THEORY AND PRACTICE

AIMS, VALUES AND PURPOSES OF EDUCATION

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Why do we go to school? Have you thought carefully about what education should be aiming to do?
Is there to make people moral or knowledgeable? Or both? Why do we teach students in schools?
Have you thought about this?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

MINDFULNESS
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know what mindfulness is?
Have you ever meditated, or done yoga?
What do you know about living in the present moment?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

BEING ORGANISED
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
How organised are you? Do you leave things to the last minute?
Do you over-organise things?
Do you get very anxious about organising your life and planning ahead?
How easy do you find it to manage your time and meet deadlines?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3
 WELL-BEING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you look after yourself? Do you find it difficult to keep fit and healthy?
Do you suffer from stress at times? How resilient are you?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

LESSON PLANNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Have you ever planned any lessons? What do you know about learning objectives, goals and
intentions? Starters, learning activities and plenaries?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

THEORIES OF LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
How do you think people learn? By copying other people and learning by rote? Through discussion,
collaboration and practice? Are you familiar with the main theorists about learning, e.g. John Dewey,
B.F. Skinner, Lev Vygotsky, Jerome Bruner, Bloom?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3
 BEHAVIOURISM
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you think learning involves being taught, i.e. listening to information and absorbing it through
lectures? Are you familiar with John Locke, Pavlov and B.F. Skinners ideas about education? Do you
know about positive and negative reinforcement? About learning through imitation? Have you heard
of the phrases, passive learning and tabula rasa?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

CONSTRUCTIVISM
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Are you aware that many educationalists argue that learners need to actively construct knowledge
in their minds rather than being told what to do? Are you familiar with Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky and
Jerome Bruners work?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

META-COGNITION AND SELF-REGULATION

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Have you heard of these phrases? Are you aware that many experts believe learners need to reflect
and monitor the processes that help them learn and to use these reflections to inform how they
proceed with their learning? Are you aware that the most effective learners self-regulate; they plan
for themselves what they need to do to achieve a goal and carry out those plans, motivating
themselves?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets

/good improvement
1

2
 3

CREATIVITY
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
How would you define creativity? Do you think its important to nurture in education? What is
creativity? Are you creative in your life? Do you create new things such as poems, stories, art, sculpture
etc? Do you think creative thoughts?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

IDENTITY
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
How important do you think your identity is as a teacher? What role does your gender, age, ethnicity,
social class play in shaping you as a teacher? How much do you know about this topic?

DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets

/good improvement
1

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about teaching students to work in groups or pairs? What is your attitude
towards group work and collaborative learning? Do you know how to nurture effective learning in
groups? Do you understand the importance of encouraging students to discuss things amongst
themselves?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
 1

EMBODIED LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about using the body to help people learn?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

LEARNING USING OBJECTS: ARTEFACTUAL LEARNING

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about using objects to help people learn?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about the movement in education to get teachers to use teaching methods that
are proven to work such as teaching by analogy, visual organisers and getting students to
hypothesize?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1
 2

ASSESSMENT: SUMMATIVE AND FORMATIVE

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know what summative and formative assessment is? Do you know anything about
assessment for learning (AfL)? Do you know any AfL strategies? Do you feel you know what makes
effective AfL? Do you know about the importance of linking learning objectives to AfL?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

PRESENTATION SKILLS: EXPLANATIONS, DEVISING WORKSHEETS AND POWERPOINTS

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know how to devise effective worksheets, PowerPoints and other learning resources?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you feel confident about managing the behaviour of students within English classes? Do you
understand the importance of developing positive management skills?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

2
 3

TEACHER RESEARCH
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you feel confident in writing academic assignments and referencing using, for example, Harvard
style? Do you know about referencing tools such as Endnote or Zotero? Do you know how to read and
take notes from academic articles and books? Do you understand what makes effective teacher
research? Have you heard of evidence-based teaching?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

DIFFERENTIATION
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know how to meet the needs of diverse learners within the classroom? Do you know what
differentiation is? Do you know about differentiating by outcome, resource, role and task?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEND)

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know anything about dyslexia, ADHD, autism, emotional-behavioural difficulties? Do you
know anything about teaching students with SEND?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3
 MULTI-LINGUAL LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know anything about teaching students with English as an Additional Language (EAL)? Are
you aware of what is effective when teaching them and how their English skills might best be
developed?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

SAFE-GUARDING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about E-safety? Child protection issues? Dealing with controversial issues within
the curriculum?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

SPIRITUAL, MORAL AND CITIZENSHIP ISSUES

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about the British Values agenda? What do you know about nurturing spiritual
and moral values amongst your students? What do you know about the teaching of citizenship and
democracy?

DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3
 SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE
WHAT IS ENGLISH?
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you feel confident that you know what English is as a subject? Do you know are the elements
that constitute English teaching in schools?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

SPOKEN ENGLISH
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about the role speaking and listening plays in learning English? What do you
know about nurturing effective spoken English skills in your students? What do you know about the
teaching of debating, delivering speeches etc?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

READING SKILLS
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about how students learn to read? What do you know about the teaching of
phonics and decoding in primary schools? What do you know about DARTS, Directed Activities Related
to Text? What do you know about assessing students reading? What do you know about strategies
such as Reciprocal Reading?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3
 WRITING SKILLS
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about developing students writing skills? What do you know about the role free
writing can play in developing students writing? What do you know about how to scaffold writing for
students? What do you know about the different types of writing: the planners and the spontaneous
writers?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What do you know about Old English, Middle English and early modern English? What do you know
about Anglo-Saxon poetry, Chaucer and writers from Shakespeares time? Have you learnt about the
history of the language in your degree? What do you know about language change?

DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement

1
2
3

SHAKESPEARE
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
What Shakespeare plays have you read and you feel you know well? Do you feel you know how to
teach Shakespeare well?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

3
 NATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR ENGLISH
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know anything about the previous and current requirements for the teaching of English in
the National Curriculum? Do you know how the NC links to external exams?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

CULTURAL LITERACY
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Are you familiar with key cultural texts & events such as the Bible, Greek and Roman myths, Aesops
fables, important historical dates, scientific discoveries, achievements in music, painting, art etc.?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

PRE-1900 FICTION
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Are you familiar with the work of Charles Dickens, the Brontes and Robert Louis Stevenson? Do you
feel confident teaching stories from this period?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

3
 PRE-1900 POETRY
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Are you familiar with the Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Blake and Keats?
Are you familiar with the Metaphysical poets such as John Donne and Andrew Marvell?

DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets

/good improvement

1
2
3

YA LITERATURE
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Have you read any recent Young Adult literature such as writing by Benjamin Zephaniah and Malorie
Blackman? Are you aware of the prize-winning books in this genre?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

POETIC TECHNIQUES
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know your alliteration from your onomatopoeia? Do you know how to get students to
explore the effects of various poetic techniques? Do you know about the rhythm and rhyme of poetry?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

3
 TEXTS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES AND TRADITIONS
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know about Spoken Word Performance poetry? Are you aware of poetry from other cultures
such as Caribbean, African and Indian poetry?
Are you aware of writers like Chinua Achebe, Anita Desai and Teju Cole?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets

/good improvement
1

NON-FICTION
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you feel you know how to teach the writing of newspaper articles? Adverts? Blogs? Are you
aware of how to use pre-1900 non-fiction in the classroom?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

MULTI-MODAL LEARNING
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know how to use audio, video and images in the classroom? Do you know how to help
students learn by using different modes for conveying meaning?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES

Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets

/good improvement
1

3
 DRAMA (BASIC TECHNIQUES)
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know about hot-seating? Nurturing improvisation? Getting students to go into role? Drama
games useful for English teachers?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

TEACHING SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR (SPAG)

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know the basic spelling rules? Do you know how to teach the semi-colon and colon? Do you
know how best to get students improving their vocabulary?
Do you know the rules of Standard English grammar? Do you know the history as to how SE
developed? Do you know your split infinitive from your subordinate clause?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LANGUAGE

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you know about the importance of studying language in context? Do you know about issues
concerning accent, dialect, geographical region and social class? Do you know anything about socio-
linguistics?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1

3
 DIGITAL MEDIA SKILLS: USING ICT, VIDEO, IMAGES ETC
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Do you feel confident using audio and video recording for your own teaching? Do you know how to
confidently use ICT yourself?
DEVELOPING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING PUZZLES
Term Outstanding OK Requires Comments/targets
/good improvement
1