Tutorial Friendly & Fair Teaching

On this page

  1. Switching between languages
  2. Form of address
  3. Getting lost
  4. Reflecting on your teaching – Five Perspectives
  5. Differences: Primary and Secondary Education
  6. Differences: Preventive and Curative
  7. Professional language Friendly and Fair Teaching
  8. Products of Friendly & Fair Teaching
  9. FFT Teaching Tools
  10. Standard sections per module
  11. Getting Started with FFT –School-wide?
  12. Credits

Welcome to the self-study page of Friendly & Fair Teaching. On this page you can read how Friendly & Fair Teaching in the Classroom organises and presents its content.

As useless as a beautiful flower full of colour but without fragrance is the well-chosen word of someone who does not put it into practice.” Morris (2007) Toni

Though one may conquer a thousand men in battle, the greatest victor is he who conquers himself.” Morris (2007) Toni

Introduction video

For more information check out our other introductory videos here.

Introduction

Via the Tutorial tab, you can access all the teaching materials of Friendly & Fair Teaching (FFT). If you are working on a computer, you will see the list of perspectives and modules on the right-hand side. If you are using a mobile phone, use this link to access all teaching material pages.

Before studying the five perspectives of FFT, first read these three introductory pages in full:

Introduction: Becoming a Friendly & Fair Teacher – general introduction to Friendly and Fair Teaching.

Stop Getting Angry – the disadvantages of anger and the advantages of a friendly and clear approach.

Tutorial – explanation of the structure of the teaching materials (this page).

During Courses or Team Training sessions, teachers respond to the FFT approach. Their experiences, together with those of experts, are incorporated into this website. In this way, FFT continues to develop.

With this information, anyone working in education — or planning to do so — can benefit from our materials without contacting us directly. The different elements of FFT can be added step by step to your own teaching practice. We share all information free of charge and without obligation. If you quote us, please include a reference to the source. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

1. Switching Between Languages

At the top right of each page you will see a circle with a flag. You can use this to switch between Dutch and English.

2. Form of address

Each self-study page begins as follows:

  1. First, in bold: third person plural (teachers…). With “teachers”, FFT refers to teachers, educators, teaching assistants, and student teachers.
  2. Then: first person singular (I…). This sentence is formulated as if you are speaking after applying the content of the perspective or module.
  3. Then (in italics): on most pages, a quotation.
  4. Then: a question about your current and future approach. The question about your current approach serves as a baseline measurement. In the question about your future approach, you describe what you would like to achieve using FFT. Interpret these questions as follows: What am I already doing well, and what improvements can I make in my lessons?
  5. Then: explanation in the second person (you…), as if a coach is explaining FFT to you.

3. Getting lost

To avoid getting lost in our teaching materials, use the breadcrumb trail at the top of the page that starts with the text “You are here. If you want to know which page you are on in the middle of a page, move the mouse over the tab of the browser and you will see the title of the page.

4. Reflecting on your teaching – Five Perspectives

Friendly and Fair Teaching organises its teaching material around five perspectives: Estabishing a Friendly Tone, Establishing Fairness, Planning Lessons, Observing Learning, and Behaviour Management Strategies. Each perspective contributes to an effective lesson.

Each perspective contributes to a good lesson:

Figure 1: Five Perspectives

A positive learning climate begins with a friendly attitude. In this image, the perspective ‘Establishing a Friendly Tone‘  is placed at the bottom. It forms the foundation for the other perspectives.

In the illustration, the five perspectives are shown as links in a chain. Each link is indispensable.

The five perspectives of Friendly and Fair teaching as the links of a chain

Figure 2: Chain

5. Differences: primary and secondary education

There are both similarities and differences between secondary and primary education. When we describe these differences, we present them in two columns: primary education on the left and secondary education on the right.

6. Difference: Preventive and Curative

Most actions within Friendly and Fair Teaching are preventive. They aim to create structure, maintain calm, and establish a positive learning environment. Only the specific measure introduced by FFT is designed to have a curative effect.

Read more about the distinction between preventive and curative approaches.

More information about Preventive / Curative

7. Terminology of Friendly and Fair Teaching

Over the years, Friendly and Fair Teaching (FFT) has developed a number of education-related terms. On the page ‘Professional Language‘, we explain exactly what we mean by these terms.

8. Products of Friendly an Fair Teaching

Foundation products can be ordered via our online shop. See the homepage or the Shop tab. For clarity, FFT products are always shown in italics:

  1. Friendly and Fair Teaching Course Book (Only for the Netherlands in Dutch)
  2. Friendly and Fair Teaching Course
  3. Friendly and Fair Teaching Diploma (Only for the Netherlands)
  4. Friendly and Fair Teaching Team Training (Only for the Netherlands)

9. Tools FFT

Friendly and Fair Teaching recommends using visual tools to support your lessons. These images help create structure and calm.

The Framework on the wall (Friendly + Fair).

A Triangle indicating what you expect from pupils in each type of activity.

Under ‘Practice Period‘, you can read how to introduce these tools from the very first lesson.

After the Practice Period, you can also introduce the Abacus. The Abacus is used to limit the number of Tips per lesson.

Figure: Abacus

8. Standard Sections

ll perspectives and modules follow the same structure:

  • Table of contents
  • Opening of the perspective or module
  • Introductory video
  • Approach: questions about your current and future teaching practice
  • Introduction
  • Content
  • Pitfall (What happens if you do not apply this perspective or module?)
  • Examples (General and for Primary/Secondary)
  • Summary
  • Lesson suggestions (lightbulb icon)
  • Credits

11. Getting Started with FFT -School-wide?

As a teacher, you can start with FFT on your own initiative — via the Tutorial Tab or by taking a Course.

12. Credits

Michel Couzijn – Teacher Educator, University of Amsterdam

Michel contributed the following to FFT:

  • In each perspective or module, FFT asks teachers about their current teaching practice and their plans for future practice.
  • The period in which teachers become acquainted with the first five components of Behaviour Management Strategies is now called the ‘Practice Period’.

Rob Braakman  – Coach and Consultant

The current order of the standard sections is an advised by Rob.

Go to ‘Reflecting on Your Teaching’