My first term training to teach

10th February 2023Miss R Jordan

Training to Teach – Term One

Introduction

My first term, training to teach in a secondary school has taught me so much – both about the teaching world, and about myself. I thought that I would be able to handle the challenges of being a new teacher and there were certainly some big ones! However, I did not realise that it would be the challenges that would make me learn the most.

My first term, training to teach in a secondary school has taught me so much – both about the teaching world, and about myself.

  • It’s a tough job. I had some idea what I was getting myself into when I started the programme, and whilst teaching isn’t for the feint hearted, it brings so much satisfaction. The amount of learning and growth that takes place over one term is immense – both about yourself and about how you approach your work as an educator.
  • You need to be ok with asking and accepting help and advice. As a career changer I was well established in my former career and learning something brand new has been somewhat of a struggle but getting into the mindset that I am starting from scratch and learning from experts in their field has helped me immensely.

I thought that I would be able to handle the challenges of being a trainee teacher and there were certainly some big ones!

As a student teacher, I was eager to learn..

  • The amount of information I am absorbing is overwhelming at times. Take it bit by bit and make plenty of notes!
  • I’ve learned so much from being at school – not just about teaching but also about myself. I enjoy the relationships I am building both with students and staff (and the occasional parent too!).
  • Balancing the requirements of school, Uni and your family can be daunting. Always ask for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
  • Seeing a student learn from something I am teaching is why I chose to change my career so late in life.

However, I did not realise that it would be the challenges that would make me learn the most.

One of the most important things I have learned is that it’s not about the challenges, but how you deal with them. In fact, I’ve found that my biggest mistakes have been my greatest learning experiences. As a result, I now try to approach each new challenge with an open mind and an eagerness to learn from it, no matter how difficult it may be at first glance.

A huge challenge is managing my time after school hours. I have spoken to heads of department, assistant heads and the headteacher to glean how to handle this. I think in time it does get easier to manage and you learn to prioritise.

One of the things that has been tough is planning as there is so much information, so many resources and so many different ways of doing things!

If you are a trainee teacher, planning is probably one of the most challenging aspects of your job. The amount of information and resources available can be overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to start. But don’t worry – planning doesn’t have to be difficult! My professional and subject mentors have been so informative and supportive. I have lots of ideas, tried and tested methods and references to learn from.

The best thing about being a trainee teacher is being able to learn so much from those around you and yourself!

You will learn from mistakes, successes and the past. You’ll see things in a different light as well as gaining valuable experience working with other teachers, students and parents.

Trainees are encouraged to meet regularly with their mentors or supervisors who can help them reflect on their practice and provide feedback on how they are doing. My department are brilliant, observing them teach has opened my eyes to ways to manage students, deliver difficult topics and engage with students who don’t love my subject!

Conclusion

I am really enjoying my time as a trainee teacher and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I have started my second placement in another school and getting to know a new set of staff, students and processes is daunting but I am loving the increase in teaching time and I know that I have made the best decision to train as a teacher.

Reflection on Teacher Training

18th January 2023realsmart admin

reading time 2m 48s

“Teaching is easy”

Or at least that’s how all of the ‘veterans’ in my Maths department made it look.
But it wasn’t always been like that for them, they too have walked in my shoes, fought similar battles with tricky students that I have, developed a catalogue of resources, learned the tricks of the trade and been through the trials and errors, to find what really does and doesn’t work.
‘Teaching is easy’, but only once you have overcome those challenges, sought the help of peers to develop those resources, had those tough conversations with peers and students alike and come out the other side a hardened veteran that doesn’t struggle day by day but instead has total control.

I can’t stress enough the dire importance of planning and organisation, and honing that ability to find the 25th and 26th hours in the day to get all those extra little tasks done. This term hasn’t been perfect and I look at colleagues and I’m in sheer awe at the brilliance that they exude. At first it was disheartening when I was struggling to find resources for a starter, or planning that first lesson. I was spending an extortionate number of hours to get any sort of progress. But now I can appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that some of these professionals have put into their work to make it look as easy as it does.

“I have made progress!”

Looking back at my first term, I have made progress. I’ve gone from dreading being in front of a class for the first time; a nervous wreck barely held together by sheer fear and adrenaline to ‘owning it’. I live for being in front of that class and showing the pupils just how interesting Maths can be and most importantly, I’m enjoying being there, teaching. I’ve created relationships with students, I’ve built rapport that has allowed me take those risks in the classroom.

The support my mentors have shown me and the path they’ve outlined for me, in terms of what I need to do to be the best version of Mr Walker has been unbelievable. At times it hasn’t been easy, these have been difficult conversations to have, but they’ve always been constructive and completely valid points have been raised. It’s up to me to use that guidance and strive for brilliance. I need those conversations. I need those developing moments. I need that feedback, idea rejection, and praise for thinking outside of the box. I need to work more within a team.

Coming into this year, I thought teaching was about being in front of a class and helping them to understand a facet of Maths or Physics or French, but no. Teaching is much more than that, it’s a team sport, it’s working with colleagues collaboratively, regardless of who is teaching that class, to ensure students get the very most out of every second in and out of a classroom.

“Excited for the future…”

I’m excited for the future, to see the teacher I can blossom into, but I know the onus is on me to make that happen and to strive for my own greatness and reaching my potential in the same way I hope the students I teach, aspire for the same.

Mr J Walker
Trainee Maths Teacher, 2020 entry

Newsletter – Edition 2

7th December 2020realsmart admin

Establishing central services within the MAT

One of the key benefits of establishing a MAT is the ability to align ‘back office’ functions and to develop Trust wide offers linked to essential services such as HR, Facilities management, Finance, CPD and ICT. Clearly, this is a complex process and it is important that any developments are managed carefully so that change is both manageable and productive. During the first 4 months of the Shires MAT we have started to align a number of systems and we wanted to provide a summary of progress so far.

In terms of the Finance function across the MAT, Carol Williams has taken on the interim role of Chief Financial Officer. The complex work associated with this role when establishing a Trust, has been supported by external finance consultants MLG.

As of November, we are now in the position where we have one finance software package working across the Trust. We also have budgets for each school, managed by business managers and Headteachers. Each month within each school a set of management accounts are produced so that senior staff can review and discuss budget spend and any forecasts. This developed significantly during November and we are optimistic that Trust financial processes will be fully operational by the end of term.

We have secured some capacity development funding from the DfE so there will be further roles advertised before the end of term to support HR and Finance functions.

In terms of HR we currently have all schools working with the same HR provider, as prior to MAT formation. The aim is that once we have developed policies and processes that can align across the Trust, we will select one HR provider to support the Trust. This will not only ensure consistency of approach but it will also allow all staff in the Trusts to access HR through a known person who will know support and guide as appropriate. We also aim to have a set of effective, concise policies linked to HR and education so that everyone has clarity about Trust policy. In order to make this a completely transparent process we are working closely with all major unions to create the suite of policies prior to ratification and will present all policies to staff through a consultation phase. The aim of aligning policies is to simplify, streamline and consolidate a central policy collection so that we can make the most of working as a MAT. Part of our vision as a Trust, is to establish a reputation as an excellent employer where staff feel valued, supported and part of an organisation where they can contribute to excellent provision in all areas.

In terms of ICT provision across the Trust we are working closely with Lourdes IT in order that they support the strategic development of ICT across the Trust. We are currently developing a strategic plan with costings to enable us to deliver high quality hardware and IT infrastructure across the MAT. Part of being a larger organization means that we are able to explore a range of options linked to acquiring the very latest technology to support learning in the classroom as well as to support staff in doing their job. Michelle Dudley and Andy Price are leading the development of the planning with Lourdes IT, feeding back to the Headteacher group. We will keep you updated as plans unfold.

Facilities management is a key aspect of school life and in order to establish a framework for site management across the MAT, we have appointed Andy Pitt. Andy works across all 3 sites with his principal site management role at Webheath. Andy is working closely with our Health and Safety consultants, Ellis Wittam, to ensure compliance. Once we are able to align all aspects of site compliance through one system we will start to see savings in terms of aligning multiple contracts, sharing site staff across sites when required and also through better contract management. This will enable further investment in resources and school infrastructure.

We are also establishing our online CPD offer. Having completed health and safety audits across all 3 sites we now need to work towards improving provision and practice in all schools. One area we can utilize online learning for staff, is through the completion of CPD linked to compliance. We will be setting 4-5 courses for staff to complete when convenient to them in lieu of an INSET twilight. Staff will be allocated courses such as fire safety, DSE training, homeworking etc. so that we can support staff in their development whilst utilising the flexibility of online learning.

Clearly, none of this development will be without its challenges. We are in a transition phase between working as 3 separate schools and trying to coordinate our resources, current staffing responsibilities and identifying and recruiting to new roles as required.

To my younger self…

19th November 2020realsmart admin
reading time: 3m 9s

I’ve looked back and seen ‘school life’ through your eyes, and it shocks me what I see.
What alarms me is your tunnel vision on the conversation you were having or the friend you were turning around to. I look through your eyes and realise each lesson was a blur to you. The teacher was no more than a distant siren that went off in the background. If you turned around or were talking too much it would go off, then once it finished you could carry on, just being mildly aware that the siren was ‘recharging’ and would go off again if you didn’t write a few words down or take a breath between conversations.

When you go to school and you turn around and you talk and you throw things around the room, please spend a second to think about how it affected the teacher or the pupils in your class. Believe it or not, they do not enjoy telling you off. You seem so sure that they do. Their minds are racing wondering what else they can do to help you focus, and what they are doing so wrong with you that you aren’t, was it something in their lesson plan, are the activities and tasks they so carefully selected for you, are they not working? Aren’t they good enough? Why don’t you see the effort that went into them?

Another thing I’d like you to think about is lesson plans. You won’t have given it an ounce of thought (you must assume lessons just magically appear out of nowhere) but teachers actually plan their lessons with you themselves in their free time. Yes. They are the ones that decide what you’re doing, they’re the ones that choose the worksheets and the powerpoints and all the activities.

On the topic of lesson plans, I beg you to read up on what SEND stands for.
Teachers spend their time tailoring their lessons to suit needs in your class you don’t even know exist; SLD, MLD, ADHD, ASD, ODD – you don’t even know what any of this means, but these are the things on the minds of teachers everyday. They make it look effortless, but you’d have much more respect for them all if you knew the million things they balance in their head every day, in every lesson.

On Fridays when you go home and completely forget about that lesson where you got sent out, you’d be so surprised to know that the teacher most likely hasn’t. You will finish that week or possible even finish that day or lesson and NEVER think about it again, but they will. They might sit all evening speaking to the husbands and wives you don’t really consider they have, about the awful class they had or the awful pupil. They will sigh and question “Is it me?” “What am I doing wrong?” “Why can’t I do my job?” or “Am I a rubbish teacher?”. It makes me so sad now to think that some teacher somewhere may have spent their whole evening or weekend dwelling on the events of that lesson, when I hadn’t even given it a second thought, or even considered at all that they have. The extent of the emotions of a teacher are some that you, my younger self, cannot comprehend and me also, as a trainee teacher, have not experienced in full either yet.

So my message to my younger self is to think twice next time you want to turn around or talk over the lesson someone has spent their weekend planning instead of spending time with their children or family “boring”.
I know if you had known all of this at the time, you would not have been the student you were.

Best wishes,
Your future (teacher!!) self!

Miss O Home
Trainee Maths Teacher, 2020 entry

Newsletter – Edition 1

17th November 2020realsmart admin

Introduction

We find ourselves in unprecedented times and the response of all of the schools within the Trust to the COVID pandemic has been nothing short of fantastic. It is not just the logistical and organisational requirements linked to delivering high quality education that have presented significant challenges but also the public stage on which schools are operating, to manage the expectations of parents and the DfE alongside making every pupil feel safe and secure in school.

I am both proud and humbled by the way staff in each school have worked tirelessly to do the best for each child. If we think back to January and the emergence of a potential threat and compare our provision and lived experience to now, we can be confident that from cleaning routines to classroom provision, from parental communication to developing online systems for learning, we have evolved significantly in each school. Of course, there are further improvements and developments that we continue to make to improve working and learning practices. I would like to say thank you for the way staff have engaged with new routines and working practices to enable all pupils to return to school and benefit from learning in school. When we have had to provide work and support for pupils due to ‘bubble’ closure or ‘close contacts’ being sent home we have received positive feedback from the vast majority of parents. More importantly we have constantly developed the offer whether that is through Seesaw or Loom or through increased ‘live learning’. I know that this approach will continue and I look forward to getting to know staff as and when it becomes possible to spend more time in each school to better understand how each curriculum is brought to life by staff.

In establishing a MAT where each school can be supported through the benefits associated with partnerships, whilst maintaining and developing its own unique offer, we have an exciting organisation where leaders and staff in each school provide their curriculum to their pupils but can also learn from and support colleagues in the other schools. I cannot wait until the ability to do this more regularly presents itself as we move away from the pandemic of the last year into a time when we can resume some normality in schools. We don’t know when this will be but we do know what things we can look forward to implementing when we can.

Thank you for your efforts and commitment to your roles throughout this challenging time and I hope that, as we develop the wider provision in the MAT, you will start to see greater opportunities and support in practice to help you in your role and with any aspirations you have for your career.

Lee Gray
CEO Shires MAT

Leadership Development

As a National Teaching School, Studley High School has significant experience of hosting and delivering both Middle Leader and Senior Leader qualifications linked to National accreditation. These qualifications are currently being redesigned (again) to ensure they remain current and reflect the shift to evidence based practice we have seen in recent years.

Despite the quality of these qualifications, senior staff at SHS felt there was room for some further leadership development CPD which could be accessible to all staff and offer more of an introduction and overview of a range of key aspects, that any staff member would need to know if considering leadership responsibilities. This has led to the development of the SHS Middle and Senior Leader CPD offer.

As we begin to look at how we link practice across our MAT schools it would seem essential that access to these CPD programmes is opened up to all staff across the MAT. Both programmes take place over 5 afternoon sessions across the year (3.30pm-5.30pm).

The middle leader course consists of practical information linked to applications for middle leader posts to more skills based sessions such as difficult conversations and creating and leading change.

The senior leader programme is aimed at those with middle leadership experience who are keen to understand what the transition to senior leadership might look like and how to make the leap in terms of preparation, experience and requirements.

These programmes are new within the Trust and as such are open to further development and wider content , if appropriate. If any member of staff from any school would like to find out more about the programmes they should get in touch with Tania Jordan [email protected], Teaching School Manager at Studley, to find out more. This might be to find out more about participating or to support the creation of a bespoke session that supports the development of leadership skills for primary staff for example.

All staff should enquire and sign up ready for commencement on November 26th.

More information here:

SHS Leadership Programme SL 2020

SHS Leadership Programme Teaching Staff

The life of a Lead Practitioner

5th September 2019realsmart admin

reading time: 3m 15s

Prior to joining Studley, I was Head of Maths at a secondary school in Sandwell. Wanting a new challenge and an opportunity to broaden my experience, I saw the advert for Maths Lead Practitioner at an outstanding Warwickshire school and knew I had to apply!

So I have just completed two years as Maths Lead Practitioner and time has flown by. I felt it was an appropriate time to reflect on my accomplishments and contributions so far:

The luxury of being an experienced Head of Mathematics, but now being Lead Practitioner, is that I am not solely responsible for data, curriculum development or recruitment/retention of Maths teachers. I am able to support the Head of Maths and the second in department adding value to the department, but also offering support across the school and further afield to other schools.

One area I have been responsible for, is the promotion of numeracy across the school. Creating resources, driving in-house competitions, entering national competitions, developing the student prefects’ Maths ambassador role and working with other departments on cross-curricular projects. The numeracy tutor challenge, accompanied with the literacy tutor challenge, has been able to incorporate other departments and subjects to find different ways to provide our students with a snapshot of cross-curricular links with numeracy. With the excellent support of all tutor groups these initiatives strive to widen student awareness of the importance of Maths outside of their mathematics lessons.

I have also been part of the Teaching & Learning working party with a group of teachers who volunteer to meet up every half term to support in the consistency and development of T&L at Studley High School. Initially this was a great opportunity to meet other teachers but has also grown into delivering workshops on teacher training days and whole school briefings. This could be sharing best practice from across the school, but also sharing new research from institutions such as the Endowment Education Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/

More recently, I have become a Senior Leader of Education (SLE). An excellent opportunity for me to be able to meet colleagues at local primary and secondary schools and support them in the development of their Maths departments. This is a very challenging and responsible role. I represent the Shires TSA and I am thoroughly enjoying the wide ranging support I have been able to offer so far in this role. Teaching Maths is not easy, and the more networking and support we can give to each other, the more likely this will positively affect the retention of teachers and development of our subject.

You can read more about becoming a specialist leader here:https://www.shirestsa.co.uk/school-to-school-support/leaders-in-education/sle/

Mrs L Wakefield
Studley High School

Treading the boards with young people

20th June 2019realsmart admin

reading time: 4m 9s

Kerri Boyle is a Graduate Support Assistant at Studley High School. She starts her teacher training in September 2019 and shared with us, an overview of her life as a choreographer working with 5-16 year old students, in musical theatre:

Before I worked at Studley High School I was already involved in working with children in the Performing Arts. In my spare time I choreograph for Lollipop Youth Theatre, a youth musical theatre group in Worcester. Lollipop is a youth musical theatre society with a difference; we do not audition children to be in the company and accept children of all abilities. We have a range of children with special needs such as tourettes, ASD, Aspergers and others.

I work with children between the ages of 5-16 which can provide many challenges in itself. I have worked with Lollipop for over a year now and am currently working on my third show with them.

A standard rehearsal tends to go like this:

  • Get the children to be quiet, take a register, explain what we’re doing, get them warmed up physically and vocally.
  • If it’s a dance rehearsal, I will get them to recap what we’ve already done.
  • We will then walk through the dance and carry on learning a new section, break times, rehearse and repeat, record, go home.

This, however, doesn’t include all the extra work I will have to put in before we even get to rehearsal. I need to turn up with a dance already choreographed, set places for the children to stand in and a method of getting into and out of the dance. I need to acquire the music from our MD (which can sometimes be a challenge in itself!)

 

I’m not going to pretend that it’s all sunshine and roses because it is hard work. We have over 50 children in our company so we are presented with many different challenges during each rehearsal. Getting the children to be quiet to begin with, can be a challenge in itself as there are so many of them and they have so much energy but equally it is one of the things I love about teaching in such an informal setting. They make me laugh so much, each rehearsal with the bloopers and the things they can do or say. I’ve had to ban ‘flossing’, ‘dabbing’ and other dances from well known video games! I have to break down the dances during rehearsal and even have to change or re-choreograph something on the spot if the children can’t pick it up or it is too fast for them.

The real challenge comes with finding a balance in the choreography so that everyone can take part. I need to create dances that are not too fast or too difficult for our younger members and are not too slow or boring for our older more capable dancers. We have to deal with pastoral and safeguarding issues week in week out too, not to mention our children’s many needs.

 

Our current show, ‘Wizard of Oz’ in particular, has been a real challenge because on top of all of the things I have to do as a choreographer, not to mention the things I do as a production team member too, I have had to learn new styles of dance as the licensing requires the ‘Jitterbug’ dance to have styles of Jazz, Charleston, Jive, Jitterbug and others in it’s choreography!

 

There are times when I wonder why I do it, when I have to get out of bed at 7:30am on a Saturday morning after a full week of work or when I’m spending everyday after work in a theatre for technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals.

But, these children genuinely bring a light to my life. When you see that lightbulb moment, when they finally have cracked a dance. When you see what some of them go through on a daily basis; the challenges they have to overcome and how they change when they are on stage. When you see the unbreakable bonds they have made with other children. When you see a 16 year old comforting a scared 5 year old or showing them where they need to be – that’s why I give up my time, my patience and my sanity because at the end of the day, these are the children who will become our future actors, singers, dancers, technicians, teachers, lecturers. They are the reason I am now pursuing a career as a teacher of Drama because I want to be the one who encourages that enthusiasm, I want to be the one who tells them “you can 100% do this”, I want to be the one who believes in them and helps them succeed.

Drama is so much more than being able to perform, than having a talent for acting. It’s about teamwork, creativity, resilience, spontaneity, flexibility, passion, enthusiasm, commitment, dedication and so much more. These are the skills that inform our characters. They teach our children “it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to get up and try again”.

Emergency First Aid in the Workplace

By realsmart admin1st May 2019
We are inviting schools to book a place on our forthcoming ‘First Aid in the Workplace’ course, being held at Studley High School, B80 7QX.
We are running the course on two dates (same content both dates). We have a limited number of places, so the sooner the booking, the more likely to get a place.
Wednesday 19th June 8:30-3:30
Wednesday 10th July 8:30-3:30
Price per person, to include lunch and refreshments: ÂŁ75
Bookings can be made by clicking this link https://forms.gle/ft13C6iS4JMUw8yu7
Or by visiting our website here https://www.shirestsa.co.uk/event-booking-form/
01527 852 478 #2
[email protected] for any queries.

Why I Changed Career

27th February 2019realsmart admin
reading time: 1m 46s

Sian Case, 53, agrees the life skills and maturity of older women only add to the qualities of a good teacher.

The mother of three, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, used to work in project management for the Government, earning around ÂŁ50,000 per year. After being made redundant, she decided to retrain as a maths teacher.

I’d got to the point where my children were growing up. Earning mega-money was no longer the most important thing,’ says Sian. ‘I was working 50-hour weeks, pouring my heart and soul into projects only to see funding pulled. I wanted a job I liked every day.

She first stepped into the classroom to teach in September 2016. ‘I remember thinking: “Just breathe
” but it was so daunting looking out at a room of 30 young faces, all expecting you to teach them something new.

It helps if you’ve had your own stroppy teenagers because you’re more mature, you can remain calm.

She doesn’t see her career as being stuck in a cul-de-sac, either.

People talk about teachers being poorly paid, but you can work up the levels of management, even in your 40s. I still have ambition. I’ve already been offered training in middle-management and perhaps one day I would like to be deputy head.

As a more experienced person, you also have the confidence to negotiate your starting salary and know your own worth. I’m sure as a younger person I would have accepted a much lower salary.

 

 The impact it’s had on my life has been wonderful. I work hard from Monday to Friday, 8am until 6pm, but never take any work home with me.

 

It’s a long day, but I enjoy being able to spend the school holidays with my family. And the emotional rewards are huge — every day you feel you’re making a difference to the lives of young people.

Excerpt from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5280731/Why-Jo-gave-six-figure-barristers-salary.html

#itchtoswitch

9th January 2019realsmart admin

Laura Harris, a Science teacher from Studley High School in Studley, took the decision to leave law in 2010 for a more rewarding career. She said: 

 “Choosing to switch careers wasn’t an overnight decision and required some consideration and planning, but it was completely worth it – I’ve never looked back. There are few careers that can be so meaningful and rewarding as teaching where you can be so integral to shaping the lives of others. When I take the time to reflect on my job it makes me incredibly proud of the work I do each day.

“For anyone considering a career move into teaching, I’d strongly recommend you find out more and take the next step. Your experience from a different field could be exactly what a classroom needs, with the unique opportunity to bring to life subjects and life lessons that impact students well beyond their school years.”

 Roger Pope, spokesperson for the Get Into Teaching campaign and a National Leader for Education, said:

“Our research highlights just how many people in this country are at a career crossroads and have an itch to switch, but clearly they feel there are barriers to overcome. A large proportion of people believe they would make a good teacher and see the draw and rewards of a career that can have an impact on so many. It’s interesting to see that people are looking to achieve a wider sense of fulfilment and worth – which is exactly what a career in teaching can give you.

“I would encourage anyone yearning for a more meaningful and rewarding career at this time of year to visit the Get Into Teaching website to find out more and register their interest. We have an unrivalled package of support available and dedicated teacher training advisers on hand to guide you.”

To further support the next generation of New Year career changers, Get Into Teaching is also running a series of events throughout the spring term where people can find out about life in the classroom, the opportunities for progression, competitive salaries and financial support available. Individuals could get a ÂŁ26,000 tax-free bursary to train as a teacher in selected subjects including science, computing, geography and languages.

For more information about teaching as a career and to register for the live and online events, visit: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk , call the Get Into Teaching line on 0800 389 2500 or contact us to arrange a personal visit, and discuss your training needs.