English
What makes you want to be an English teacher?
- Is it a love of literature and language?
- A memory of an inspirational English teacher who filled you with enthusiasm and impressed you with their own understanding of the subject?
- An interest in media and ICT? A passion for poetry and drama?
- A belief that students need a good grasp of literacy issues to succeed in life?
Whatever your beliefs about English teaching, whatever your convictions about what makes a good English teacher, this course will challenge, extend and develop your understanding of teaching English. It will prepare you to teach students from 11-18, to address the national curriculum, the literacy demands of the English Framework and beyond the classroom with visits to a variety of venues including Shakespeare's Globe.
The course will encourage you to think about ways of ensuring English is relevant and stimulating to the students you will teach during this year and beyond, into your career as an English teacher. In the 2001 inspection, OFSTED graded the course as straight grade 1s.
"This year we went to see Macbeth at The Globe. It was an amazing place and the atmosphere was excellent. The Globe is noted for its imaginative approach and production was not at all what I'd expected: Brechtian, with the witches in evening dress - It was deliberately provocative and although I thought I knew the text really well, it made me see the play in new and often startling ways. I enjoyed it!"
Stuart Kime,
English PGCE
"When I was first thinking about being a teacher I didn't realise that the school would provide a dedicated mentor for my first year. Mentors are a good idea because they help you through the standards required, and give you reliable advice and assessment and school procedures. Every half term there are formal observations followed by feedback and discussion - and further informal class observations are always an option if further support is desired."
"A mentor gave me reassurance that I was on the right track. Mentors can teach assessment methods on a 'need to know' basis. A mentor is on your side; they give time for discussion and they want you to do well... and mentoring is built into the timetable - it's not extra meetings, it's protected time. And anybody we need to have time with or talk to a mentor can arrange.."
James Ward, Paula Lunn, English PGCE with Mentor (middle), English Department, Saffron Walden County High School.