It has been a while since my last post and that is because I have been enjoying my summer. A close friend of mine told me before my teacher training that is it vital to use the summer as serious ‘down time’ in order to survive the academic year and it is advice I pass on. What is more, you need to give your self a weekend day and an evening or two a week off! You will not survive without regular breaks. I thought my first post, after my somewhat long-ish hiatus, should be to pass on the pieces of advice I was given as a trainee. My training year was a tough year, especially in my first placement and I did often wonder whether I would get through it and how I would cope with a full timetable next year  – what is more,  little did I know at that point I would be teaching solely GCSE and A-Level History and Politics (with a 2 periods of GCSE RE short course… It is a cross to bear as a humanities based teacher). However, here I will re-communicate the handy tips I was given in order to get through my training year.

1 – Keep expectations high of your students but show them you are human. Whilst teaching I will often, when moving around the room and checking understanding in small groups etc, talk about music, football, politics, anything really that we could connect on. It is important show the students you’re not just a teacher, you’re a person they can connect with. This has many benefits, including a creating a better working atmosphere as often students respect you more and want to work in your class room.

2 – Constantly reflect. What I mean by this is take on board what colleagues are saying about your teaching and use that to spur you on. The written reflections in any form are a tedious exercise but can be useful, but what is more important is that you listen when someone says ‘that technique isn’t working’, ‘you need to differentiate upwardly more’, ‘you’re questioning could be more open to elicit better answers and display progress’. These are all – amongst other things – you are likely to hear during your training year. Build on them, find ways to improve, and ultimately allow them to be a catalyst for change rather than bewildering and upsetting.

3 – Get involved! Help run sports clubs, set up some sort of games club, debating society, politics society, history society, book club, whatever whether you can find a gap and create something new or get involved in something already established. I am aiming to set up a hip-hop lit. group which is something that interests me and hopefully a vast amount of students as we can talk hip hop and develop their analytical skills. It may a lost lunch time or hour after school once a week but it’s an investment in your development as a professional and gives you time with your students away from your subject area which can be priceless.

4 – Inspire enthusiasm within your subject area. This is an area where I do not fall short. I am very enthusiastic generally and even more so in the classroom. Energy and enthusiasm are important because the subject matter will not always – if ever in some cases – inspire that enthusiasm. It is your job to be infectious and passionate about your subject.

5 – Observe, steal ideas and seek advice. I have learnt an enormous amount from those around me, especially my Lead Subject Tutor and phase two mentor. I also observed teachers outside of my subject area to take in different behavioural and pedagogical techniques. Look on Twitter, the TES, blogs (like this one), google scholar etc. There is a plethora of resources out there for you to use. Also ask your fellow trainees, go to Teachmeets and network meetings. They are invaluable in terms of resources. I would also raid the shared drives of your school and share these resources and ask your contemporaries to do that too.

Those are my top tips. If you have questions comment and if not, good luck!

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”  – William Arthur Ward