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"Sir, I don't know where to start with this Scrooge essay!""Neither do I...""How many paragraphs do I need to do again?""What does redemption mean?"

Even the best laid lesson plans of expert teachers go awry. Regardless of deftly planned schemes of learning, teaching is not merely imparting knowledge in linear, formulaic fashion. Pupils are learning in different ways, at different rates, and, alas, many pupils are failing to learn in the ways we hope and expect.

You can be teaching Dickens' ' A Christmas Carol' with great skill and care. You can craft explanations, plan tasks that you think build pupils' knowledge, offer modelling and support...then you set them off with an independent essay, and it starts to go off-piste. At this point, the expertise and skill of adaptive teaching comes into play.

What is it anyway?

Adaptive teaching is the subtle, tricky, but compelling stuff of teaching. No lesson package you lift from the Internet can eliminate the necessity for adaptation and responsiveness.

This recognition that pupils learn differently, and that they have different needs, is one that we take for granted in education. But what we do about it is trickier and more contentious. In recent years, differentiation has fallen out of fashion (I wrote a TES column on the 'death of differentiation' ) and 'adaptive teaching' is now being promoted in its place.

It is not a new term or concept. In the Teacher Standards, standard number 5 states: " Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils '. In the more recent ECF, adaptive teaching is promoted as an "opportunity for all pupils to experience success, by adapting lessons, whilst maintaining high expectations for all, so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations."

Is it just great teaching?

Are these descriptions merely describing great teaching that is responsive to the needs of pupils? It may be so, but there is ample evidence that adapting teaching to the needs of pupils requires significant expertise and proves one of the hardest aspects of teaching practice. It sounds like good common sense, but it probably isn't so common.

As attendance issues hit schools, along with a rising tide of pupils with SEN struggling to access support, it may be that the challenge for adaptive teaching is subtly becoming more difficult.

Adaptive teaching then offers a useful lens to support high quality teaching for all pupils, but also it offers a handy lens to support vulnerable pupils who may more likely struggle with accessing the curriculum, such as tasks like writing tricky Scrooge essays in English.

It can be helpful to further break down the complexities of adaptive teaching to something that is more clearly understood, and therefore better enacted. It can be helpfully characterised in two different types of adaptations:

Microadaptations. Sensitive, moment-to-moment adaptations responding to pupils' learning e.g., deploying flexible grouping in a history lesson to quickly reexplain how they might more effectively plan their essay on Scrooge.

Significant adaptations. Pupils with a learning difficulty or disability may require significant adaptations and schools are required to ensure reasonable adjustments are made e.g., offering additional Teaching Assistant support with complex tasks.

It is the legion of microadaptations that are most commonly deployed by teachers. When we pay attention to how pupils learn differently - along with the necessary adaptations that could support them before a task, during a task, and after - we can ensure lessons are more inclusive by design. Even with the best laid-plans, with adaptive teaching in mind, teachers will still need to improvise and replan. But with adaptive teaching in mind, we are better prepared to respond with the thoughtful, responsive, proactive moves of an expert teacher.

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Related reading:

I have written about 'Adaptive teaching and vocabulary instruction' .

The TES Explains series includesan excellent compilation of articles on 'adaptive teaching' .

Jon Eaton and Education South West have produced an excellent poster on 'Understanding Adaptive Teaching' .

Adaptive Teaching Masterclass
I am undertaking a Teachology Masterclass on ' Adaptive Teaching Unleashed' in Birmingham ( 23rd Feb) and Manchester () - both live and online. The full-day masterclasses include an exclusive guide: ' Adaptive Teaching for Teachers and Leaders', along with lots of practical takeaways. See HERE FOR MORE.

...

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"Sir, I don't know where to start with this Scrooge essay!" "Neither do I..." "How many paragraphs do I need to do again?" "What does redemption mean?" Even the best laid lesson plans of expert teachers go awry. Regardless of deftly planned schemes of learning, teaching is not merely

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2026 article on insufficient funds for inclusion

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QD004 - ECC Data Protection Policy - Final

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There are lots of ways to build good teams and working relationships. I’m currently training as an organisation and relationship systems…

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L3 Award in teaching and training week 4

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The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping

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Establishing ground rules with your learners, whether in a group or a one to one basis will help underpin appropriate behaviour and respect throughout their time with you, and help the sessions run smoothly.
Ground rules are boundaries and rules to help create suitable conditions within which learners (and yourself) can safely work and learn. If they are not set, problems may occur which could disrupt the session.

It's best to agree the ground rules during the first meeting, perhaps after an icebreaker once everyone is feeling more relaxed. Ground rules should always be discussed and negotiated with your learners rather than forced upon them.

Using an activity to do this will help learners feel included, take ownership of, and hopefully follow them. Some ground rules might be renegotiated or added to throughout the programme; for example, changing the agreed break time.

Others might be non-negotiable: for example, health and safety requirements. These might already be listed in a learner handbook, agreement or learner contract and you would need to ensure all learners have a copy, and know that they are in addition to the ground rules.

When establishing ground rules, you need to have an idea of what will be non-negotiable, and what can be negotiable.

Examples of ground rules
Non-negotiable ground rules:

No anti-social behaviour

Everyone is to respect the views and beliefs of others

The area is to be left tidy

Negotiable ground rules:

No eating or drinking during sessions

Mobile phones and electronic devices to be switched off

Breaks will last a maximum of 20 minutes

You might like to change any negative ground rules into positive ones; for example, no eating or drinking during sessions could become eat and drink outside of the session.

You should be a role model and set a good example for your learners by not breaking any of the ground rules yourself. If you have too many ground rules, learners might become over cautious of what they can and can't do and this could affect the learning process.

Whatever method you use to establish the ground rules, make sure they are not open to any misinterpretation. Having clear ground rules will help your learners feel comfortable and able to participate.

Ways to establish ground rules

One way is where both you and your learners work together by a process of discussion and negotiation. This enables your learners to recognise what is and is not acceptable, giving them a sense of ownership and responsibility. It also enables learners to begin working together as a group and encourages aspects such as listening, compromise and respect for others.

Alternatively, your learners could write down the rules individually, then discuss in pairs and join into fours to create a poster or a list on flipchart paper. One or two learners could present this to the full group and agreement can then take place.

Another way would be to ask your learners what others have done during previous events they have attended which made learning difficult. They will usually come up with answers like mobile phones ringing and people interrupting others. You can then start creating a list to build upon.

Ways to maintain ground rules

Keeping the ground rules visible throughout the sessions will act as a reminder of what is and is not acceptable, and enable them to be amended or added to as necessary.

Any learners who have commenced the programme late will be able to see them. It's useful to refer to them at the beginning of the session and when a rule is broken.

For example, if a learner is late, they should be reminded that it is a requirement that all sessions start promptly, otherwise they might not make the effort to arrive on time for subsequent sessions.

If other learners see that you don't say or do anything, they will feel the ground rules have no value. You could also refer to the them when they are not broken as positive reinforcement of good behaviour.

If a learner breaks a ground rule, you may find their peers reprimand them before you do. At the end of your session you could thank your learners for following the ground rules; this will act as a reminder of their existence.

If you can lead by example, you will help create a culture of mutual compliance which should enable effective teaching, learning and assessment to take place.
Ann Gravells, A uthor, Creator of Teacher Training Resources and an Education Consultant
This text has been adapted from Gravells A The Award in Education and Training (2014 Revised edition) London Learning Matters SAGE Publications Ltd. Copyright © 2018 Ann Gravells

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Establishing ground rules with your learners | FE News

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Establishing ground rules with your learners, whether in a group or a one to one basis will help underpin appropriate behaviour and respect throughout their time with you, and help the sessions run smoothly.

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Creating a safe and supportive learning environment

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Creating a safe and supportive learning environment

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Holley and Steiner (2005) propose a safe space is:

"The metaphor of the classroom as a 'safe space' has emerged as a description of a classroom climate that allows students to feel secure enough to take risks, honestly express their views and share and explore their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

Safety in this sense does not refer to physical safety. Instead classroom safe space refers to protection from psychological or emotional harm...

Being safe is not the same as being comfortable. To grow and learn, students must confront issues that make them uncomfortable and force them to struggle with who they are and what they believe." (p.50)

What are microaggressions?

Sue et al. (2007) define microaggressions as:

"are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of colour." (p.271)

Some examples of microaggressions include:

Inappropriate jokes

Stereotyping

Exclusion from groups and/or being dismissed or ignored

Not learning names

Denial of racial reality

Whilst microaggressions are typically subtle and interpersonal, macroaggressions are often overt and occur at a systemic level.

Understanding race and racism in higher education

Warmington (2018) states:

"The greatest barrier to addressing race equality in higher education is academia's refusal to regard race as a legitimate object of scrutiny, either in scholarship or policy. Consequently, there is little recognition of the role played by universities in (re)producing racial injustice."

It is important to recognise and address the ways in which we as individuals, as well as an institution, 'contribute to academia's racialised culture and practices' (Warmington, 2018).

This is explored in detail in Arday and Mirza's (2018) work, Dismantling Race in Higher Education. The book contains a collection of essays which explore the ideology of whiteness and the roots of structural racism in the academy.

Understanding the decolonise movement

There are increasing calls to decolonise the university and curriculum across the sector.

Although evidence of inclusive practice is clear, for example, the diversification of reading lists, decolonising extends beyond these practices in isolation.

Whilst there is no consensus regarding a definition of decolonising in an educational context, Begum and Saini (2019) propose:

"decolonisation is crucial because, unlike diversification, it specifically acknowledges the inherent power relations in the production and dissemination of knowledge, and seeks to destabilise these" (p.198)

Why is creating a safe learning environment important?

Racial microaggressions have an adverse impact on students' self-esteem and well-being.

Nadal et al. (2014) found that racial microaggressions negatively affect students' mental health.

Their results showed that microaggressions that occur in educational and workplace environments are particularly harmful to victims' self-esteem.

Our legal obligation

The Equality Act (2010) outlaws direct and indirect discrimination on grounds of protected characteristics. Therefore, we have a legal obligation to provide education in a non-discriminatory manner.

Creating a safe space is important to students and their perception of how much they learn

Holly and Steiner (2005) researched student perspectives on safe learning environments.

They found that "the vast majority of students consider the creation of a safe space to be very or extremely important and that the majority of students perceive that they learn more in such a classroom" (p.61).

It affects students sense of belonging, which is associated with academic success and motivation

Research suggests that racial microaggressions can make students feel unwanted, unwelcome and reduce a sense of belonging (Hurtado and Carter, 1997; Smith et al., 2007).

Fostering a strong sense of belonging is important as it is positively associated with academic success and motivation (Freeman, Anderman and Jensen, 2017).

Tips for creating safe spaces

A selection of practical tips are provided to help you create safe and inclusive learning environments.

Additional guidance, tips and resources are provided in the full PDF guide.

These include:

1. Learn and pronounce students names correctly

2. Address challenging behaviour head on and use these as teachable moments

3. Use micro-affirmations

4. Establish ground rules for interaction with your students at the beginning of the course

5. Write a diversity and inclusion statement for your syllabus

1. Learn and pronounce students names correctly

Ambrose et al. (2010) state that "creating an effective learning climate often includes making students feel recognised as individuals, both by instructors and peers" (p.182).

This can be achieved through learning students' names and providing opportunities for students' to learn each other's names.

However, whilst learning names can reduce anonymity, pronouncing names correctly is also important.

Research by Kohli and Solorzano (2011) shows that mispronouncing names can have a negative impact on the world view and emotional well-being of students.

In order to help you learn names, consider asking students to state their name before they begin speaking, for example if they are responding to a question or comment, or use name tents (a folded piece of card with a students' name on it).

If you unsure how to pronounce a student's name correctly, ask them directly and do not be afraid to ask more than once.

Taking the time to learn and correctly pronounce a student's name will not only make the individual student feel valued, but also provide an opportunity to model inclusive behaviour for all students and create a positive classroom climate (O'Brien et al., 2014).

2. Address challenging behaviour head on and use these as teachable moments

Do address any challenging behaviour head on, for example:

microaggressions

alienating behaviours or

attitudes etc.

Research shows that students will take cues from teachers about how to react in tense moments, therefore, ignoring challenging behaviour can further marginalise students, and squander opportunities to promote mutual understanding and dispel stereotypes (Sue et al., 2009; Bergom et al., 2011).

Not dealing with challenging behaviour such as microaggressions, can have an adverse consequences for the individual responsible, which include lowering empathic ability and maintaining false illusion (Spanierman et al. 2006).

Therefore, try to turn these difficult moments into teachable moments and opportunities for learning.

Ambrose et al. (2010) suggest that if tensions are running high, to "funnel those emotions into useful dialogue" for example, encourage students to take a different perspective using role play, or use a time out to allow students to write down their reactions, thoughts and feelings (p.184).

3. Use micro-affirmations

Rowe (2008) defines microaffirmations as "tiny acts of opening doors to opportunity, gestures of inclusion and caring, and graceful acts of listening" (p.46).

Research by Estrada et al. (2019) found that students' experiences of microaffirmations can positively contribute toward their integration into discipline communities' (p.13).

Moreover, studies have shown that 'students with high levels of identity affirmation are more likely to have:

higher self-esteem, self-concept, academic achievement;

fewer mental health problems; and

positively cope with and respond to everyday discrimination (Ghavami et al., 2011; Umaña-Taylor et al., 2008, as cited in Ellis et al. 2019, p.2).

Powell et al. (2013) condenses micro- affirmations into actions, which you can use in your everyday interactions with students.

These include:

Active listening

Focus on hearing clearly what is being said by students, and reinforcing this understanding through use of eye contact, nodding, open body language, summarising statements and asking questions to confirm understanding.

Affirm students emotions

If a student discloses an experience (positive or negative) to you, verbally acknowledge and validate students' feelings regarding this experience. Express affirming statements with genuine sentiment and appropriate body language.

Statements can be simple, such as "I appreciate this is frustrating..." "I can see you are really excited by this opportunity..."

If the experience is challenging, validate students' feelings whilst guiding them to develop a productive perspective on their experience.

Where appropriate, signpost students to services and identify relevant resources and options available to them.

Recognise and validate students experiences

This does not mean you have to have agree with the student's interpretation of the experience.

Instead, focus on making it clear to the student that you understand the challenge of their experience, and that you are willing to help them consider productive ways of dealing with it.

You can do this through using verbal, written and body language cues that show you care about what the student is saying and are interested in helping them.

4. Establish ground rules for interaction with your students at the beginning of the course

Research suggests that students must confront their biases and be aware of their values and beliefs in order to think critically and become culturally competent (Diller, 2004; Van Soest and Garcia, 2003).

This can be facilitated in a number of ways, including classroom discussion.

However, Holly and Steiner (2005) suggest that if students are to risk self-disclosure in discussion (i.e. expressing views that might not be readily accepted by others), the rewards of doing so (i.e. personal growth) must outweigh perceived consequences (i.e. possible embarrassment or ridicule). One way to facilitate and encourage open and honest discussion is through establishing ground rules with your class.

Ambrose et al. (2010) state that "ground rules can help to assure that peers are being inclusive and respectful in order to create an effective learning climate and promote students' development" (p.183).

Garibay (2015) suggest that if possible, instructors should dedicate a portion of the first session to develop ground rules with students, however, if this is not possible due to time constraints, ground rules should be included in the syllabus.

Example ground rules

Garibay (2015, p.9) provides the following suggestions for ground rules:

Respect the opinions of others in class discussions.

When you disagree, make sure that you use arguments to criticise the idea, not the person.

When offering an opinion or answering a question, support your assertion with arguments and evidence, not generalisations.

Avoid dominating class discussions.

Be open to the ideas and experiences of others in the class.

If you are nervous about speaking in class, remember that your perspective is valid and the class deserves to hear it.

Be conscious of body language. Nonverbal responses can also indicate disrespect.

5. Write a diversity and inclusion statement for your syllabus

The Harriet W. Sheridan Centre for Teaching and Learning (HWSCTL) at Brown suggest "including a diversity statement on your syllabus can set the tone for your classroom environment. It shows students that you value and respect difference in intellectual exchange and are aware of current campus conversations surrounding diversity."

Tips on how to write a diversity statement, as well as more examples are available from Yale's Poorvu Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Example diversity statements

From the University of Iowa College of Education
"Respect for Diversity: It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit.

It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture.

Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.
In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious events, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for you."

From Monica Linden, Neuroscience, Brown University
"In an ideal world, science would be objective. However, much of science is subjective and is historically built on a small subset of privileged voices.

I acknowledge that the readings for this course, including the course reader and BCP were authored by white men.

Furthermore, the course often focuses on historically important neuroscience experiments which were mostly conducted by white men.

Recent edits to the course reader were undertaken by both myself and some students who do not identify as white men.

However, I acknowledge that it is possible that there may be both overt and covert biases in the material due to the lens with which it was written, even though the material is primarily of a scientific nature.
Integrating a diverse set of experiences is important for a more comprehensive understanding of science. Please contact me (in person or electronically) or submit anonymous feedback if you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the course materials...."

The student perspective

Views from UCL students

"Racial discrimination is subtle, in the sense that it's not explicit, but rather the way lecturers and students word things, this can come across as offensive for a person of a minority background." UCL's Race Equality Charter (REC) Student Survey

"Discrimination often occurs in a very subtle way... people who do it, may not notice it. The way teachers for example sometimes refer to "the Chinese people" or "the Indian people" etc. in a lecture, just because of physical appearances." REC Student Survey

"Teaching staff poke fun at international students - knowing they will not get the joke." Challenge Consultancy. focus group

"From blatant comments to a lot of microaggressions and subtle racism from peers. None gets addressed because the majority of lecturers and seminar tutors are also White. Therefore, either unable to recognise it or have an unwillingness to do so." REC Student Survey

"Whilst I feel that race and ethnicity is discussed in academic discussions, I find it is only ever briefly brushed past or not spoken about explicitly enough... This often gives the impression that issues of race and ethnicity are outside the norm, that they are in the peripheries of what is important as opposed to central to many peoples' life experiences alongside how many issues are navigated in our world." REC Student Survey

Views from other students in the sector

"Nicknames have to be adopted by lecturers for minority students for whom their names are deemed too difficult. Often this takes place initially when a lecturer screws their face upon seeing an 'ethnic' name on the register." Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged, Equality and Human Rights Commission

"A lecturer commenting about people speaking in 'difficult' accents - it made me feel selfconscious about the way I speak. I feel that in the beginning of my course, I was not very sensitive towards microaggressions and would a lot of the time just blame it on myself and thus resulted in me feeling less able than my white peers." Insider-Outsider, The Role of Race in Shaping the Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Students at Goldsmiths

"My teacher ignored me and went round the class asking everyone in order questions, when she got to me she skipped past me and asked the person next to me instead (I was the only BME person in the class). She also never knew my name and just said "you" or point at me, whilst she knew everybody else's name." Degrees of Freedom, SOAS

"Most of the time it's in the way teachers talk to you, their body language, their demeanour. They'll use certain phrases that they wouldn't use with your Caucasian peers. There is a change in the attitude when they address you. And you can feel it." Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Resources

A full list of resources is available in the full PDF guide.

Resources to help close the awarding gap on the project website also has many more resources and further reading.

This guide has been produced by the BAME Awarding Gap Project for the UCL Arena Centre for Research-based Education toolkits. You are welcome to use this guide if you are from another educational facility, but you must credit the project.

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Creating safe spaces for students in the classroom

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Holley and Steiner (2005) propose a safe space is: "The metaphor of the classroom as a 'safe space' has emerged as a description of a classroom climate that allows students to feel secure enough to take risks, honestly express their views and share and explore their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

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The importance of meeting individual needs

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The importance of meeting individual needs

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Teacher and author Dr Emma Kell offers advice on meeting the needs of all learners

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In this article teacher and author Dr Emma Kell offers advice on meeting the needs of all learners.

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How to keep on top of and promote good behaviour in schools | Tes

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Learn how to better manage behaviour in the classroom with our top tips for promoting positive behaviours.

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ASSUME THAT I CAN | World Down Syndrome Day 2024

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301b Group Discussion assignment brief and feedback sheet

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301b Group Discussion assignment brief and feedback sheet

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This page covers:

What is teaching and learning?

Support for teaching and learning

Roles and responsibilities

Starting point

Formal and informal approaches

The teaching, learning and assessment cycle

Resources

Beginning the session

Developing the session

Behaviour and motivation

Ending the session

Teaching and learning resources for immediate download

What is teaching and learning?

Teaching is about using various approaches and activities to help learners gain the skills and understanding they need for a particular reason e.g. to gain a qualification or to perform a particular job role.

You will teach, and your learners will learn.

Learning is about gaining and using new knowledge to demonstrate a change. This change might relate to the performance of a skill, the demonstration of understanding and/or a change in behaviour and attitudes. The teacher is then able to assess the progress and achievement which the learners are making.

However, it’s not about you, it’s about your learners and the learning which is taking place. You can teach all you like but if your learners don’t learn anything, the process is meaningless.

Using different teaching and learning approaches and activities will help learning to take place, and they should include using technology wherever possible.

See tips for teaching online on this page.

Think of approaches and activities as the techniques you will use which can enable your learners to be actively engaged during the session and not just passively listening to you talking. They should be fit for purpose, i.e. to enable learning to take place. They should not be used for the sake of it or because you like to do things in a certain way.

Historical changes in education

If you would like to know about the history of 30 years of reform in FE (1991-2021), you can download Honorable Histories from the FETL. You can also access other useful reports at the same link.

You can access a history of changes to the education and exam system in England from the Cambridge Assessment Network and Research.

Support for teaching and learning

Scroll to the end of the page for downloadable teaching resources.

Reading lists for teaching and learning can be found by clicking here.

Resources to support teachers and learners of the teaching qualifications can be found by clicking here.

Online modules for teaching and training can be found by clicking here.

Videos can be seen by clicking here.

Tips for teachers can be found by clicking here.

Click these links for: micro-teaching and lesson observations.

A downloadable guide: So what is the FE sector? can be accessed from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) here.

A downloadable guide: Understanding and promoting positive behaviour in the FE sector can be accessed from the ETF here.

A downloadable guide: Using assistive and accessible technology can be accessed from Jisc here.

Resources to support home working and remote/online teaching can be accessed from the ETF here.

Resources to support Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can be accessed from the ETF here.

The mental health and emotional well-being of teachers is important. A support line is available from the ETF, and a downloadable guide can be accessed here. When things are getting on top of you, just call the ETF on 0333 103 8401 or email: newfeteacher@etfoundation.co.uk (9am-5pm Monday to Friday)

If you are on Twitter, you can join in a community of practice with @FETeacherEd

If you are working towards a qualification, guidance for completing the units can be found by scrolling down this page until you see the headings related to the Award, Certificate and Diploma in Education and Training.

If you teach and/or assess the qualifications, support materials are available here.

The following text is adapted from the above book: Principles and Practices of Teaching and Training.
The other book contains practical ideas to put theory into practice.

Roles and responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities can merge as it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two. You should have a job description and/or a role specification which you will need to refer to, to help ensure that you meet the requirements of your job role. You should be qualified and/or experienced in the subject you wish to teach. Your employer decides what this is (it can differ depending upon where you work), in conjunction with the requirements for the subject you will teach.

As a teacher, your role might include:

interviewing learners

communicating with others

preparing teaching, learning and assessment materials

establishing ground rules with learners such as timekeeping, respect for others, not using social media during sessions

using a variety of inclusive teaching, learning and assessment approaches with learners

assessing learner progress and achievement

providing feedback to learners

evaluating your role

maintaining records.

Your responsibilities will vary widely based upon your job description. However, you should always follow: your organisation’s policies and procedures; relevant legislation; regulations and codes of practice; and the requirements of any professional body you belong to.

There will be boundaries which you need to adhere to. Boundaries are about knowing where your role as a teacher stops. Try not to get personally involved with your learners, always remain professional and act with integrity and impartiality. Boundaries are also about the challenges you might face as a teacher, such as a lack for your administration work, or having to meet certain targets by set dates.

Starting point

Whilst you might be extremely knowledgeable and experienced in your subject area, until you try and teach it to someone else, you won’t really know if you are good at teaching or even if you will enjoy it. The starting point will be to decide what it is your learners need to know and in what order, for example, from a qualification specification, apprenticeship programme or a job description. You can then decide how you will facilitate the learning process using a variety of teaching, learning and assessment approaches and activities. Due to Covid-19, a lot of learning moved online. You will need to find out from your organisation if they expect you to use certain electronic applications and devices for this purpose, and whether they will provide them or not.

Varying what you do during your sessions will give your learners more chances to engage with the subject. For example, a mixture of discussions, group activities, questions, demonstrations and role plays. You can plan how to do this by using a scheme of work for the whole programme, and session plans for each individual session (see the resources towards the end of the page for examples of templates).

There may be times when you find that your learners know something that you don’t. This is fine, don’t be embarrassed as you can acknowledge your learner’s input and encourage other learners to contribute too. Your learners can also learn from each other. They won’t all have had the same experiences as each other in the past, therefore you can embrace this during your sessions.

A group profile will help you to keep a note of each of your learner's experiences and needs (see the resources towards the end of the page). Your responsibility regarding identifying your learners’ needs may differ depending upon your job role. There are some things you might be able to deal with such as extra support with English, however, you will need to refer your learners elsewhere if not. There might be dedicated staff to ascertain any needs, or it might be your role to try and find out the information. Some learners might not want to disclose any needs they have, whereas others might be quiet demanding that their needs are supported.

Some organisations have specific departments to support learners, often known as ‘learner support’ and ‘learning support’. Learner support is any type of help the learner may need e.g. general advice such as welfare, health or finance. Learning support relates to the subject; e.g. study skills, literacy, language, numeracy and digital skills.

You can take an introductory qualification called the Award in Education and Training to find out more about teaching and learning.

If you are working towards a teaching qualification, guidance for completing the units for the Award, Certificate and Diploma can be found by scrolling down this page.

If you teach and/or assess the teaching qualifications, support materials are available here.

Formal and informal approaches

Formal teaching approaches include lectures, demonstrations, instruction and presentations which are usually teacher-centred. This is known as pedagogy as the teacher is usually in control. Learners are generally passive and it might be difficult for the teacher to assess that learning has taken place.

Informal approaches include discussions, group work, practical activities and role plays which are usually learner-centred. This is known as andragogy and the learners are usually in control. Learners are generally active, and the teacher can observe what has been learnt, and ask questions to check knowledge and understanding.

Some learners respond better to one approach than another. For example, one learner might prefer to listen to a lecture, whereas another might prefer to take part in a discussion. Whenever possible, it’s best to use a mixture of approaches, and to vary the activities used and the time spent on each. Click these links to find out more about how people learn and learning theories.

Using a mixture of different approaches can help to ensure that all learners are included during the session and can actively participate.

Teaching and learning should not be in isolation from the assessment process. You can check that learning is taking place each time you are with your learners. This can simply be done by observing them in practice to check skills, and asking questions to check knowledge. The exception to this is apprentice end-point assessment (EPA).

Ideally, sessions should have a beginning, middle and ending. Think of this as the introduction, development and conclusion. You will need to plan what you will do, and what the learners will do, in each section. This will be formalised by using a session plan (see the resources section at the end of the page). The sections should link together in a logical and progressive way. You will need to create and/or use relevant resources and anecdotes throughout your session to bring your subject to life.

See the resources section towards the end of this page for a table of teaching and learning approaches & activities, and a table of resources.

The teaching, learning and assessment cycle

Your role will usually cover aspects of the teaching, learning and assessment cycle and will briefly involve:

identifying needs – finding out what your organisation’s, your own, and your potential learners’ needs are, finding out why learners are taking the programme and what their expectations are, carrying out initial and diagnostic assessments, agreeing individual learning plans, ensuring learners are capable of achieving their goals and progressing to their chosen destination

planning learning – preparing schemes of work, session plans and materials to ensure you cover the requirements of the programme, liaising with others

facilitating learning – teaching, training and facilitating learning using a variety of approaches, activities and resources to motivate, engage and inspire learners

assessing learning – checking your learners have gained the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding at all stages throughout their time with you, using formal and informal types and methods of assessment

evaluating learning – obtaining feedback from others, reflecting on your role and all aspects involved with the learning process in order to make improvements.

All aspects should focus on the learner. Internal quality assurance and standardisation of practice should take place throughout the process.

Resources

Resources are all the aids, books, handouts, items of equipment, devices, objects and people that you can use to deliver and assess your subject. The main purpose of using resources is to stimulate learning, add impact and promote interest in your subject. If you can search the internet, you might find resources for your subject are freely available. Depending upon your subject and what is/is not available, you may need to create your own or adapt someone else’s resources. This could be a handout of useful information; an online activity; a question sheet; a poster of information, a quiz; a worksheet; or it could be a complex working model used to demonstrate a topic.

There could be some copyright restrictions, particularly if you are using text books. Most educational organisations can apply for a licence to copy a certain amount of material from a book or a journal. If the work of others is used in teaching and learning materials, it should always be correctly referenced, otherwise it’s plagiarism.

Other resources include: interactive and electronic whiteboards; e-learning platforms; audio and visual materials, and other aspects of technology.

Resources can be used to:

aid revision

support teaching

encourage and stimulate learning

consolidate learning

assess learning.

Resources to support teachers and learners of the teaching qualifications can be found by clicking here.

Beginning the session

When commencing a session, if you are unsure what to say to gather your learners’ attention, start with 'Welcome to the session, today we will...' in a louder than normal, but assertive voice. It’s useful to have a session plan (see the resources towards the end of this page) to guide you with your topics and timings, which is based on an aim and objectives for your subject.

An aim is what you want your learners to achieve, objectives are how they will do it. For example, if you want your learners 'to make a cup of tea', then that is your aim. The objectives will be all the activities a learner will perform to make the cup of tea. When planning your aim and the objectives, you will need to consider the skills, knowledge and understanding which learners must demonstrate regarding the subject. This will help you to plan your session i.e. what you want your learners to perform or to know, and how they can demonstrate that they have understood it. Their skills and knowledge will be aided by your teaching, however, their understanding will need to be assessed.

Always check if your learners have any prior knowledge and/or experience of the current topic. This can simply be by asking questions or using a starter activity or quiz (see the resources towards the end of this page). You can then draw upon their responses as you progress through the session. Never assume your learners know or don’t know something, always check.

Developing the session

Try and ensure your session flows progressively, i.e. is delivered in a logical order and assesses progress continually. When changing topics, try to link them together somehow or summarise one before moving on to the other. Break aspects down into smaller manageable chunks and don’t be afraid of repeating, recapping and asking questions.

As you continue with your teaching and learning approaches and activities (see the resources section for examples), allow time for questioning and for reinforcing important points. Only move on when you are sure your learners have understood the current topic.

Incorporate the knowledge and experience of your learners and, if you can, give relevant anecdotes from your own experiences to bring the subject to life. Try and relate what you are teaching to how your learners will benefit from it.

Try not to use the word obvious as things are only obvious to you, and never assume that your learners know something. Show interest, passion and enthusiasm for your subject and encourage your learners to take pride in their work. Use tone and inflection to emphasise key points and don’t be afraid of silent pauses; they will give you time to refocus and give your learners time to consider what you have said. Use eye contact when you can, and use your learners’ names as this shows you are interested in them as individuals. You might want to move around the room rather than stay in the same position at the front. This will give you a chance to check that your learners are focused and shows them that you are in control.

Don't forget to assess that learning has taken place.
If you feel you are overrunning on your timings, don’t be afraid to carry something over to the next session, cut it out altogether, or give it as homework or self-study material. Alternatively, you can adjust the timings of the other activities to reduce or increase them as necessary. Don’t feel you must keep to the number of minutes you have written on your session plan for each activity. It’s more important to ensure learning is taking place than to keep to your timings.
If your learners tend to ask lots of questions and you are running short of time, ask them to write them on a piece of paper or a sticky note. You can collect them in and address them at the end of the session or at the beginning of the following session. If your learners have access to an online learning environment or a private social media group just for your course, you could post your responses on there.

Behaviour and motivation

Learners should demonstrate appropriate behaviour, not only towards their peers, but towards their teacher and others in the organisation. This should include good timekeeping, submitting work on time, acting appropriately, and not causing disruption during sessions. As the teacher, you should lead by example and set a precedent of how you wish your learners to behave.

Communication is the key to managing and improving behaviour during sessions. It should always be appropriate and effective, and to the level of your learners. To get through a session without any behaviour issues or disruptions would be wonderful, but this very rarely happens. It could simply be a learner asking to go and get a drink of water, which is a disruption rather than a behaviour issue. Or it could be a learner who consistently interrupts the teacher or others to gain attention. Experience over time will help you to identify various aspects and to know how to deal with them effectively.

Usually, disruptions or changes in behaviour occur because a learner doesn't follow the ground rules or they are bored. For example, they send messages via their electronic device as something to do. If this is the case, politely ask them to stop, remind them of the ground rules and tell them how they are disrupting their peers' learning. Other occurrences happen because learners don't understand what you are saying, their attention span is different to other learners, or you are not challenging them enough. You could give an alternative activity to stretch and challenge their learning, get them involved in a peer activity, or have a quick one-to-one chat to find out why they are behaving that way.

Learners need to be motivated for learning to take place. Motivation can be intrinsic (from within i.e. a desire to learn something new), or external (from without i.e. a pay rise if they achieve a qualification). Knowing what motivates a learner can help you to make their learning more relevant to them.

There are many good text books to help you understand more about behaviour and motivation.

A free book about managing difficult behaviour in colleges can be downloaded here.

Ending the session

When you summarise the topic at the end of the session, try not to introduce anything new as this might confuse your learners. However, you should explain what will be covered in the next session (if applicable) and make clear what homework or self-study activities the learners need to do.

You should allow some time for questions from your learners, and you can finish with a closing activity or quiz if you have time (see the resources towards the end of this page).

Try not to end a session with ‘Does anyone have any questions?’ as often only those who are keen or confident will ask.

This doesn’t tell you what has been learnt and might exclude some learners who might be shy, or do not want to embarrass themselves in front of the group.

Don’t forget to evaluate how the session went i.e. consider what went well, what didn’t and what you would change for next time. You could keep a reflective learning journal to help you (see the resources towards the end of this page).

Teaching and learning resources available for immediate download

If you are working towards a teaching qualification, guidance for completing the units for the Award, Certificate and Diploma can be found by scrolling down this page.

Table of teaching and learning approaches & activities with their strengths and limitations (£2.50)
(Ref A9058)
17 page table listing over 80 different teaching and learning approaches & activities with their strengths and limitations.

Table of resources which could be used for teaching and learning (£1.00)
(Ref H9012)
1 page table listing over 100 resources which can be used when delivering sessions.

Starter and closing activities (£1.00)
(Ref H9031)
2 pages of information explaining what starter and closing activities are, along with examples of each.

Facilitating group learning (£1.50)
(Ref H9034)
3 pages of information about how you can facilitate learning with groups. Includes examples of limitations, how you can manage small group activities and successfully conclude group activities.

Facilitating individual learning (£1.00)
(Ref H9035)
2 pages of information about how you can build up a professional working relationship with a learner and facilitate learning. Includes a task analysis template to help break down a topic for one-to-one learning purposes.

Teaching, learning and assessment checklist (£1.50)
(Ref HC012)
A comprehensive 4 page checklist containing over 100 questions based on the five aspects of the teaching, learning and assessment cycle. It should help all teachers ensure they are performing their role effectively when delivering sessions.

Template – Scheme of Work (in Word) (50p)
(Ref AT014)
1 page pro-forma with relevant headings and boxes to help structure the content of a scheme of work. Can easily be adapted to suit your own requirements. See below for a completed example: Ref M9060

Completed Example of a Scheme of Work (£2.00)
(M9060)
2 page example based on an Introduction to Information Communication Technology (ICT) Level 1 programme. First, second and last sessions are shown. See above for a blank template in Word: Ref AT014

Template - Session Plan (in Word) (50p)
(Ref AT007)
1 page pro-forma with relevant headings and boxes to help structure the content of a session plan. Can easily be adapted to suit your own requirements. See below for a completed example: Ref M9062

Completed Example of a Session Plan (£1.50)
(Ref M9062)
2 page example of a completed three hour session plan (for the first session from the scheme of work about using ICT, which is available to purchase separately Ref M9060 - see two items above this). Includes examples of SMART objectives, appropriate timings, resources, teaching, learning and assessment activities. See above for a blank session plan in Word: Ref AT007

Group profile (in Word) (£1.00)

(Ref AT024)

1 page template to add details regarding individual learners. It includes columns for: name, age, gender/ethnicity, prior skills/knowledge, initial and diagnostic assessment results, learning/learner needs/support requirements, barriers/challenges, attendance & behaviour concerns, additional targets.

Programme/course evaluation (in Word) (£1.00)

(Ref AT015)
1 page template with 13 questions for learners to answer, with responses of 1-4 for each. Can easily be adapted to suit your own programme or course evaluation requirements.

Template – Reflective Learning Journal (in Word) (50p)
(Ref AT005)
1 page template which can be used as a reflective learning journal. Helps focus thought by explaining, describing, analysing and revising actions. See below for a completed example: Ref I9015A

Completed Example of a Reflective Learning Journal (£1.50)
(Ref I9015A)
2 page completed example of a reflective learning journal. This is from the perspective of a teacher delivering their first session to a new group of learners. However, it will give you an idea how to complete it. The detailed reflection takes into account theories such as Schon and Brookfield. See above for a blank template in Word: Ref AT005

More resources are available,

click here for details.

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Information regarding teaching and learning.

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Lesson plan and rationale for L3 Award in Education and Training Week 2 Online

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301a Information leaflet assignment brief and feedback sheet

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301a Information leaflet assignment brief and feedback sheet