- Keep up to date. Plan in a time every week when you are going to update your standards. You don’t want to be trying to recall things that happened weeks ago or misplace vital evidence. Not to mention the hours it will take you.
- Use a computer. I love pencil and paper, but some evidence can be used for more than one standard; copy and paste will save you time.
- You don’t need to re-write your evidence against the standards. Against each standard put a brief note of the evidence type, the date(s) and where the evidence is located.
- Make a key for your evidence locations. For example, P1 – for planning folder 1 – oh yes you may move onto P2! LO Wk3 – Lesson Observation week 3 etc. Make sure you are consistent with your codes and that the evidence is where you say it is. Colour coding can help too.
- It’s not just a tick list. www.gov.uk states “These standards set the minimum requirements for teachers’ practice and conduct”. You may find that there are some standards you build up lots of evidence for and some only one or two pieces. Thinking you have a piece of evidence for each standard, so they are all met is not what the standards are about.
- Plan out how and when you are going to cover standards. Have a placement overview plan as well as a weekly plan. A class newsletter may happen at a certain time in the term. Supporting parent-teacher conferences have specific dates. Interviewing a SENCo may take time to arrange. You can’t leave it up to chance. Be proactive; it’s your responsibility.
- Ask your mentor or academic tutor if you are unsure what evidence you could use to support a standard; they will be able to give you ideas of how you may be able to demonstrate you are working on/ achieving a standard.
- Discuss standards with your peers. They may have evidenced something for a standard that you have done, but hadn’t thought to evidence.
- Remember confidentiality in your evidence and files.
- Search for ‘teacher standards possible evidence’ and you will find several search results which will give you possible sources of evidence from reputable sites such as universities and local authorities.
- Don’t make double the work. You will be setting short and longer term goals on placement. Use the standards to help you develop your targets.
- The standards don’t end when your placement/ NQT year ends. These are the minimum standards that a teacher must demonstrate and what your performance management will be judged on when you have completed your NQT year.
Link to Teacher Standards here.
Feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment if you have any specific queries or suggestions.
My background – I’ve had the pleasure of being a PGCE student academic tutor as well as placement tutor. I’ve also been an NQT mentor. They are roles that I have really enjoyed and I’m here to share my tips to help student teachers and NQTs.
PGCE – post graduate certificate in education
NQT – newly qualified teacher