Am I a good teacher? The importance of a positive sense of self

Written By: Author(s): Helen Ross
5 min read
If a teacher does not feel confident in themselves, they will be unlikely to deliver ‘good lessons'
The concept of ‘good teaching’ has been in the vernacular of teachers since the inception of Ofsted in the Education (Schools) Act (1992). Under the current inspection framework, unless schools and teachers are at least ‘good’ they must undergo Section 8 inspections (Ofsted, 2015), guidance for which comes through publications such as ‘Getting to Good: how headteachers achieve success’ (Ofsted, 2012). Although ‘Getting to Good’ is no longer current, similar publications will likely supersede its detail on how to improve schools holistically. The ‘whole school’ focus of such publications, while important, does not necessarily address teachers’ questions about their own practice and their position within current conceptualisations of ‘good teaching’. Teacher participants in my recent study (Ross, 2017) sought to understand and embody good teaching for young people with dyslexia, and construct positive identities for themselves as teachers. Breaking down teac

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This article was published in December 2017 and reflects the terminology and understanding of research and evidence in use at the time. Some terms and conclusions may no longer align with current standards. We encourage readers to approach the content with an understanding of this context.

References
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  • Ross, H. (Forthcoming), ‘An exploration of teachers’ agency and social relationships within dyslexia-support provision in an English secondary school’. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12174
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