Teacher Training, Coaching, and the Challenges of Implementation, Mind the Gap, Ep. 65 (S4,E2)

On this episode of Mind The Gap, Tom Sherrington and Emma Turner delve into the intricacies of teacher training, coaching, and the hurdles faced during implementation. They explore the importance of listening to personal experiences, the value of partnerships, the evolving role of coaching, and the need for a holistic approach.

The episode begins with a powerful observation: rather than defending teacher training programs when confronted with negative individual experiences, we should listen and learn from those experiences. Tom and Emma stress the importance of considering these personal stories, allowing them to shape improvements in the sector. They highlight that teacher training is a product of various factors, including higher education and school placements, and therefore, a deeper understanding of individuals' journeys is crucial.

The conversation moves towards a call for viewing teacher training as a holistic, integrated process over three years rather than focusing solely on immediate readiness. Tom and Emma discuss that theoretical input from higher education at the beginning of training may be more impactful, considering the partnership with schools. Through this partnership, organizations like Steplab come into play as valuable resources and platforms for instructional coaching.

The episode touches on the newly published criteria for trainees, highlighting several changes that mainly affect those in their early career stages. One significant change is the increase in teaching hours, with trainees starting with 15 hours. The hosts express concerns about the impact of this heavy teaching load on trainee retention, workload, and the quality of their teaching sessions. They question how schools will manage this change and allocate curriculum hours for trainees while doubting the ability of trainees and schools to cope with these adjustments.

The hosts delve into the Early Career Framework (ECF) and the importance of instructional coaching for novice and experienced teachers. They express concern that experienced teachers may forget the challenges newcomers face and stress the need for ongoing support throughout a teacher's career. Tom and Emma highlight the mindset shift required when coaching a teacher during a lesson, moving from top-down judgments to a collaborative and supportive approach. They applaud schools for embracing this cultural change and fostering an environment that nurtures teachers' progress and development.

Participants

Tom Sherrington has worked in schools as a teacher and leader for 30 years and is now a consultant specializing in teacher development and curriculum & assessment planning. His books include Teaching WalkThrus: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Teaching WalkThrus 2: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Teaching WalkThrus 3: Five-step guides to instructional coaching, Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and The Learning Rainforest Fieldbook. He regularly contributes to conferences and CPD sessions locally and nationally and is busy working in schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. Follow Tom on Twitter @teacherhead

Emma Turner joined Discovery Schools Academy Trust as the Research and CPD lead after 20 years in primary teaching. She founded ‘NewEd – Joyful CPD for early-career teachers,’ a not-for-profit approach to CPD to encourage positivity amongst the profession and help retain teachers in post. Turner is the author of Be More Toddler: A Leadership Education From Our Little Learners, Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the Flexible Working Narrative for Education, Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership, Simplicitus Altius: Leading the Interconnected Primary Curriculum and Initium: Cognitive science and research-informed primary practice. Follow Emma on Twitter @emma_turner75.