Claire Crawley

Workshop Overview:

Having embraced a common language around thinking and seen the power of metacognition, we are on now establishing a culture of oracy in the thinking classroom. The relationship between thinking, language and effective learning are fundamental to good outcomes for learners. Come on a journey with us as we share how we have arrived at this point and how we believe the explicit teaching of speaking skills is entirely linked to pupil readiness for the future. Quality classroom talk does not just happen, but it can happen through thought, collective commitment and an understanding of the power of dialogic teaching.

Biography:

Claire Crawley is an English specialist with over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, coordinator and subject leader.  Constantly seeking ways to enrich and improve student experience, engagement and outcomes, Claire is driven by the belief in her role as a facilitator for young people to achieve their best no matter their starting point, area of personal strength or interest.

Claire is a graduate of Manchester University and the University of Ulster, fusing the PGCE in English and Drama with Teaching English as a Second Language. This paved the way for Claire’s career within the UK in Manchester comprehensive schools and beyond in international schools such as Coast Academy, Mombasa; British International School, Budapest; the International School of Paris and The British School of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

In 2020, Claire returned home to Northern Ireland after 25 years away. She began teaching for the first time in Northern Ireland at Priory Integrated College in 2022 where she is now Literacy Coordinator. Claire has been leading the drive on whole school oracy aimed at empowering colleagues to help students bridge the attainment gap post pandemic, and reteaching students how to shape their talk for academic success, wellbeing and social mobility for the future beyond school. With Deirdre Scarlett, Claire has led whole school oracy training linking the ‘habits of mind’ with other metacognitive processes such as using Thinking frames to develop talk tactics and talk roles.