Introduction
Education is characterised by change. It is a constant kaleidoscope of competing policies and initiatives which means that any education text that wishes to retain and expand its market share needs to be subject to regular updates. The second edition of Training to Teach was published in 2012, just as the new teaching standards were applied, and as key policies like Every Child Matters and the Diplomas faded from prominence. Since then, government policy has brought about a number of changes â to schools, to qualifications and examinations, and to teacher training. Currently the sector faces changes to A levels and GCSEs, to other forms of testing such as coursework and controlled assessment, to the ways that progress in schools is measured and managed, to new policies on inclusion, even to the way that schools are funded. The very structure of the sector has changed as the number of different school types and training routes has also multiplied.
This edition includes revisions to all the chapters in the second edition, to bring them in line with current education policies and outlooks. In some cases these revisions (for example in those chapters on inclusion, assessment and securing a teaching post) have been major. New research and reading have been introduced where further discussions and analysis have been published. In addition, there are six new chapters, designed to target areas of growing concern or emphasis. These are as follows:
- School-based training. This chapter discusses the pros and cons of learning to teach âon the jobâ in a school setting, through new routes into teaching such as School Direct and Troops to Teachers. In particular it focuses on learning from observation (of self and others) and from the mentoring process (this chapter therefore subsumes the previous editionâs chapter on mentoring). It also includes the importance of SMART targets, measures of progress towards targets, and of making progress through reflection.
- Classroom management. This chapter, although based in part on the previous chapter on Classroom Management and Behaviour Strategies, focuses more directly on developing a classroom presence and on creating a positive learning environment through utilising key tools, such as the use of voice and awareness of the power of body language.
- Behaviour strategies in challenging classrooms. The focus here is on how, as a teacher, you can recognise and support children in crisis and develop the skills to de-escalate inappropriate behaviour in the classroom. This chapter will also help you to recognise and develop your own role as a practitioner in providing the âclassroom experienceâ.
- Inclusion. This chapter expands on the second editionâs chapter on English as an Additional Language by widening its focus to include children with Special Educational Needs, new and current policies on inclusion, and strategies for successfully teaching children with disabilities.
- Using digital technologies in teaching strategies. This chapter recognises the significance of new media, including social media, on children and young people, and therefore their impact on education. It therefore includes advice on the use and abuse of social media and specifics on online safeguarding. It also looks at the use of interactive whiteboards and the use of image and voice capture technology.
- Harnessing creativity in the classroom. The joy of effective teaching can often be found in the activities and learning tools that children and young people can be encouraged to use in the classroom. This chapter explores the idea of creative approaches to teaching and suggests some ideas and activities that might harness pupilsâ creative abilities to enhance learning.
Which country?
The UK does not have a single system of education, nor of teacher-training. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales each have their own systems. In Scotland, there are undergraduate and postgraduate university routes for primary and secondary. Whilst the General Teaching Council (GTC) for England has been abolished, the Scottish professional body (GTC Scotland) still flourishes and you must be a member of it before you can teach in Scotland. The Scottish equivalent of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, which carries out similar checks into previous convictions and cautions. A key part of the training process in Scotland is the first or induction year. The Teacher Induction Scheme guarantees a one-year teaching post in a Scottish local authority, with teachers on a reduced timetable and supported by a mentor. Non-university routes do not exist in Scotland. In Wales there are Graduate Teacher Training (GTP) routes and trainees in Wales can access certain routes in England. There is a General Teaching Council for Wales and a different set of teacher standards to attain. In Northern Ireland the equivalent to the DBS is AccessNI and teachers must be registered with the GTC Northern Ireland. Courses in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Northern Ireland are university based.
When it comes to teaching your subject, remember that the National Curriculum only applies in England, so if you intend to teach in any of the other Home Countries, you will need to investigate the position and status of your subject. Also, Ofsted is peculiar to England. In Wales ESTYN is the inspectorate, in Scotland it is Education Scotland, and in Northern Ireland the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) is the relevant body.
Despite these differences most of the content of this book will be relevant to most teacher training routes, in particular those chapters on professionalism, classroom behaviour and learning, digital technologies, inclusion, assessment, child protection, differentiation and creativity.
Which route?
If you decide that you really want to teach, you probably already have a good idea of the age range in which you want to specialise. Training is specific to an age range, although broadly speaking you will train to teach in primary education (4â11 years old), secondary education (11â18 or 19 years old) or the post-compulsory or Further Education sector (19+). The country in which you wish to train will also have a significant bearing on the training you receive, and perhaps more importantly, on the costs of such training. If you normally live and decide to train in Wales, for example, you may gain financial support from a Welsh Government Fee Grant, a Learning Grant, or from Tuition Fee Support. In England, various designated shortage subjects may receive tax free bursaries as an incentive to students to teach a particular subject. In Scotland, the situation for Scottish residents is different again. A quick web search will let you know what is currently available.
The two usual points of entry to a teaching qualification are at undergraduate or postgraduate level. You will need at least two âAâ levels in appropriate subjects (depending on the training institution) as well as a Grade C or better (there is talk of raising this to Grade B) in English and mathematics at GCSE. For primary teaching you will also require a GCSE pass in a science subject. This is because primary teachers (and also some Key Stage 3 teachers, for which a similar requirement may be in place) are required to teach across the breadth of the curriculum. Undergraduate training courses are usually three or four years of full-time study and will lead to a degree in Education.
Postgraduate entrants will already have a degree in an appropriate subject. (Some subjects are difficult to align with the school curriculum so think carefully about specialising in law or psychology, for example, before applying to teach business education or mathematics.) One of the most popular routes into teaching is the one year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which will also include some work at Masterâs level.
You may also, of course, already be teaching as an âunqualified teacherâ in the independent sector, in which case you can opt for an âAssessment Onlyâ route, where a portfolio evidencing your knowledge, skills and progress may be presented. If you are an overseas trained teacher (OTT) there may also be shorter routes available to qualified teacher status (QTS).
Entry onto all teacher training courses is now also dependent on your passing the professional skills tests in English and mathematics. Without doing so, a training provider will not be allowed to accept you onto a course of study.
Your decision to teach shows that you have already recognised that the rewards of teaching far outweigh the hard work and effort that go into training and into becoming an effective classroom practitioner. More than that, though, you have also accepted that you are about to set out on a lifelong journey of learning and discovery.
You will have recognised that, as individuals, we never stop learning, but that as children and young people we need to be equipped with the skills and competencies to enable learning to take place. You will be entering one of the most hard-working, dedicated and rewarding professions.
Up to 35,000 people train to be teachers each year, spread over higher education institutions (HEIs) such as universities and teacher training colleges, employment-based routes, âSCiTTsâ (School-based Initial Teacher Training), Teach First (currently based in challenging schools), GTPs (Graduate Teacher Programmes) and RTPs (Registered Teacher Programmes). Other routes are available through training schools, or by recruiting candidates with previous experience in industry or the armed forces. Intending teachers can choose the route that is most appropriate to their own needs, circumstances and experience.
Each route involves different levels of funding and support, from academic or practice-based personnel. Each receives more or less emphasis (and funding support) depending on the political colour of the government in office, or the specific leanings of the current Education Minister. All will equip the student or trainee teacher with generic skills and capabilities that are transferable into all classrooms. Some will need skills that are more attuned to primary, or those with special needs, or examination biased teaching; others will operate in the private sector, as subject specialists in secondary education, as peripatetic support, and even as consultants. The issues of assessment, subject knowledge, classroom management and behaviour, preparation, pedagogy, differentiation, innovation and creativity in the classroom are all â along with numerous others â central to the operation of the successful teacher. For a qualified teacher, depending on the circumstances, each of these will be more or less central or peripheral, but all will be present.
This book is designed to be of use to anyone either contemplating teaching or who has already joined a teacher training course. It will also be of value to those on post- compulsory (16+) courses who are aiming for QTLS (Qualified Teacher, Learning and Skills), which, from 2011, as outlined in the Wolf Report (DfE, 2011), will also allow them to teach in schools. It is designed and written to give you an overview of requirements for good practice, and to point you towards specific further reading, reflection, study and practice. Appropriate reference is made to underpinning theory, and features are used to link this to practical applications in the classroom and to the important areas of professional studies â the core classroom knowledge and skills that are at the heart of all teacher training courses.
Features
The specific standards required by government change from time to time, but the underlying knowledge and skills that a set of standards represents do not. The new Part One Standards, as revised in 2011 and applied from September 2012, are the current required standards that must be reached for those aiming for QTS. The 2012 Standards for Qualified Teachers refer to teaching and responsibilities under eight headings:
- Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
- Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
- Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
- Plan and teach well structured lessons
- Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
- Make accurate and productive use of assessment
- Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
- Fulfil wider professional responsibilities.
Part Two Standards refer to âpersonal and professional conductâ under three headings:
- Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school
- Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality
- Teachers must have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks that set out their professional duties and responsibilities.
The current Standards are detailed in Appendix II, and specific links are made to them at the start of each chapter. Each chapter is written with one or more of the specific areas of knowledge or expertise linked to the Standards in mind. As well as these specific references, the chapter content will also often cover elements of other Standards. Teaching is a holistic activity, and it is difficult to completely separate t...
