Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience

We are all familiar with the horror stories told by student teachers after their first few days in school. Learning to teach may appear to be fairly simple, but the reality is quite different. Classroom teaching is only the most visible part of the job of a teacher, and to become a good teacher, a student needs to understand the skills, knowledge, and approaches upon which professional expertise is based. This text aims to support student secondary school teachers through the school-based element of their initial training courses, an element which is increasingly important with the shift from college-based towards classroom-based training. The book is divided into units, each covering a key concept or skill. Units focus initially on the management of classrooms and on issues of concern to prospective teachers managing classes for the first time. They then progress to address factors influencing learning and the wider professional perspective. Units include: the student teacher's role in planning lessons and schemes of work; motivating pupils; differentiation and grouping pupils; teaching and learning styles; assessment and recording; and working as part of a team.