Getting the Team on Board

A whole School Approach to ITT

Sue Shiels

Calder High School

GETTING THE TEAM ON BOARD

•Selling ITT

•Communicating ITT

•Valuing ITT

SELLING ITT TO COLLEAGUES

Q. Why should we get involved?

A. Many compelling reasons.

Philosophical

• Duty as educators to maintain supply of high-quality teachers

Q. But what’s in it for us?A. A great deal:

1) Recruitment - Grow your own.2) C P D Benefits

For Staff • A valuable professional development

opportunity - promote it as such.- school-based tutors- assistant coordinators- host teachers and tutors- contribution to EPS tutorials

Benefits for CPD Management

• Unifying cross-curricular strand.

• Contributes to coherence of CPD continuum.

• Provides opportunities for whole-school training

Raising Standards

• Mentoring can provoke reflection on and re-evaluation of practice by experienced teachers.

• Extra Input

– collaborative teaching

– small group work

– support for individual students

Payback Possibilities

• Payment to school-based tutors.

• Extra injection into faculty capitation.

• Additional time.

• Protected non-contact periods.

Selling ITT To Governors

• Raise ITT’s profile by informing Governors and seeking their support.

• Give a presentation, emphasising the benefits.

• Seek Governor approval for whole-school Policy / Code of Practice.

• Invite a Governor to take a special interest in ITT.

Selling ITT To Parents

Be proactive, informing them and emphasising benefits for their children.

•Newsletter article.

•Parents’ Handbook.

•Governors’ Report to Parents.

•Item at Annual Governors’ / Parents’ Meeting

Communicating ITT

• All staff aware of Code of Practice.

• ITT Notice Board in Staffroom

• Weekly section on Staff Bulletin

• Whole-School Training

• Handbook on Lesson Observation and Feedback

• Meetings

Valuing ITT

• Letters of thanks.

• Use Staff Bulletin / morning briefing to thank colleagues and trainees.

• Cream cakes for trainees and supporters at last break of practice.

What’s the catch?

• Working with struggling / failing trainees can be very dispiriting.

• Host teachers / tutors who are not proactive.

• Time.

Coordinator will:

•Support.

•Lead.

•Aspire to inspire.

Valuing and celebrating ITT work will move us towards achieving that aspiration.