Surfing the ‘Semantic Wave’: Helping beginning teachers to think about tackling the ‘pitch’ of their lesson

This blog is jointly authored by Victoria Crooks and Alex Ford. Check out http://www.andallthat.co.uk/ to read more blogs from Alex. Photo by Vladimir Kudinov on Pexels.com Matthew is a fab beginning teacher. He is highly professional, and his subject knowledge is second to none. Simon, his mentor, is delighted by the deeply informed historical discussions … Continue reading Surfing the ‘Semantic Wave’: Helping beginning teachers to think about tackling the ‘pitch’ of their lesson →

Diagnostic Hooks: Reconceptualising Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) for Eliciting Prior Knowledge

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com The power of Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) to ‘hook’ pupils into historical learning via an intriguing image, a provocative quote, a story, or even a soundscape that promotes curiosity, has been long established. In his 2001 article, Phillips built a set of principles for using ISM as a gateway … Continue reading Diagnostic Hooks: Reconceptualising Initial Stimulus Material (ISM) for Eliciting Prior Knowledge →

Setting granular targets for beginning teachers

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com Saima’s teaching practice placement is well underway, and she is getting used to the pattern of her teaching week and her regular mentor meetings. Things have been going pretty well, but she is gathering rather a formidable list of targets, including: "Improve classroom management around transition points." "Develop subject … Continue reading Setting granular targets for beginning teachers →

“An incentive for innovation”: the impact of being a subject-specific secondary ITE mentor on the professional learning of teacher mentors

Photo by Karola G on Pexels.com Crooks, V., London, L., & Snelson, H. (2025). “An incentive for innovation”: the impact of being a subject-specific secondary ITE mentor within an HEI partnership on the professional learning of teacher mentors. Professional Development in Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2025.2580324 This paper used a case study approach across three Higher Education Institution … Continue reading “An incentive for innovation”: the impact of being a subject-specific secondary ITE mentor on the professional learning of teacher mentors →

Settling into a teaching practice placement – it’s a bit like staying at your Auntie’s house.

Photo by Nicole Michalou on Pexels.com Nothing quite prepares you for the feeling of being in, but not of, the school where you on Teaching Practice Placement. But for the majority of beginning teachers this is the reality. So many aspects of the placement school are familiar, but you have entered a new ecosystem with … Continue reading Settling into a teaching practice placement – it’s a bit like staying at your Auntie’s house. →

Unlocking the Power of Mentor Meetings for ITT Beginning Teachers

Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com Mentor meetings are the cornerstone of support for beginning teachers, shaping their early experiences and helping them make sense of both the theory behind teaching and the realities of working in schools. When done well, these meetings offer a vital bridge between what new teachers learn in their … Continue reading Unlocking the Power of Mentor Meetings for ITT Beginning Teachers →

Recalibrating Your Teacher Identity: When Your Past Success Doesn’t Fit Your Current Experience

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com I feel like a failure At some point every year I will have a conversation with a beginning teacher who confesses that they feel like a total failure. "I just don't think I'm up to the job," they say. “I just don’t seem to be able to do it”. … Continue reading Recalibrating Your Teacher Identity: When Your Past Success Doesn’t Fit Your Current Experience →

Get into teaching: Selecting the teacher training course that is right for you

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com In recent years, the proliferation of initial Teacher Training (ITT) routes has made the landscape baffling for the uninitiated. I am often approached by people who are pondering training to be a teacher but are not quite sure which ITT route will be best for them to pursue. I’ve written … Continue reading Get into teaching: Selecting the teacher training course that is right for you →

Getting email right: Learning to communicate professionally with colleagues in school

Every school has its own culture, ways of being and patterns of interaction and communication. I learnt this sage lesson when starting a new post in my second school. I entered the profession in an age of scribbled notes or printed memos left in pigeon holes to be collected and responded to at the recipient's … Continue reading Getting email right: Learning to communicate professionally with colleagues in school →

You Don’t Have to Be a Natural: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Teaching

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com “Great teachers are born, not made” is one of the great myths of teacher training. Unfortunately, it is also a myth which makes its way into the subconscious of prospective teachers. As we prepare to begin a new academic year in initial teacher education, I know there are soon-to-be beginning … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Be a Natural: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Teaching →

Serving Up Success: Helping beginning teachers to embrace change and growth

Photo by saeed basseri on Pexels.com Back in March, British tennis player Jack Draper secured his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, the biggest title of his career; securing a Grand Slam title now seems likely. I’m not an avid tennis fan but my ears pricked up when I heard Annabel Croft's radio analysis … Continue reading Serving Up Success: Helping beginning teachers to embrace change and growth →

Unpacking the “Pace” Problem: Moving Beyond a Vague Target

“Pace” is a frequent, yet often nebulous, target beginning teachers are given by their mentors. Mentors readily identify pacing issues, but pinpointing the root cause is challenging. Consequently, mentees struggle to translate "improve your pace" into actionable steps. To truly support their progress, we must define "pace" with precision. What do we mean by "Pace"? … Continue reading Unpacking the “Pace” Problem: Moving Beyond a Vague Target →

Getting a foot in the door: Applying for a teaching job

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com As we enter peak job application season in our secondary schools (I’m aware the application window for primary colleagues is different), I am reminded of the huge amount of time beginning teachers spend on applying for jobs. They often find the process of writing the application, and the … Continue reading Getting a foot in the door: Applying for a teaching job →

Moving Schools: Finding your footing in a new school as a teacher

Photo by Victoria Strelka_ph on Pexels.com One of the first blogs I wrote for the mentors of beginning teachers explored why mentees find changing teaching placements so hard. This blog contextualised the feelings that beginning teachers (although this is also true of more experienced teachers) can have when beginning roles in new school settings. It … Continue reading Moving Schools: Finding your footing in a new school as a teacher →

Festive Countdown: Teacher positives to head off the January blues

Photo by Binti Malu on Pexels.com Every newspaper/ magazine article I read at the moment seems to be a countdown of one sort or another: 10 best fiction books of the year, 20 top gifts for the men in your life, 10 best Christmas movies you should absolutely watch now. Last week, as the first … Continue reading Festive Countdown: Teacher positives to head off the January blues →

It’s as easy as 1-2-3: The importance of contextualised behaviour routines and mentoring support for beginning teachers

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com Jessie is starting to assume more responsibility for her classes. So far, she’s taught around 15 whole lessons, but hasn’t had to do any teaching completely independently. Her mentor, Jasdeep, has always been on hand to step in if behaviour started to creep out of control or Jessie was … Continue reading It’s as easy as 1-2-3: The importance of contextualised behaviour routines and mentoring support for beginning teachers →

Poor Pedagogical Choices: When task design derails your lesson

Seb felt like he had spent all night making the activity the children were about to attempt. He had made source cards he was going to hide under the tables and stick under chairs. He wanted the students to work in pairs or small groups of three to answer questions which would gradually allow them … Continue reading Poor Pedagogical Choices: When task design derails your lesson →

You don’t need it, but it helps: Why Teacher Training applicants find work experience helpful

Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com Throughout my time in ITE (Initial Teacher Education) one aspect of the interview process has remained the same - that moment when the candidates smile from their eyes as they speak fondly of a teacher who made a difference in their life. These teachers inspired them to study a … Continue reading You don’t need it, but it helps: Why Teacher Training applicants find work experience helpful →

What New Teachers Should Know About Professionalism: It’s about more than your shoes.

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com Most beginning teachers are very concerned about what they should wear on their first day at their school placement. Do they need a tie? Are these shoes (imagine a comfy formal shoe with echoes of trainer) ok? Do tattoos need to be covered, and piercings removed? Why is this one … Continue reading What New Teachers Should Know About Professionalism: It’s about more than your shoes. →

Responding to a summer of riots: Principles for teaching about sensitive issues in the history classroom

This blog is jointly authored by Vic Crooks and Laura London based on a presentation we gave at the Historical Association Conference in May 2024. If you are interested in this theme, you may also wish to read Teaching children about sensitive and controversial current affairs: Talking to children in schools about the situation in Ukraine Chapter … Continue reading Responding to a summer of riots: Principles for teaching about sensitive issues in the history classroom →

It’s not about the money, money, money – until it is. Teacher recruitment and the need for bursaries

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) landscape should be driven by market forces like every other employment market. This is an argument we hear time and time again. There is a shortage of physics, maths, geography teachers (add or delete as appropriate) therefore we need to recognise the market forces at … Continue reading It’s not about the money, money, money – until it is. Teacher recruitment and the need for bursaries →

Experience and the educational ecosystem: why retention of experienced colleagues matters for beginning teachers

Photo by zhang kaiyv on Pexels.com A little while ago I had the opportunity to chat with a teacher who is 20 odd years into their teaching career. As they spoke about their Trust’s approach to curriculum, the demands being placed upon their department through whole school initiatives and the challenges that come from a … Continue reading Experience and the educational ecosystem: why retention of experienced colleagues matters for beginning teachers →

Tough teaching interviews: reflections on intentions and impacts

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com I was recently in a conversation with a beginning teacher who told me about an interview question they had been posed. Then they laid down a challenge: “I’m interested what you would have said”. The interview question was interesting, and not one I’d heard before: What three substantive historical … Continue reading Tough teaching interviews: reflections on intentions and impacts →

Get’cha head in the game: Building beginning teacher resilience and ability to act on targets

Photo by Bolarinwa Olasunkanmi on Pexels.com Recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about basketball - identifying the potential of a match on the journey to the venue, sat observing on the edge of the court, and analysing the state of play on the way home. In all these conversations I have been … Continue reading Get’cha head in the game: Building beginning teacher resilience and ability to act on targets →

To apply or not to apply – that is the question.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com In the past few weeks, I’ve been asked the question ‘should I apply for this job?’ both by beginning teachers and more experienced teachers looking for a promotion post. It has led me to wonder why so many seemed consumed by this question, by a fear of making the … Continue reading To apply or not to apply – that is the question. →

Noticing the positives of beginning teachers’ practice: Supporting the transition between teaching practice placements

Photo by Binti Malu on Pexels.com Recently, I encountered this tweet passing on wisdom to mentors about to receive a new Initial Teacher Training/ Initial Teacher Education (ITT/ ITE) student for their second teaching practice placement: I have previously talked about why it can be difficult for ITE students when they change placement during their … Continue reading Noticing the positives of beginning teachers’ practice: Supporting the transition between teaching practice placements →

Anton’s wisdom: Finding the joy in mentoring beginning teachers

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have a soft spot for Strictly Come Dancing. During Saturday evening’s (2023) final, Anton Du Beke uttered the following words, when addressing Ellie Leach following her final dance of the competition: “I’ve danced where you have [for] many years, and the joy of sitting here is … Continue reading Anton’s wisdom: Finding the joy in mentoring beginning teachers →

Drawing back the curtain: Supporting beginning teachers to make the most of their first few weeks on placement

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com When you are a teacher everyone thinks they know how to do your job and suspects they could do it too. By virtue of having been a pupil themselves at one point, the school environment and job of teaching feels sufficiently familiar to be open to conjecture. Every year I … Continue reading Drawing back the curtain: Supporting beginning teachers to make the most of their first few weeks on placement →

Curiosity and the space to ask a question: building a dialogic culture to shift the focus onto pupil learning

Photo by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels.com Recently I was privileged to see a beginning teacher nearing the end of their ITE year teaching a great GCSE history lesson. The pupils demonstrated excellent retrieval of subject knowledge from previous lessons. They were given opportunities to acquire new subject knowledge and make sense of this when combined … Continue reading Curiosity and the space to ask a question: building a dialogic culture to shift the focus onto pupil learning →

The elephant in the room: Why the subject specific training of beginning teachers matters

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com A number of years ago, I watched a lesson where the beginning teacher had been schooled in a set of systematised generic teaching strategies. They had diligently practised and tried to implement these strategies in their lessons, but they were struggling. They were also frustrated. They felt like no … Continue reading The elephant in the room: Why the subject specific training of beginning teachers matters →