...Early Career Teachers - Tips for ECTs

So, you've qualified as a teacher and are about to commence your first post as an ECT? Then this post will help!

I invited some ex-students - recently qualified teachers - to take part in a panel discussion for undergraduate students planning to commence their teacher training. They shared their experiences and their 'top tips' for success as newly qualified teachers.

This post sets out a summary of their advice for successful completion of the induction phase of your journey to full QTS.

Tip 1 by Alex: Manage your time

I arrive at my school at 7 o'clock in the morning, when it opens... The children turn up at 8:45. In that time I am flat out usually getting stuff prepared for the day or organizing myself for the week or further ahead...  And after school there's marking. I really didn't think about the amount of marking there would be, if you have to leave a personal comment in every book. It's just about managing your time...

Alex quickly realized how much time is directed through necessary jobs - planning, preparation, assessment and feedback... If these jobs aren't done in a timely manner, or you get behind with them, then pupils' learning can quickly suffer.

• To help you manage your time effectively and get everything done during the school week, access the Weekly Work Planner here.

Tip 2 by Alan: Have confidence

You may work with colleagues, as a phase or year group, and get plans and ideas about how things are going to go from them. But be confident in the decisions that you make for your class. No one is going to know your children better than you. And so, have the confidence to move away from plans and adapt them for the pupils in your class that need that extra support, or maybe a bit more challenge. Have the confidence to say 'This is going to work best for my children...'

Alan felt the shift of responsibility, once the 'safety net' of mentors and tutors is removed following initial teacher training. There are still colleagues to bounce ideas off, and sources of support, including a dedicated induction tutor. But the point here is to begin trusting your training and your own professional judgement. 

• Have a look at the 4 strategies described here, for help to develop your professional judgement through the analysis of classroom incidents and experiences.

Tip 3 by Maggie: Have a Backup Plan

Thinking about the children in my class - and previous classes - if I don't always have something prepared for them then the day can go downhill... So prepare, and make sure you have something - a task or activity - as a backup for what you're doing. Always keep one step ahead of your pupils in case they run through a task really quickly, they finish and you still have 25 minutes left of your lesson. Always have a backup plan.

When you don't manage time in the classroom well enough (see Tip 1) then you can be left with 'gaps' to fill. Maggie doesn't make that mistake. She plans additional work, challenges and extension tasks to ensure she is able to engage her pupils in meaningful activity at any time. 

• Consider providing groups with open-ended challenge tasks, as part of your lessons. Or, set up a challenge tray which pupils know they can access when their set work is done. 

Tip 4 by Meram: Communicate

It can be a challenge to communicate your plans to a teaching assistant. They have to understand what's going on throughout the day or ... they might just stand there waiting for instructions. Some TAs will use their initiative; some need guidance. I make sure I have a weekly planning overview visible somewhere, where additional adults can see and follow it at any time.

Meram actually saves herself time by doing a little extra work. By providing a planning overview she's enabling her teaching assistants (and any other adults who may arrive in her classroom to lend a hand). By checking the overview they what's going on, what learning objectives are being met, and how they might help pupils. This approach also communicates and develops trust between colleagues.

• Display an overview of lessons, including the aims and objectives. Consider including how resources are to be used and levels of support to be provided. You could develop a way of gathering feedback about pupils' achievements too, to assist you with assessment.

***

Thank you to my students for providing us with valuable insights into their experiences in their classrooms. My take-away is that you should identify challenges, face up to them and find solutions. You may find yourself doing more work in the short term. But when systems are set up to support planning, teaching and assessment in your class you'll save yourself time and energy down the line.

What would you add to this list of Top Tips for ECTs? Add your idea in the comments below.