The twelve Teacher Fellows participating in the programme this year are from varied backgrounds and subject areas. At the start of the programme in January, we asked them which areas of their practice they particularly wanted to develop and why. Here are some of their responses:
- Fluency of subject knowledge and classroom management… so that my focus can be on pupils and progress.
- Confidence in my pedagogical knowledge; strategies to make practicals meaningful; to be the best I can be.
- Classroom teaching practice – ideas for within the classroom to assess learning outcomes; I want to be more in control of teaching – make sure everything I do has a purpose.
- More in-depth understanding of pedagogical practice to support more effective classroom management and student progress and engagement; I really appreciate this opportunity to have the space to reflect and expertise from colleagues to support that.
- Strategies to inspire/motivate; I want to increase engagement in lessons and students’ enthusiasm and enjoyment of the subject. I also want to make it more accessible for all.
- To enable students to learn, appreciate and value their learning.
It’s interesting to see that, even with different levels of experience and working in different schools, the Teacher Fellows’ developmental aims for themselves are very similar: to expand and understand their pedagogical approaches and to feel confident in their teaching. This – reassuringly – matches our aims when we first planned (and continue to develop) the programme. For all of us, of course, the ultimate aim is that children are engaged in and enthusiastic about their learning.