Start of Year Priorities

 

Happy New Year - Slightly Belated!

Well the new year has started with a bang and things have been busy here at the University, as I am sure they have been for you. 

I just thought I would update you with where the trainees are now and their current priorities:

On Placement 

• Trainees should be working weekly on their PDR which should be complete to today's date (I have checked and a few are behind with this)
• Trainees should be teaching approximately 6 hours per week with 6 hours of purposeful observations in their own area AND in other areas
• The focus of this portfolio is embedding the wider curriculum so all trainees should have observed meaningful embedding of wider factors including maths and English in both discrete (GCSE retake classes), and embedded elements in all sessions eg E&D, digital skills, sustainability. If they have not done this, can you please work with them and the professional mentor to make sure that this happens please?
• Trainees require 2 observations by the portfolio hand in date - this is either one or two observations by yourself depending on when you trainee has opted to have their tutor observation from myself, Fay or Martin. Please talk to them about plans for this. 
• Portfolio 2 is due in on 8th February. By this date you will need to have completed your Subject Mentor Review 2 in your trainees portfolio to sign off their 50 teaching hours and completed PDR entries. This is again via google comment on the Subject Mentor Review. 

At Uni

• Trainees are completing their minimum core requirements by auditing and making progress in their maths, English, E&D, digital skills, sustainability understanding
• They are starting work on their PER -Professional Education Report, which looks at educational policy in FE and how it impacts teaching practice 
• They had a focussed session on SEND and Neurodiversity
• Tomorrow they are having a session on A Level Assessment and tracking student progress (do share your own tracking documents and processes with the trainees to help them apply this to real situations
• Next week they are having a session on BTEC and T Level Assessment

Please do ask the trainees about the above topics they are studying at university and try to help them in areas of these subjects as it applies to their practice. 

Mentor Training 

A reminder that we have Mentor Training coming up online at 4.30pm on Wednesday 24th January just for 45 mins for me to update you with their current assessment requirements and answer any questions you might have. 

Wishing you a peaceful term and let's all look forward to the lighter mornings and evenings as the year progresses. 

Jo