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Crista Hazell

Teaching and Learning - MFL - Creative Pedagogies

For Crista, getting the teaching right is about connecting with students at an honest, caring and fundamental level that puts ‘unconditional positive regard’ front and centre at all times. 

With more than 20 years’ experience at classroom, middle and senior leadership level across a number of schools and with a particular passion for Modern Foreign Languages, Crista is an educator whose heart is very much in the classroom. And by heart, we mean heart and soul.

Although she is an experienced head of department, pastoral leader, pedagogical and pastoral champion, development manager for the Association for Language Learning and one of the ‘Top 100 people to follow on Twitter’, she is also is an outstanding classroom practitioner and trainer when it comes to the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages.

"It’s all about the students, getting them involved and showing them the steps to success."

Crista Hazell

Recent titles include:

  • Empowering independent learners
  • Powerful and practical pedagogies for learning, teaching and developing practice
  • Creating the perfect learning environment

Although she is an experienced head of department, pastoral leader, pedagogical and pastoral champion, development manager for the Association for Language Learning and one of the ‘Top 100 people to follow on Twitter’, she is also is an outstanding classroom practitioner and trainer when it comes to the teaching of Modern Foreign Languages.

And by outstanding, that is to say ‘outstanding’.

Her passion for teaching in general - and languages in particular - is best summed up when Crista once told us the following:

‘I have always wanted to be an MFL teacher, ever since that first French lesson in middle school.’

It is this energy and enthusiasm that are so contagious when you work with her, also coming through loud and clear in her celebrated book Independent Thinking on MFL, a finalist in the 'Educational Book Award’ category in the Education Resource Awards 2021. 

Whether she is working in small groups or whole-school sessions with teachers, TAs, trainees, ECTS, middle or senior leaders or directly with students themselves, Crista is keen to share practical ideas that make schools more effective, happier and more caring places. She also has a great track record when it comes to working with individual teachers to help them move from 'capability' to more than capable, whether in person or online.

What’s more, she brings this experience and passion to bear on a number of key issues in schools today from creativity in lesson planning and building relationships with even your most difficult class to really getting to grips with assessment, differentiation, motivation, phonics, grammar and deep learning.

All with a healthy mix of well-being and emotional health, ensuring schools are much more than the data factories they are being pushed to be. (To which end she is a qualified Mental Health First Aider for both young people and adults)

If you’re looking for no-nonsense and eminently practical school improvement strategies that start in the classroom – and start with relationships - then Crista is who you are looking for.

This session has awakened our yearning to get down and deep with deep learning, so thank you to Crista who has shown what it is to embrace a world constantly turning

You’ve helped me think outside of the box and consider using interesting items and objects around us to inspire learning

Fascinating session! Looking at things so differently now

As part of my training I’m headed to Uganda and Malawi, I was nervous but I have so many brilliant ideas now, thank you!

A really positive start to the new term. Thank you for making us all feel good and raring to go.

The training was superbly delivered and it really hit the spot on all three of our values: faith, excellence and respect. Crista did a great job of reinforcing some of our nonnegotiable teaching and learning expectations.

Creativity helps to engage students! We must really think outside of the box - so many ideas here, thank you!

Thank you so much for your energy and passion - the little changes that make a big difference have really got me thinking about developing my practice to get more out of my students

Super inset, thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding! Thanks for coming!

Crista Hazell In Her Own Words

‘IF WE ARE NOTICED AND ACKNOWLEDGED, PRAISED AND REWARDED,
THEN WE GROW, WE DEVELOP, WE, DARE I SAY IT, SOFTEN A LITTLE’ –
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY

There Is Another Way - The Second Big Book of Independent Thinking

The Working Class: Poverty, Education and Alternative Voices

Resources from Crista Hazel

Independent Thinking on MFL

To make an enquiry about booking Crista please give us a call on +44 (0)1267 211432 or fill in the Booking Enquiry form.

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