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

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