Teaching Foundations: Introduction to Professional Practice

This first week gives an introduction to the course and asks what it is to be a teacher. This is a chance for you to reflect on you own identity and aspirations as a teacher and gain an informed understanding of the world, or worlds, of childhood. You will build on and extend your existing knowledge as a teacher.

The videos in this week are all related to the theme of children and young people's learning. The emphasis is on thinking 'skills' – learning how to think effectively and creatively. We ask how you as a teacher ensure that students are thinking while they are in your classroom.

This week is focused on the classroom and asks you to consider the question 'How good is my classroom?' It asks you to revisit, replay, and bring together the many ingredients that make a classroom a stimulating place for learning and an enjoyable and engaging place for teaching.

This week focuses on ways that we can help children to live and learn in a world of change. We will consider the importance of cultivating creativity and acknowledging multiple types of intelligence. We will also look at learning that takes place informally outside of school.