• carrying out research yourself, for example, you might have to do this as part of a teaching qualification you are taking.
• reviewing what you do and reflecting upon each experience you have, comparing this to research.
If you are a new teacher, you might not really have anything on which to base what you will do when you have your own learners, other than your past experiences as a learner yourself. These experiences might have been positive, for example, a college course with a friendly and helpful teacher. Alternatively, they could have been negative, for example, a school class with a domineering teacher. You will know what worked and did not work for you. However, you can’t base how you will teach, on how you were taught, as all situations are different. You also can’t teach everyone the same thing at the same time, as learning takes place in different ways and at different times. This is what makes the role of a teacher challenging but interesting. As you progress through this book, you will find out lots of ways of doing things. However, you need to find out what works for you and your learners, in a way that you all feel comfortable with.
Activity
If you have access to the internet, take a look at one or more of the case studies at this shortcut link: http://tinyurl.com/zdat6fw.
Can you use any of the ideas for your own subject? If so, how?
Never be afraid of asking for help, advice and support. There should be colleagues, supervisors and other staff who could help you. Don’t think that you have to know everything. It’s fine to admit you don’t know something and that you would like the benefit of someone else’s expertise. It could be that the organisation in which you will teach uses an observation process to support their staff. The person will be able to see you in action with your learners and will give you feedback. Their advice should be based on evidence of what works as they will be experienced specialists. Don’t be afraid to ask them some questions and find out what books and research they would recommend you could read.
Example
Alex is a fairly new teacher in a college, having worked there for six months teaching numeracy skills. His organisation uses a system of peer observations to help support each other and share good practice. Jon, another maths teacher, observed one of Alex’s sessions. In Jon’s feedback, he stated ‘You had high expectations of all your learners and took into account their prior knowledge. You were able to set challenging tasks, and all learners were engaged during the session. However, you need to use formative assessment more to ensure learning is taking place by each individual’. This enabled Alex to ask Jon how he used formative assessment with his learners. This led to an interesting and helpful discussion of evidence-based practice.
Whatever you do, sometimes things will go wrong, or something you had planned to do just won’t work. Don’t panic, just be honest with yourself and your learners, and don’t bluff your way out of something. Afterwards, make a note of what went well, and what didn’t go well. You can then use this to help evaluate your session and reflect on how you could do things differently next time. You will develop your own strategies as time progresses, and you will also learn from your own experiences.
Extension activity
Research more about what evidence-based practice involves. This could be via the internet by keying in ‘evidence-based practice’ into an online search engine. Alternatively, it could be by discussing the topic with colleagues, reading current educational research, or visiting a library and reading relevant textbooks or journal articles.
Self-assessment checklist
Do I know about the following?
If not, re-read this chapter, or research the texts and websites listed at the end.
□ How to use this book
□ What the FE and skills sector is
□ The subject I will teach, to whom and in what context
□ The teaching qualifications I can work towards
□ The ways I might be assessed for a teaching qualification
□ The standards which teachers can aspire to
□ How to study in an effective way
□ How to write in an academic style
□ How to cite text and reference work
□ How to apply for a teaching or a training role
□ How to progress further once I have achieved my goals
□ The importance of evidence-based practice upon my role
Summary
This chapter has explored the further education and skills sector and how to become a teacher or a trainer.
You should now be able to explore aspects in more detail, perhaps by working towards a relevant qualification and/or applying for a teaching role. You should also know how to progress further once qualified and experienced.
You might like to carry out further research by accessing the books and websites listed at the end of this chapter, particularly if you are working towards a higher level teaching qualification.
This chapter has covered the following topics:
• The structure of the book
• The further education and skills sector
• Qualifications and standards for teachers and trainers
• Study skills, academic writing and referencing
• Obtaining a teaching position and progressing further
• Evidence-based practice
References and further information
Burton, D. and Bartlett, S. (2009) Key Issues for Education Researchers. London: SAGE.
Castle, P. and Buckler, S. (2009) How to be a Successful Teacher. London: SAGE.
Clark, R.C. (2015) Evidence-Based Training Methods: A Guide for Training Professionals (2nd edition). ATD Press.
Curtis, W. and Ward, S. (2013) Education Studies: An Issue Based Approach London: Learning Matters SAGE.
Curzon, L.B. and Tummons, J. (2013) Teaching in Further Education (7th edition). London: Bloomsbury.
Denscombe, M. (2014) The Good Research Guide. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Gravells, A. (2015) Principles and Practices of Assessment. London: SAGE Learning Matters.
Gravells, A. (2016) Principles and Practices of Quality Assurance. London: SAGE Learning Matters.
Gravells, J. and Wallace, S. (2013) An A-Z Guide to Working in Further Education. Northwich: Critical Publishing Ltd.
Hargreaves, S. and Crabb, J. (2016) Study Skills for Students with Dyslexia. London: SAGE.
Malthouse, R. and Roffey-Barentsen, J. (2013) Academic Skills: Contemporary Education Studies. London: Thalassa Publishing.
Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2013) Cite them right: The Essential Referencing Guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Petty, G. (2009) Evidence Based Teaching: A Practical Approach (2nd edition). Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
Tummons, J. (2014) A