Posts tagged ‘IFL’

Motivation and me: the challenges

motivationI was recently asked ‘Why do you do what you do? Why do you get out of bed every morning?’

Big Questions! But something teachers should continually ask themselves.

The IFL’s final survey of teachers found that

“More than anything, it seems that the central motivation for teachers in FE and skills is the successful achievement and progression of learners.”

I recently did a ranking activity on skills and attributes of a teacher. The list was referenced to such places as The Sutton Trust Toolkit, OFSTED and the Education and Training Foundation, and contained words such as enthusiasm, inspiring, passion, high expectations & knowledgeable. It was a great discussion activity and an opportunity to have the time and space to think about such BIG QUESTIONS. Read more ►

Journals: week in the life of ……

I’ve had two journals drop through my post in the past two weeks.

InTuition: the journal for professional teachers and trainers in the further education and skills section. (what a title!!) and
Language Issues: the journal of NATECLA.

InTuition has visited a few table tops in my house. It sat for a while by the front door. Then it lounged lazily on the kitchen table. It had a brief trip to coffee table before heading back to the kitchen table. Read more ►

Memorable Moment #3 : FE Teaching and Learning Conference & CPD

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

conference recording

conference recording

This is the first time that I was approached by a conference to present something(rather than apply to present)so I feel particularly proud of that. It is also the most ‘formal’ presentation I have ever given. I am more used to running more hands on workshops at conferences than presenting to a room of people – and I certainly have never been recorded before!
To be honest the conference itself was not so memorable (sorry) but I did get to meet Toni Fazelli, the Chief Exec of IFL. In her keynote she asked if anyone felt supported in undertaking CPD by their organisation. I was the lone person to respond.

IFL : a personal history

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I joined IFL back in April 2007 when it first reverted from a voluntary organisation to a regulatory one for FE tutors. At this time I wasn’t aware that it had existed as a voluntary organisation since 2002 but I was certainly interested in what was on offer from the IFL.

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FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

FE Teaching and Learning Conference

The conference started very promisingly and I found that I recognied many of the themes from Toni Fazaeli’s keynote. She started with a brief history of IFL, and it was interesting to see that as the organisation returns to it’s voluntary body roots that membership continues to rise.

I often struggle when teaching is presented as an analogy, especially when this is an analogy to some kind of performance, but I liked Toni’s analogy to the hypocratic oath. She said that tutors always want the best for their students despite the stretch they feel from funding, managers, awarding bodies. & OFSTED who seemingly want different things. This certainly came through during the session on Passionate Teachers at the RSC-YH conference this June. Read more ►

Multi-gadget experience

I am having an evening of multi-gadget-ness, sitting on the couch in the kitchen listening to Jo Whiley, drinking peppermint tea and eating small chunks of whole nut, with iPad and iPhone in arms reach while typing away on the netbook. Seems like a very long time since I’ve done this.

I’ve spent a good chunk of today reading through the latest and last posts from the gadgetry group in preparation for my presentation at the RSC-YH next week.  This is culmination of a Research and Scholarly Activity (RSA) project that has run for the last 6 months. The group was estabished with what seemed at the time a purposefully vague outline:

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