The Easter break is one of the few times in the school year when we can truly pause. Not just to recover and to catch our breath, but to reflect.
Lately, I’ve found myself reflecting on my journey with curriculum development over the past couple of years – whereby at one point, I spent weeks of the summer holiday designing a super creative, interactive and project-based KS3 curriculum, only to arrive in September with the reality of shared teaching classes across the department, specialist staffing shortages and a strong appetite among existing staff to keep things simple and make as little change as possible to delicately manage everyone’s cognitive load and well-being.
To ensure “consistency” at a foundational level in the department and manage extended periods of cover, naturally I turned to textbooks. Textbooks certainly offer structure, consistency and a clear roadmap when you’re a time-strapped teacher. Yet, as students’ needs, attention spans and learning styles evolve, we begin to question whether that approach is, on its own, enough? And could teachers’ contribution to an overarching school focus on “improving behaviour”, simply be to make lessons as inclusive and exciting as possible for students and meet students where they are, while recognising as a teacher you are doing your best, despite the systemic challenges?
That’s where tools like Quizalize and Marvely come in.
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📚 The Case for the Textbook
To be clear—textbooks still have value. They’re well-sequenced, exam-aligned, and often written by seasoned educators. But when I look around my classroom, I see learners who:
- Need more immediate feedback
- Thrive with interactivity and competition
- Learn better when content is personalised
We of course know that the textbook alone can’t do all that. But the right digital tools can help fill in the gaps, without causing you additional hassle or stress.
🤖 Why I Gave Marvely AI and Quizalize a Try
I started small:
- A grammar quiz on Quizalize that grouped students by ability for follow-up tasks
- A Marvely-generated dialogue for a speaking lesson that felt fresh, not scripted (and students loved!)
- A listening exercise created in seconds, based on the exact vocab I taught that week
The result? More engagement. More confidence. Less low-level chatter.
And for me? More time in the classroom to spend 1-2-1 with specific students and more confidence that students enjoy learning in my classes.
🐣 A Season for Renewal
Easter is about renewal. Growth. An opportunity for a fresh start.
So if you’re sitting with your planner this week, thinking about what next—maybe ask yourself:
- What parts of my teaching are serving me and my students well currently?
- Where am I stuck in routine rather than responding to what learners need now?
- Could a new digital tool—like Quizalize or Marvely—make the next half-term a little easier, a little more fun with a particular class? (and could I include this trial and error approach in my CPD allocated hours?)
We don’t need to throw out textbooks. But maybe this is the moment to supplement them with something that brings your teaching to life for you in new ways.
You could start by trialling with your students one of these Easter Quizzes or a speaking practice task:
🐣 Easter Quizzes
- French – A quiz focused on Francophone countries
- German – Explore German-speaking countries
- Spanish – Discover the Spanish-speaking world
🛍️ “At the Shopping Centre” Role Play Tasks
- French – Practice shopping dialogues in French
- German – Interactive German speaking task
- Spanish – A fun Spanish-speaking scenario
💬 Let’s Chat
If you’re curious about trying out these tools or want to chat with others doing the same, come join our new teacher community. We’ll be experimenting, reflecting, and growing —together.
Here’s to teaching that works for us and our students.
And to using this break not just to rest—but to reset.
— Amy
Languages Teacher & Community Manager @ Zzish