Secondary NQTs: First Year and Beyond
0001 10:00:11:07 10:00:16:15
(narrator) The NQT year is the most
challenging of a teacher's career.
0002 10:00:16:15 10:00:20:01
We've been following
three new teachers through it all
0003 10:00:20:01 10:00:25:14
to see how their experiences might
prepare you for what's to come.
0004 10:00:25:14 10:00:29:23
In this programme, we'll ask three
NQTs to reflect on their first year,
0005 10:00:29:23 10:00:33:02
from their very first day
in front of the class,
0006 10:00:33:02 10:00:35:13
and look forward to what's ahead.
0007 10:00:35:13 10:00:38:16
Their experiences
provide a valuable perspective
0008 10:00:38:16 10:00:42:01
for those just starting out
in the profession.
0009 10:00:42:01 10:00:44:22
Clare Hewitt
teaches modern foreign languages
0010 10:00:44:22 10:00:47:14
at ParksideSchool
in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
0011 10:00:47:14 10:00:50:18
She used to be
cabin crew for an airline,
0012 10:00:50:18 10:00:54:11
so she's used to dealing with
occasionally difficult customers.
0013 10:00:54:11 10:00:57:21
How would a class
of 30 teenagers compare?
0014 10:00:57:21 10:01:02:03
- Marchez vous, arretez-vous.
- Marchez vous, arretez-vous.
0015 10:01:02:03 10:01:05:15
It's strange watching yourself back.
It seems so long ago,
0016 10:01:05:15 10:01:07:16
and it's only a few months, really.
0017 10:01:07:16 10:01:10:04
It's really bizarre.
0018 10:01:10:04 10:01:13:22
I think I'm a lot more confident now
than I was then.
0019 10:01:13:22 10:01:16:12
But I thought I looked confident,
to tell the truth.
0020 10:01:16:12 10:01:19:00
I thought I looked confident
in front of them all.
0021 10:01:19:00 10:01:21:15
- Will you stop talking?
- (girl) Yes.
0022 10:01:21:15 10:01:23:18
Classroom management's
changed a bit,
0023 10:01:23:18 10:01:25:18
because I've got used to the pupils.
0024 10:01:25:18 10:01:27:21
I know where they all sit,
and who they are,
0025 10:01:27:21 10:01:30:13
and who gets on with who,
who doesn't get on with who.
0026 10:01:30:13 10:01:34:04
Do not come to my lesson
half dressed and late.
0027 10:01:34:04 10:01:36:07
If something went wrong,
I'd be upset,
0028 10:01:36:07 10:01:39:18
and I'd tell somebody about it, but
I don't think I'd take it to heart.
0029 10:01:39:18 10:01:42:17
You can't take everything to heart,
or you'd crack up.
0030 10:01:42:17 10:01:47:00
If everything some kid said to you
that was really horrible,
0031 10:01:47:00 10:01:49:23
you took it to heart,
you'd just end up going crazy.
0032 10:01:49:23 10:01:52:07
- (Clare) I'm the teacher.
- What?
0033 10:01:52:07 10:01:54:15
(Clare) Yes, if you want to talk,
you ask me.
0034 10:01:54:15 10:01:57:11
Don't just talk
in the middle of my lesson.
0035 10:01:57:11 10:02:02:05
(narrator) Clare's prioritised
professional development,
0036 10:02:02:05 10:02:05:17
working alongside her mentor,
Sarah Williams.
0037 10:02:05:17 10:02:09:10
Their end-of-year meeting includes
a review of first-year highlights
0038 10:02:09:10 10:02:12:14
and an opportunity
to plan for next year.
0039 10:02:12:14 10:02:18:00
OK, Clare. We need to look, really,
today at how your year's gone -
0040 10:02:18:00 10:02:19:20
unbelievably fast.
0041 10:02:19:20 10:02:22:07
Obviously, you started your year off
0042 10:02:22:07 10:02:25:18
with specific objectives of things
that you wanted to achieve.
0043 10:02:25:18 10:02:29:05
(Clare) I really like
the fact that I came here,
0044 10:02:29:05 10:02:33:13
because I met Sarah at university -
she was an advanced-skills teacher -
0045 10:02:33:13 10:02:38:18
and I've always
found her role quite interesting.
0046 10:02:38:18 10:02:41:17
It's something
I might like to do eventually,
0047 10:02:41:17 10:02:44:06
hopefully, if I'm good enough.
0048 10:02:44:06 10:02:49:03
But she's taught me
a lot of very important stuff,
0049 10:02:49:03 10:02:51:17
so I'd like to pass it on
to other people.
0050 10:02:51:17 10:02:56:05
She uses a lot of my stuff that I
do, which is nice. It's flattering.
0051 10:02:56:05 10:02:59:18
(Sarah) We've worked very much as
a team. I hope that that's been...
0052 10:02:59:18 10:03:05:12
It's nice to see other teachers
using the resources that I've made.
0053 10:03:05:12 10:03:08:20
They come back and say, "They're
great. I've just used them."
0054 10:03:08:20 10:03:10:10
That's brilliant, isn't it?
0055 10:03:10:10 10:03:13:20
I do like the role that I'm
hopefully going to do in September,
0056 10:03:13:20 10:03:18:00
which is going into primary schools
and developing some links with them.
0057 10:03:18:00 10:03:21:00
(Sarah) We have seven
main feeder primary schools.
0058 10:03:21:00 10:03:25:15
Hopefully you can do some work -
it will differ between the schools -
0059 10:03:25:15 10:03:28:10
but these are the things
that we've established so far.
0060 10:03:28:10 10:03:31:04
So a little bit of homework for you,
Clare, really,
0061 10:03:31:04 10:03:33:07
to read and to see where we're at.
0062 10:03:33:07 10:03:36:12
After May half term we'll
look at the planning for next year,
0063 10:03:36:12 10:03:38:07
and this will be your little baby.
0064 10:03:39:02 10:03:40:20
(Clare) I did a GCSE course
0065 10:03:40:20 10:03:45:18
because I've never taught
a class of my own at GCSE.
0066 10:03:45:18 10:03:48:02
I think
it's a massive responsibility.
0067 10:03:48:02 10:03:50:20
To have two years to
get somebody through an exam
0068 10:03:50:20 10:03:53:04
is a massive onus on the teacher.
0069 10:03:53:04 10:03:56:00
So I just wanted some help or ideas
0070 10:03:56:00 10:03:58:13
or anything that I could
get out of that course,
0071 10:03:58:13 10:04:00:18
and it was really useful.
0072 10:04:00:18 10:04:03:19
I've used loads
of the stuff that they gave me.
0073 10:04:03:19 10:04:08:13
The priority today is to identify
the problems that you have
0074 10:04:08:13 10:04:12:03
in day-to-day classroom teaching
of GCSE French,
0075 10:04:12:03 10:04:14:05
to identify those problems,
0076 10:04:14:05 10:04:16:15
and to try our best
to solve those problems.
0077 10:04:16:16 10:04:21:06
(Clare) In your first year, you have
a lot to do within the classroom,
0078 10:04:21:06 10:04:24:21
but, yes, I do think
it's important to get out
0079 10:04:24:21 10:04:26:17
and do something different,
0080 10:04:26:17 10:04:29:18
otherwise you run out
of inspiration.
0081 10:04:29:18 10:04:32:23
You've got loads at the beginning
because you're new to it,
0082 10:04:32:23 10:04:35:23
and you think,
"I can do this, I can do that",
0083 10:04:35:23 10:04:38:06
but after a while
you dry up and think:
0084 10:04:38:06 10:04:41:12
"I need some inspiration
from somewhere else."
0085 10:04:41:12 10:04:44:22
I just want some way
to motivate them,
0086 10:04:44:22 10:04:46:23
making the lessons a bit more fun.
0087 10:04:46:23 10:04:50:03
- Do you do coursework as well?
- No. Do you?
0088 10:04:50:03 10:04:54:15
Yeah, and I want to know
what to do about coursework.
0089 10:04:54:15 10:04:58:01
What's really important is that
when you start a teaching career,
0090 10:04:58:01 10:05:00:09
like you do in any other profession,
0091 10:05:00:09 10:05:06:20
you have a responsibility
to make professional progress,
0092 10:05:06:20 10:05:09:04
and you need to ensure
that you do that
0093 10:05:09:04 10:05:11:22
by whatever means
is available to you.
0094 10:05:11:22 10:05:14:03
That will differ
from person to person.
0095 10:05:14:03 10:05:18:00
So for the MFL department this year,
I created files.
0096 10:05:18:00 10:05:22:17
Clare, we'll link yours
to your NQT targets,
0097 10:05:22:17 10:05:26:00
so we'll just transpose those
and just make one file,
0098 10:05:26:00 10:05:28:07
so there isn't loads of paperwork.
0099 10:05:28:07 10:05:32:13
So the teachers will collect
evidence of how they've progressed,
0100 10:05:32:13 10:05:38:09
and really it's to create a sense
of ownership and a responsibility.
0101 10:05:38:09 10:05:40:15
We'll be able to assess
at the end of the year
0102 10:05:40:15 10:05:43:07
as to whether that's
a successful way of working.
0103 10:05:43:07 10:05:47:18
I wrote up
how I'd achieved those targets,
0104 10:05:47:18 10:05:50:09
and I had to substantiate it
with evidence,
0105 10:05:50:09 10:05:53:14
and so I've encouraged Clare,
as she's started her new career,
0106 10:05:53:14 10:05:55:24
to do exactly the same.
0107 10:05:55:24 10:05:58:21
So, start as you mean to go on.
0108 10:05:58:21 10:06:02:12
It's what I always wanted to do,
ever since I was at school.
0109 10:06:02:12 10:06:04:20
It's really nice
to come to work and...
0110 10:06:04:20 10:06:07:16
You don't know what
they're going to say to you next,
0111 10:06:07:16 10:06:13:01
and their hormones are all over the
place, so they go wild sometimes.
0112 10:06:13:01 10:06:14:19
Ah, tres bien. Excellent.
0113 10:06:14:19 10:06:18:01
J'adore le francais
parce que le prof est sympa.
0114 10:06:18:01 10:06:21:08
(narrator) Stuart Tatterton's
first year as a maths teacher
0115 10:06:21:08 10:06:24:04
at King James's School
in Knaresborough
0116 10:06:24:04 10:06:27:11
was more eventful than most,
with a new class at school
0117 10:06:27:11 10:06:29:11
and a new baby at home.
0118 10:06:29:11 10:06:32:16
Despite all the pressures,
he feels he made the right decision
0119 10:06:32:16 10:06:37:03
when he switched career
from sales to teaching.
0120 10:06:37:04 10:06:42:22
My first year in teaching has
been everything I expected it to be.
0121 10:06:42:22 10:06:46:23
You're taking a lot more classes on,
bringing them through yourself -
0122 10:06:46:23 10:06:50:06
from the start of the year,
seeing them grow as people -
0123 10:06:50:06 10:06:52:05
and it's just been wonderful.
0124 10:06:52:05 10:06:54:20
- 1%, which is?
- (boy) 5.6.
0125 10:06:54:20 10:06:58:19
5.6. You have three lots of that.
Any other way you could do that?
0126 10:06:58:19 10:07:03:13
The challenges with taking your own
classes on are they're yours.
0127 10:07:03:13 10:07:06:11
You're responsible
for the education of these kids,
0128 10:07:06:11 10:07:08:07
and that was the biggest fear.
0129 10:07:08:07 10:07:11:01
Going from a teacher-training year,
0130 10:07:11:01 10:07:15:04
where your lesson plans
are two pages,
0131 10:07:15:04 10:07:19:11
and at the start of this year,
you've got them down to a page.
0132 10:07:19:11 10:07:22:12
When you're running like that,
and you have marking on top,
0133 10:07:22:12 10:07:26:00
you soon realise that, "I could have
very quickly burned out."
0134 10:07:26:00 10:07:29:19
It's now coming up to half ten.
0135 10:07:30:15 10:07:34:02
So now I'm just going to do
a little bit of planning,
0136 10:07:34:02 10:07:36:23
get some worksheets together,
and then off to bed.
0137 10:07:36:23 10:07:41:10
You end up taking a look at how
you're actually planning the work,
0138 10:07:41:10 10:07:43:07
do you need that much detail?
0139 10:07:43:07 10:07:47:20
In your placement year, you go
through this, you've done it before.
0140 10:07:47:20 10:07:49:17
I found I was able to plan things,
0141 10:07:49:17 10:07:52:10
but I planned them as,
"That's what I'll do at the start,
0142 10:07:52:10 10:07:55:08
that's what I'll do in the middle,
that's how I'll end."
0143 10:07:55:08 10:07:58:08
That builds your confidence -
when you go into a classroom,
0144 10:07:58:08 10:08:02:04
do that for the first time and
think, "Actually, I've done that."
0145 10:08:02:04 10:08:04:20
"I've not been as planned
as I've been accustomed to,
0146 10:08:04:20 10:08:06:06
and given a good lesson."
0147 10:08:06:06 10:08:11:20
Pass your books down to the edge
of the table here. Wonderful.
0148 10:08:11:20 10:08:15:07
I'm not as strict
as I was at the start.
0149 10:08:15:07 10:08:18:03
Year 9s, you've been asked
to put the pens down.
0150 10:08:18:03 10:08:22:11
I think you can take a judgement
on how a class actually reacts
0151 10:08:22:11 10:08:24:03
to your teaching styles.
0152 10:08:24:03 10:08:27:17
I think certain classes
don't respond well
0153 10:08:27:17 10:08:29:18
to being told what to do.
0154 10:08:29:18 10:08:31:12
They like a bit of freedom.
0155 10:08:31:12 10:08:33:17
I think if you show them
that respect,
0156 10:08:33:17 10:08:37:07
you're able to move around the room,
and if you show that interest,
0157 10:08:37:07 10:08:42:07
it's a lot more beneficial
to your relationship with your form.
0158 10:08:42:07 10:08:45:09
- Eamonn, is that a hand in the air?
- (boy) Have we learnt it?
0159 10:08:45:09 10:08:46:23
(Stuart) Yeah, we have.
0160 10:08:46:23 10:08:50:14
I came into teaching
to see kids grow.
0161 10:08:50:14 10:08:52:21
That is the job to me -
getting to know them.
0162 10:08:52:21 10:08:56:06
There's times you have
disagreements with kids,
0163 10:08:56:06 10:08:58:07
and you go home
and you're depressed,
0164 10:08:58:07 10:09:00:14
because I do get depressed about it.
0165 10:09:00:14 10:09:05:19
That's another thing - you've got
to learn not to take it personally.
0166 10:09:05:19 10:09:09:07
Maybe I'm at the stage
where I still do take it personally.
0167 10:09:09:07 10:09:11:24
- I've lost my locker key.
- It's in your locker?
0168 10:09:11:24 10:09:15:01
Yeah, I'm off to see
Mr Tate at lunch.
0169 10:09:15:01 10:09:18:19
I've definitely, definitely
made the right decision.
0170 10:09:18:19 10:09:23:07
Just going into a classroom,
you can see the characters in there,
0171 10:09:23:07 10:09:26:06
and I wouldn't swap it
for the world.
0172 10:09:26:06 10:09:28:01
- Ben.
- Miss... Sir.
0173 10:09:28:01 10:09:30:12
You always call me Miss.
That's only at weekends.
0174 10:09:32:09 10:09:34:02
(narrator) Also at King James's,
0175 10:09:34:02 10:09:38:07
Kenneth Carmichael puts experience
as a management consultant
0176 10:09:38:07 10:09:41:11
to good use
in teaching business studies.
0177 10:09:41:11 10:09:44:20
But it was caring for his class
in his role as form tutor
0178 10:09:44:20 10:09:47:15
that brought the biggest rewards.
0179 10:09:47:15 10:09:50:05
My name is Mr Carmichael.
0180 10:09:50:05 10:09:55:09
I think a lot has changed since my
first day arriving in King James's
0181 10:09:55:09 10:09:57:04
to see my form for the first time.
0182 10:09:57:04 10:09:59:07
The major changes
that have happened:
0183 10:09:59:07 10:10:01:14
I've definitely become
more comfortable,
0184 10:10:01:14 10:10:05:07
I've started to develop different
strategies for different situations
0185 10:10:05:07 10:10:08:18
for different pupils of different
ages in different classes.
0186 10:10:08:18 10:10:12:16
So I suppose they are the big
things. I'm a lot more comfortable.
0187 10:10:12:16 10:10:14:09
The fact that I've relaxed
0188 10:10:14:09 10:10:18:06
has helped the learning environment
in the classroom for my students.
0189 10:10:18:06 10:10:24:08
(boy) If you smoked ten a day
for ten years, you'd spend £7,610.
0190 10:10:24:08 10:10:29:01
Jamie paid attention to the money
question last week. Didn't you? OK?
0191 10:10:29:01 10:10:32:06
With the form, it's funny to see
the way they've progressed
0192 10:10:32:06 10:10:35:24
and the way they've improved
and matured in such a short time.
0193 10:10:35:24 10:10:40:01
I'm looking forward to seeing them
through next year, taking that pride
0194 10:10:40:01 10:10:43:17
and, I suppose, to care, because I
didn't think I'd become so attached,
0195 10:10:43:17 10:10:46:06
but really looking out for them
around the school
0196 10:10:46:06 10:10:48:13
and watching
their successful progress.
0197 10:10:48:13 10:10:52:22
I said last lesson that today we'd
do something a bit different, OK?
0198 10:10:52:22 10:10:55:17
We'll go through the
transforming-learning process.
0199 10:10:55:17 10:10:58:02
It's a piece of software...
0200 10:10:58:02 10:11:01:03
(narrator) Kenneth's keen to expand
his role in the year ahead.
0201 10:11:01:03 10:11:03:02
He's been asked
to act as a guinea pig
0202 10:11:03:02 10:11:07:11
for a new system of staff assessment
based on questionnaires.
0203 10:11:07:11 10:11:10:10
The first step
is for a teacher to submit himself
0204 10:11:10:10 10:11:13:19
to feedback from his pupils.
0205 10:11:13:19 10:11:19:01
I'm hoping that I can get some
positive feedback from the class,
0206 10:11:19:01 10:11:23:05
try and see if my opinions are the
same as the opinions the class have.
0207 10:11:23:05 10:11:26:22
If they are along the same lines,
0208 10:11:26:22 10:11:29:23
I would hope that it would
give me confidence in my teaching.
0209 10:11:29:23 10:11:34:22
This is feedback that I am
more than willing to try and change
0210 10:11:34:22 10:11:37:04
and see if we can create
a better environment
0211 10:11:37:04 10:11:39:02
to learn business studies on.
0212 10:11:39:02 10:11:41:09
So what we do need
is for everyone to be honest,
0213 10:11:41:09 10:11:43:16
certainly those
doing the questionnaire.
0214 10:11:43:16 10:11:45:23
We want honest, good responses.
0215 10:11:45:23 10:11:50:09
In any job, I think it's really
important to be open to suggestions,
0216 10:11:50:09 10:11:52:10
constructive criticism.
0217 10:11:52:10 10:11:55:24
People find it difficult to take
criticism - I do as well as anyone -
0218 10:11:55:24 10:11:58:24
however, you've got to realise
that nobody's perfect,
0219 10:11:58:24 10:12:02:08
and there's always ways
to improve your working practices,
0220 10:12:02:08 10:12:04:15
and I think teaching's no different.
0221 10:12:04:15 10:12:07:06
I'll quite happily listen
to what anyone says.
0222 10:12:07:06 10:12:10:18
You don't always have to take it
on board, but you can listen,
0223 10:12:10:18 10:12:13:19
and if you can make it work
for yourself, where's the harm?
0224 10:12:13:19 10:12:16:07
It should take
approximately 30 minutes.
0225 10:12:16:07 10:12:19:04
If it does take any longer,
don't worry about it.
0226 10:12:19:04 10:12:21:08
We can finish it another time. OK?
0227 10:12:21:08 10:12:24:20
Take your time and answer the
questions as truthfully as possible.
0228 10:12:24:20 10:12:28:13
To be given the opportunity then
to roll that out through the school
0229 10:12:28:13 10:12:30:18
and to involve other colleagues
0230 10:12:30:18 10:12:34:13
gives me a real opportunity both
to work with different departments,
0231 10:12:34:13 10:12:36:17
but also different staff
0232 10:12:36:17 10:12:39:14
that I don't normally
come into day-to-day contact with.
0233 10:12:39:14 10:12:42:18
What do you feel are going to be
the benefits for yourself?
0234 10:12:42:18 10:12:44:24
Hopefully, if it all goes to plan,
0235 10:12:44:24 10:12:49:16
I suppose suggestions on different
techniques we can use in the class.
0236 10:12:49:16 10:12:52:18
I suppose things
that perhaps I haven't realised,
0237 10:12:52:18 10:12:54:16
or haven't taken note of so far,
0238 10:12:54:16 10:12:57:20
and really, getting an idea
of how the class perceives me
0239 10:12:57:20 10:12:59:20
and the learning
going on in the class.
0240 10:12:59:20 10:13:03:18
Not many schools
and not many people at King James's
0241 10:13:03:18 10:13:07:06
are yet getting into this idea
of students giving feedback
0242 10:13:07:06 10:13:10:11
on the quality
of teaching and learning.
0243 10:13:10:11 10:13:14:04
It's something that I think is going
to be very useful across the school.
0244 10:13:14:04 10:13:16:23
You've had
a very successful NQT year,
0245 10:13:16:23 10:13:20:13
and ways in which you might move on
so you can work with colleagues,
0246 10:13:20:13 10:13:22:18
not necessarily
in your own department,
0247 10:13:22:18 10:13:26:01
and this, if you thought
it was a good idea,
0248 10:13:26:01 10:13:28:15
I think might be
a platform for you to do that.
0249 10:13:28:15 10:13:31:19
I'd love to do something
across different departments.
0250 10:13:31:19 10:13:34:05
I've really enjoyed this year.
0251 10:13:34:05 10:13:37:07
I've made a difference
to the pupils,
0252 10:13:37:07 10:13:40:22
to their understanding, their
learning, the classroom environment.
0253 10:13:40:22 10:13:42:21
That was why I went into teaching,
0254 10:13:42:21 10:13:45:00
so, yeah, I've really enjoyed it.
0255 10:13:50:00 10:13:52:20
Visiontext Subtitles: Sarah Johnston
0256 10:13:52:20 10:13:54:20