1. Two pieces from BOLD to start with today:

There’s no single right way to parent by a team from the School of Psychology at Sheffield University https://boldscience.org/theres-no-single-right-way-to-parent/

The pressure on parents to get parenting ‘right’ is immense. Many people offer parenting advice that is not backed up by evidence, or that may not suit all families. Study findings are sometimes distorted, as when attachment research is misused to claim that parents need to be with their infants constantly, or to allege that gradual sleep training will sever a secure attachment. There is no evidence that sleep training negatively affects attachment, but there is evidence that it helps protect a sleep-deprived mother’s mental health.

When helping your child hurts their progress by Meeri Kim https://boldscience.org/when-helping-your-child-hurts-their-progress/

When parents see their children struggle, their first instinct is often to step in and offer a helping hand. My 3-year-old daughter loves jigsaw puzzles, but sometimes gets frustrated when trying to solve them. I’ll point to a particular piece — “Maybe this one?” I say, knowing full well that it fits. A recent study suggests that giving children such unsolicited help, even in the form of a hint, can actually backfire.

2. A piece by Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic, Why Does Steve Witkoff Keep Taking Russia’s Side? Trump’s envoy isn’t promoting peace. His interventions are helping Vladimir Putin. https://tinyurl.com/4wdk7sfn

Pay attention to the dates, because the timing matters. Steve Witkoff spoke with Yuri Ushakov, a Russian official, on October 14. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on October 17. Trump had been hinting that he would offer to sell Tomahawks, long-range cruise missiles, to the Ukrainian army. But he did not. Why not? Perhaps because Ushakov listened to Witkoff’s advice and persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin to call Trump on October 16.

3. Rethinking global issues: AI, equity and climate – two webinars from TeachingEnglish at 12:00 UK time this coming Friday. More info and registration here https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/news-and-events/webinars/webinars-teachers/rethinking-global-issues-ai-equity-and-climate-webinars

In these two webinars, our expert teachers from sub-Saharan Africa will help you rethink two global issues in English language education: artificial intelligence and climate action. In our first session, you will learn how AI can be a force for justice, allowing you to create inclusive learning spaces that allow all your English language learners to thrive. In our second session, our speakers share how they have used indigenous knowledge and set up research projects to help learners find solutions to climate issues where they live, developing their English language skills through practical, real-life projects.

4. And there’s an IATEFL webinar at 15:00 UK time the following day, Saturday 6^th December, that’s open to non-members: Flip the Script: A Practical Framework for Reimagining Classroom Engagement with Ngan Phan Le Hai. More info & registration here https://www.iatefl.org/event-details/#/?id=723

This interactive webinar introduces Flip the Script, an innovative approach to English language teaching based on the FLIP framework. The session explores how to transform traditional teaching methods into dynamic, student-centred experiences that promote learner autonomy and critical thinking.

There’s a number of other IATEFL online events open to non-members listed here https://www.iatefl.org/events/ including Ian McMaster at 14:00 UK time the following day, Sunday 7^th December on Working in international teams: how can AI help?

5. Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, has just died by assisted suicide. Here’s a report from The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da314c5867b6e4ab

The founder of the Swiss right-to-die organisation Dignitas has ended his own life through assisted suicide at one of his own clinics, the group announced on Sunday. Ludwig Minelli, who became one of Europe’s most committed campaigners for the legalisation of assisted dying, died on Saturday, days before his 93rd birthday.

6. And, finally and hair-raisingly, a piece from Engelsberg Ideas about an early aerial photographer, Alfred Buckham, inspired by the current exhibition at The National Portrait Museum of Scotland, Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer https://engelsbergideas.com/reviews/when-the-photograph-took-flight/ Click on the photo names in the EI piece for the photos themselves, and here’s the exhibition website https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/alfred-buckham-daredevil-photographer