Working in FE

Deciding to be a Further Education (FE) teacher has proven to be a popular and highly rewarding career. However, applying for jobs in the sector proves difficult. In the first instance, you need to check if you are eligible for the position.

Change is all around us. Online platforms have radically changed the way we work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Some jobs are disappearing due to technological advances whilst new jobs emerge rapidly.

In these uncertain times one thing is certain; the way we work will change. The need for social distancing has already led to remote working wherever possible.

It’s tempting to think that the concept of a teacher shortage in the UK makes it easy to walk in to a teaching job, with little thought to your application.

Last year I wrote several articles about ‘T’ levels. In the last article I addressed the key issues facing FE colleges in preparation for their roll out in September 2020.

New Year. New term. New resolutions. A new start. January offers a time to reset.

Setting home-study tasks brings frustration. Frustration for teachers when students say they have not done it; frustration for students who perhaps do not see the relevance of tasks set.

An article in TES reported on a survey carried out in 2018 which found that almost two-thirds of students in FE feel very or extremely stressed about exams

Findings from recent Ofsted research (2018) have found that teachers are highly stressed and anxious. Stress in teaching is not new, indeed research into teacher stress dates back to the 1970s. More recently, issues of teacher recruitment and retention are associated with stress.

As with any other resource, its use needs to be based on how it can enhance the learning of your students. Technology can be used to personalise learning as well as support collaborative learning.

I believe it is vital that the adult recognises that each student has a creative mind. This should be celebrated, nurtured and stimulated. In order to do that, the adult needs to reignite their own creative mind.

When you are applying for teaching posts, you should demonstrate not only that you are familiar with different theories of learning, but also that you understand the implications of them for teaching.

Gaining high quality on-the-job experience is vital for students as it enables them to enhance and progress their skills and conform to a constantly developing environment.

I am responsible for the day to day running of the training restaurant in a large FE college.

A classroom can be a scary place. Walking into a new classroom, with a new teacher and a new group of peers can be daunting for even a confident individual. Equally, I always get butterflies before meeting a new group of students.

Dr Chris Dows continue to champion CBHE and its unique aspects in his latest article reflecting on this year's TEF results.

Scheduled for launch by May 2018, the AoC Scholarship Project framework will consist of a comprehensive suite of materials for HE providers of any size or maturity. All well and good, but why would an FEC sign up to it?

Art lecturer and potter, Bruce Chivers, gives us a sneak peak in to a typical day teaching Art in FE and finding a balance between teaching and being an artist yourself.

As the new term gets underway, it is well worth making yourself a few “new academic year resolutions” in order to get off to a good start.