Primary teaching is challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Schools are diverse and ever-changing communities where children and teachers learn alongside each other. When learning to teach, practical experience in the classroom is essential, as is learning from others and being able to reflect on your own learning and performance. Equally important is the ability to critically evaluate learning and teaching and to look at current practice in schools and in the UK and to question it. In fact, in teacher training, the questions are just as important as the answers: What is teaching? How do children learn? What is pedagogy? Does curriculum really matter? Should teachers 'manage' behaviour? How do I support children with SEND? What can AI tools do for teachers? This core text from Learning Matters tackles these questions and more. It poses questions to encourage a re-thinking of the world of schools and learning. It challenges trainee teachers to ask why, to engage with research and and to reflect on their own practice and the practice in their placement schools. Primary Teaching is a core text for trainee teachers.
Catherine Carden lecturers on the BA in Education Studies (Primary) at the Open University. Catherine is an Independent Education Consultant specialising in educational leadership and in particular people centred leadership, culture and wellbeing. Previous roles have included Director of Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Education, Director of Primary Initial Teacher Education and a teacher educator at a large HEI. Prior to that, Catherine held teaching and leadership roles within secondary and further education. Catherine's professional and scholarly interests are in teacher education and development, educational leadership, organisatonal culture, coaching and mentoring, and wellbeing and self-care.
Part 1: Understanding primary teaching 1 What is teaching? 2 What matters in early childhood? 3 How do children learn? 4 What is pedagogy? 5 What is curriculum? 6 Diversity, equity and inclusion in schools and teaching Part 2: Essential principles for teaching 7 Why is teacher professionalism important? 8 What matters in planning? 9 Does behaviour need 'managing'? 10 What is assessment? 11 What can teachers do to raise outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities? Part 3: Developing skills 12 Learning to read 13 How can I work to ensure a positive primary school placement? 14 My space, your space, our space. Re-thinking the learning environment: is it fit for purpose? 15 How can questions, pace and delivery promote deep learning and thinking? 16 How can we build positive relationships with children and parents? 17 Adaptive teaching Part 4: Teaching now 18 Teacher Wellbeing: Are doughnuts in the staffroom enough? 19 How can teachers diversify the curriculum to ensure it reflects all of our children? 20 How can teachers use AI tools to support teaching? 21 Why do teachers need to know about child mental health? 22 What is sustainability, why is it important and what does it mean for my teaching? 23 Relationship and Sex Education: How does getting to know ourselves, our children and their families create a recipe for an inclusive RSE learning environment? 24 Coaching techniques for the classroom
