This, from a parent in Falkirk, is as fine a compliment as a teacher can receive, and gives an insight into the principles behind successful teaching. It is easy to explain, and, once the principles are understood, easy to put into practice. Here's how:
Once we understand that learning is based on the formation of networks in the brain, we can use discussion and analysis of children's written work to see what they do and don't know and understand, and what they may be able to learn next. We use this knowledge to design materials and teaching - it does not always need to be written down.
Around what children already know, we can choose from many routes. Some will involve practice to strengthen existing netwoks - part of this is developing memory - and give children quicker access to what they know. This is important in mathematics, where children need to apply their knowledge in solving problems, and in English, where they need to be able to spell quickly and accurately in order to concentrate on what they want to say.
Some will introduce new material, and this gives important choices. Some will simply add new material, such as facts or data. Some will open up new networks. In languages, learning vocabulary on a thematic basis is an example of the former. Learning patterns in the construction of words, and developing an understanding of words shared with the learner's first language is an example of the latter. It includes facts and data, but also leads to new networks. Just learning, say, the words for the contents of a classroom or a pencil case, has no application beyond itself. Seeing how a word may have moved from one language to another, with some alterations, or how a verb pattern may keep recurring when we want to say different things, builds networks which extend themselves - as we use more verbs - and also reinforce themselves, as the same patterns keep recurring.
Working with individual children, we can, unless we are obliged to follow some government "strategy", make a judgement on what the child needs to learn next, and exploit their own interests as source material. We are constrained in this only by our own knowledge, which we need to keep extending. With classes, we have the difficulty of hitting more targets at once, but this can be made manageable by grouping children according to their learning needs, and tracking progress by building it into a scheme of work.
All of the teaching here, including the German, is based on these ideas.