situation and experience, I hope that there may be a glimmer to accompany you at this point of your journey. My aim is to title my weekly glimmers to provide a clear signpost to a topic of interest, so if there is nothing that seems quite the right fit below, do take a scroll through my previous posts.
If you would appreciate a little personal or professional boost:
If you’d like a few ideas to use in the classroom which encourage pupil motivation, value individual identity and increase engagement:
If you have an interest in embedding an authentic reading culture in your school:
If you’re a leader and are keen to nurture staff’s individual interests and learning journeys:
What’s worth keeping an eye on for the next part of this academic year?
I am incredibly fortunate to have readers who subscribe to my ‘glimmers’ from across the globe (37 states and 45 countries, so Substack informs me!). What a privileged position I consider myself to be in to write for such a diverse and vast audience. With my current experience in education being in the UK (and all of my teaching roles within British Curriculum schools) I do often tend to signpost initiative and events which may be founded in the UK, or linked to our Department for Education agendas. However, I do hope that common threads can be found across countries when it comes to education. It would always be so fantastic for our whole glimmering community to hear of any similar signposts of interest which are taking place where you are based. The comment section is always open!
Signposting…
The National Year of Reading! It is in full swing. Do read my linked ‘glimmer’ for all the main headlines.
The valuable work of EmpathyLab (do add 4th - 11th June to your diary, where the celebrations will be in full flow for the Empathy Day festival!) Take a look at the evidence which links empathy, reading enjoyment and attainment in my linked ‘glimmer’.
Spotlight on primary English, a FREE event which I am hosting with fellow members of The English Association’s Primary and Early Years Education Committee on Thursday 26th February, 4:30 - 5:15pm (GMT)
Teachers’ Talk Connect - a FREE conference in Manchester for primary and secondary practitioners (across all subjects). I attended this last year and it was marvellous. It will take place Saturday 14th March and tickets can be found here:
Do you follow SEMH Education here on Substack? If not, I would highly recommend doing so. Join Kieran, for FREE as he launches his exciting new website!
30 lucky primary schools will have the opportunity to access FREE literacy resources for the foundation subjects on The Teachers’ Collection until August 2026. To find out more join Mary Myatt on Tuesday 24th February 3:30pm.
New podcast alert! I will be adding, The Science of Learning from Inner Drive to my list of regular listens!
I am currently reading: The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller (I am 3 chapters in and I can already identify it as a must-read for those considering how to authentically engage their pupils to read).
What a great post for the half-term! It has absolutely flown by hasn't it?! I feel like we're over the hill now though... brighter days again and less rain hopefully! 🤞
Thank you so much for including me in your post! I'm excited and nervous to launch next week!
Great post Laura and thank you for including a link to the webinar for The Teachers' Collection!