Planning matters: Why planning lessons exposes the decisions that student teachers make for effective learning in an inclusive classroom
Written by: Tom Molloy
8 min read
TOM MOLLOY, DIRECTOR, TOMMY FLOWERS SCITT, UK
As the director of an initial teacher training (ITT) programme and an external moderator for others, it is a privilege to be welcomed into classrooms across the country and to see student teachers develop. Observing and holding discussions with novices and their mentors also gives an insight that few are afforded the luxury of seeing: a chance to observe and discuss everyday practice in different settings without being an inspector or improvement partner.
Over the last decade, the education landscape has shifted considerably. A combination of reducing burdensome workload, a focus on curriculum design and time to allow the 2014 National Curriculum to embed has led to a permeation of off-the-shelf schemes in schools, particularly primary schools. What was once common for phonics and maths is now mainstream for history, PE, music and art.
In ITT, the impact is stark. Ten years ago, student teachers planned (or co-planned) most lessons
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