New website for an education magazine!
Today’s blog is about R.I.S.E. a brilliant online education magazine and their brand new website. Two years ago I wrote my first ever article about chess called ‘The ‘Gift of Chess’. This will always be my favourite piece. It’s a summary of all my years as a primary school teacher where I tried to squeeze chess into my timetable. Some years it featured more than others depending on my class and workload. In the ‘Gift of Chess’ I talk about the ways chess enriched the lives of my students.
R.I.S.E. Education magazine
R.I.S.E. education magazine stands for Reflect, Inspire, Support, Empower. It’s a magazine for ideas, inspiration and shared learning written by teachers for teachers. It’s run by NetSupport, a software development company and the editor Kat Cauchi is the most wonderful woman in edtech!
Four articles all about Chess
‘The Gift of Chess’ was given such a warm welcome that I wrote three more articles. I tried to pick themes that would be interesting and useful for teachers. Something they could take straight back into the classroom. Click below to browse the 8 fabulous issues or type ‘chess’ in the search box to see my four articles for free.
‘The Gift of Chess‘ discusses the benefits of chess and how there are different gains for different children.
‘Get you Chess On‘ is an example of a lesson plan focusing on the knight. I wanted to show teachers how they too can plan a lesson and tap into the available and free resources. I used the Chess in Schools curriculum and website to support my planning: https://www.chessinschools.co.uk/chess-at-home
‘Chess + Maths‘ shares some chess themed tasks that develop problem solving and number skills. These are tasks I’ve taught in primary school which I also shared in an online seminar with John Foley from ChessPlus.
My final piece (but not for long!) was ‘10 reasons to love LogiqBoard‘. I wanted to show teachers that they can make chess accessible to all children using this safe, interactive 8×8 board.
As you can see I shared the ‘why’ and the ‘how’. Why should we have chess in schools? How can we deliver chess? What skills does it develop? I shared an every day primary school teacher’s experience of running a chess club, winning a tournament and fitting in chess any way possible.
I also wanted to show the planning side and a bank of resources. Showing how chess or tasks related to the theme of chess develop problem solving skills, something that meant so much to me as a primary maths teacher.
Primary and secondary school teachers, this is for you.
When I wrote for RISE edu mag I had no idea I would become part of the LogiqBoard team, I just wanted to promote chess in schools. Yes there are wonderful chess players and tutors promoting chess in schools but I know that in order to reach more children we have to reach more teachers. And that’s at the heart of what I do. I’m the primary school teacher waving the chess flag in schools!
Kat Cauchi, I’m forever grateful for the voice you gave me and the space to celebrate chess. The guidance and encouragement, the way you understood my way of working, (yes I sometimes miss deadlines and will produce my best work just before a deadline, I mean an hour before, ok maybe minutes!)
Thank you for the creative freedom and never changing a single word. Your magical vibes got me to do a chess podcast and maths podcast with a super panel of maths queens.
Kat has invited me to write again and I feel the time is right. Can you guess what I’m going to write about? Which topic have I not written about? If you follow me on social media then I’m sure you have figured it out! 🤫
A gratitude post
When you give someone a voice you might not realise that you help set off a chain of events.
In June two years ago I went on a Chess plus teaching chess course and was the 1000th person to pass. John Foley wrote a blog about our interview. It was also the month that an amazing executive headteacher, Christalla Jamil, invited me to her school and soon after I got a chess teaching job there. I teach here once a week, chess, strategy games and problem solving tasks. The next month, Cherubs family magazine invited me to write a regular maths feature for parents. What a magazine!
It’s the little things…
Before I go I have to tell you about my shopping trip two days ago. I was in a clothes shop when a young man working there came over to me and asked me if I taught in a certain school. He remembered that I had taught him maths six years ago and also chess, he told me how much he enjoyed playing.
Yesterday I had a coffee with a wonderful children’s book author. She told me that her son played chess. I smiled. She then added that her son had been taught the game three years ago by a girl and this girl was in my chess club. She thanked me.
What do all of the things have in common? They’re things I’m grateful for.
Next steps:
So for this month’s final blog (oops I published a little late) I’ll leave you with some tasks:
-Check out R.I.S.E. magazine, celebrate this fabulous magazine that has given chess a space to be seen.
-If you do teach chess, share and celebrate your chess club. Tag LogiqBoard, we love to see strategy games being played. If you’ve taught a maths investigation linked to the theme of chess, tag us!
And remember the smallest chess club makes a difference too.
Together we R.I.S.E.
Kat Cauchi, the R.I.S.E editor 💕
Hari x
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