Mr Barton Maths Podcast

Craig Barton interviews guests from the wonderful world of education about their approaches to teaching, educational research and more. All show notes, resources and videos here: https://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/

#011 Stefanie Sullivan – Maths PGCE Tutor from Nottingham University

byCraig Barton

Stef is in charge of the PGCSE programme at Nottingham University, and was my tutor when I trained there many years ago. We spoke in-depth about the lesson planning process, habits of successful trainees, and the most common reasons for teachers leaving the profession.

For more information about today’s guest, plus links to the websites, resources and ideas they mention, please visit the show notes page: http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/blog/11-stefanie-sullivan-maths-pgce-tutor-from-nottingham-university/ 

Show Podcast Information

On this episode of the Mr Barton Maths Podcast I spoke to Stefanie Sullivan

Stef is in charge of the whole PGCE Teacher Training programme at Nottingham University, but is still heavily involved in the Secondary Maths PGCE. In the interests of full disclosure, Stef was my maths tutor 12 years ago when I did my maths PGCE at Nottingham, after I had completed an Economics degree at Cambridge University, a brief flirtation with working in the City, and a year picking courgettes in Australia. I am not afraid to say that I loved every second – well most of them – during my PGCE at Nottingham, and it gave me a wonderful start to my teaching career for which I will always be grateful.

In a wide-ranging interview, we covered the following things:

• How does Stef advise her trainees to think about the planning process?
• Stef describes an excellent lesson she saw on forming linear equations, and then a lesson on bearings that looked very good on paper, but which went off the rails for a very important reason
• We discuss whether good teachers are born or made, and what are some of the traits and habits of the most successful teachers Stef has worked with
• We look at the merits of the PGCE route versus Schools Direct, what Nottingham has to offer, and what Stef would like to see included in the PGCE if it was up to her… which it is, so that is good news!
• We talk about the best practises Stef sees in schools for supporting their trainee teachers
• We look at the most common reasons for the huge numbers of teachers leaving the profession in the first few years and what can be done about this
• Finally we talk about the importance of that very first lesson, and establishing positive relationships between teacher and student as quickly as possible

I hope this interview will be of interest to teachers in general, whether you are a trainee teacher yourself, someone thinking of joining the profession, an NQT, someone who mentors trainee teachers, or just someone, like me, who is interested in the preparation and support the next cohort of teachers gets.