Let trainees fall gently and get up cheerfully
Almost every school has colleagues in training who want to learn the trade. Teachers and a teacher trainer give ten tips for the best guidance.
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
Work-based learning is becoming increasingly important in the training of prospective teachers, and so is the role of schools. This certainly applies to training schools: schools that work intensively with teacher training institutions within Samen Opleidingen & Professionalisatie (SO&P). According to figures from the platform, about 60 percent of all students at higher vocational and university teacher training courses attend such a training school. And if it is up to SO&P, that should be 2030 percent by 100.
What exactly is expected of you as a teacher? How can you best help your future colleagues? What is your role as a workplace supervisor, as a school trainer or as a 'regular' teacher without your own intern? We have ten tips for you, from research and practice.
Provide a safe learning environment
Teaching for the first time is super exciting. And it remains that way the second and subsequent times. Think back to your own first time and reassure students and starters: it will get easier. “It's good to know that you are not alone and that all beginners find teaching difficult,” says Tom Adams, history teacher trainer at Fontys. “Don't pretend that you never have problems with a class. That kills their self-confidence.”
Think back to your own first time and reassure students and starters: it will get easier
Provide them with a safe space to learn and basically let them decide where they stand. Don't force them to teach an entire lesson if they don't dare to do it themselves, although you can give gentle nudges: try it.
A safe space also means room to make mistakes. As Loe Smits, school teacher at Beatrix College in Tilburg, puts it: “Give someone the opportunity to fall gently, but also to get up again cheerfully.”
Let them discover what kind of teacher they want to be
The biggest don't for supervisors and trainers is: seeing your own way of teaching as the norm. That can be quite difficult, says Margriet van de Ven, English teacher at the pre-vocational secondary education location of the Maaswaal College in Wijchen. Then she sees a somewhat overly exuberant PowerPoint presentation in the lesson preparation submitted in advance. She prefers sober and business-like work. “But above all, give people space to make their own choices and discover their own teaching style.” When an intern asks her what she would do in a certain situation, she answers. “But I say clearly: that is my way, not the way.”
The biggest don't for supervisors and trainers is: seeing your own way of teaching as the norm
The other two teachers surveyed endorse this. “You should not want the student to become a copy of you,” says Esther Beck, English teacher and school trainer at Globe College in Utrecht. “Being a teacher must grow from who you are.” So swallow the words 'wouldn't you even…' and let people experiment for themselves and discover what kind of teacher they want to be. Smits adds: “Take them seriously and give them plenty of space to develop their own style and become an autonomous teacher.”
Don't intervene too quickly
If you sit at the back of the class, you can clearly see what is going well and what is not. In the latter case, just sit on your hands and let the intern experience and solve it themselves. As Van de Ven says: “I let it go as it goes, they learn from that. I do make notes about what could be done differently.” Only intervene if the (social) safety of an intern or students is at risk.
Encourage self-reflection
Don't suggest, just ask. In short, that is the tip for giving feedback. Ask interns how they thought things went and respond to what they say. Not with tips and tops, but with questions. If someone says that the lesson went 'pretty well', while you saw a lot of room for improvement, share your observations as neutrally as possible. And above all, ask a lot of questions: why do you think the class became restless? How would you handle it next time? “Ask questions about why someone made certain choices during the lesson,” says Beck. “That initiates self-reflection and thus development.” Smits adds: “Giving advice is allowed, but don't chew anything beforehand. Encourage someone to think for themselves about what they do, about what kind of teacher they want to be and about what they consider good education.”
Show them around the school
There is an exception to this lack of preparation: familiarize trainees with the school as quickly as possible. Don't let them wander around lost, but make it clear how things are arranged. From where they can make copies to school rules about cell phones. “Many prospective teachers do not know what is common in a school and that increases their uncertainty,” says Adams.
Don't let them wander around lost
Encourage contacts with other colleagues
In addition to the workplace supervisor and school trainer, there are many more colleagues from whom interns can learn something. Encourage them to use that rich source of practical knowledge, for example by talking to someone who teaches a different subject or who teaches a class that they themselves are having difficulty with.
Recognize the importance of informal learning
Adams's PhD research into the learning process of interns shows the importance of informal contacts in school. “Students have just experienced something and want to talk about it with an experienced colleague. They found those coincidental moments at the coffee machine or the change of class very educational,” Adams explains. These informal contacts within the school often lead to watching lessons from experienced teachers, so that they see more ways of how to handle a class. Adams advocates that students include such informal learning experiences with accompanying reflection in their portfolio or logbook. He developed an app that offers space for this. His tip to all teachers: “Be open to this and be willing to help prospective teachers.”
Draw their attention to relevant theory
Van de Ven often points out the escalation ladder to her trainees: build up your sanctions gradually, from a first warning to, in extreme cases, sending someone out of class. “I often see them skip quite a few steps. That is not conducive to your relationship with students.” Beck often sees trainees struggle with differentiation and often refers them to literature about this during the intervision she provides as a school trainer.
Adding theory to practical experiences is very important, says Smits. “The theory sheds new light on those experiences and teaches students to think about the effect their own actions have on students. In this way, theory can help to adjust that action.”
Be open to learning yourself
All teachers say: by guiding young colleagues, I see and learn new things myself. This may involve new technical gadgets, but also a surprising working method. Beck still benefits from the handy manual that an intern created for literature classes, complete with excerpts and processing sheets. But she especially appreciates the fresh perspective. “In the issues of the day you sail on a routine. Interns help me to take a critical look at myself again. That's a lot of fun, it helps you develop yourself.”
Call interns colleagues in training
Smits prefers to avoid the word intern at his school and always talks about 'colleagues in training'. Some colleagues sometimes think: why is Smits complaining about a word? “But it is really important. With such a designation you show that you take students seriously. This makes them feel appreciated.”
Tom Adams, Learning to navigate classroom dynamics: Studying student teachers' classroom management learning during their teacher education internship. Dissertation from Wageningen University, 2023. Want to know more about the app for informal learning? Mail t.adams@fontys.nl
