Category: local networks

beginning teacher, local networks, speaking and listening, teacher knowledge, teaching history

Early Career History Teacher: experience beyond the classroom

This is another blogpost primarily for colleagues at the start of their history teaching careers. Caitlyn Palmer, history PGCE student at the University of York, shares her experience of taking on a project beyond the classroom and how it has supported her developing professional practice. As a History PGCE student training with the University of York, there are certain things that I expected I would … Continue reading Early Career History Teacher: experience beyond the classroom

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beginning teacher, CPD, local networks, subject leadership, teaching history

Using the new normal to better support new teachers

Thank you to Tom Pattison (Director of the Humanities Faculty at Greensward Academy, Hockley, Essex) for this new blogpost about supporting beginning teachers. In the toughest of years it offers a model for building community for new colleagues in a way that is professionally supportive for the new and old(-er!) alike. If you would like to build a similar community then look out for these … Continue reading Using the new normal to better support new teachers

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curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, GCSE and A level, historical enquiry, local history, local networks, sources and evidence, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources

Amazing archives: working with local history at GCSE and beyond

Heather Sherman (@HeatherLaws88) teaches history at York College. In this blogpost, Heather persuades us to use local archives to improve our teaching of GCSE topics and to prepare students for further study. Heather argues that local archives challenge, diversify and humanise broader narratives, she explains how to go about contacting your local archives, she generously gives a link to a workbook you can take and … Continue reading Amazing archives: working with local history at GCSE and beyond

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beginning teacher, CPD, diversity and inclusion, local networks, substantive knowledge, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas

One Big History Department: history teachers assemble – finding my tribe as an early career teacher

Here Emma Bevan of Harrogate High School continues our blog series for teachers in the early years of their careers and shares her experience of working together to become better history teachers. I vividly remember the reminder bestowed to me and my PGCE cohort in one of our final sessions. It was an important reminder, and something that didn’t make sense to me at the … Continue reading One Big History Department: history teachers assemble – finding my tribe as an early career teacher

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beginning teacher, curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, historical enquiry, local history, local networks, teaching and learning ideas

Using the wisdom on… developing a sequence as an NQT

Thanks to Vicky Bettney of York High School for this blogpost. Vicky reflects on her NQT experience of re-planning part of the school’s KS3 curriculum and how she drew on the wider history community and her learning from her PGCE to do this. She talks about her priorities and how she juggled these different priorities to develop a sequence that is, as ever, work in … Continue reading Using the wisdom on… developing a sequence as an NQT

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curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, GCSE and A level, historical scholarship, KS3, local networks, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources

Intersecting history in school – the ‘slot-in’!

Ruth Lingard and Helen Snelson have been leading York area teachers and University of York PGCE trainees to deepen their knowledge of stories from the past that are too often absent from the history classroom. Here they offer the ‘slot-ins’ made so far as a way to help history teachers make the history curriclum more representative of the many, many people who lived in the … Continue reading Intersecting history in school – the ‘slot-in’!

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historical scholarship, local networks, substantive knowledge, teacher knowledge

The History Teachers’ Book Club

As our final blogpost of the year we are really pleased to celebrate the great initiative that is ‘The History Teachers’ Book Club’. Lots of colleagues have been enjoying the collegiality of developing their subject knowledge this way. Thanks to Simon Beale, Andrew Sweet and Anne Hooper for this ‘History of the History Teachers’ Book Club’…. Talking (book) shop It was an idea that developed … Continue reading The History Teachers’ Book Club

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CPD, curriculum and planning, KS3, local networks, subject leadership

An honest view of the curriculum planning process

Ruth Lingard (@YorkClio), a member of Secondary Committee and Head of History at Millthorpe School in York, gives us a refreshingly honest view on curriculum development. It can be easy to get the impression on social media that everything those who post do is marvellous. Ruth takes the long view and thinks about why her department lost track of a coherent curriculum and, at the … Continue reading An honest view of the curriculum planning process

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curriculum and planning, disciplinary knowledge, GCSE and A level, historical interpretations, historical scholarship, KS3, local networks, subject leadership, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas

Teaching interpretations – maximising potential and avoiding pitfalls!

Thanks to Warren Valentine (@warrenvalentine), head of history and politics at Mayfield Grammar School for Girls, for this blogpost about a day spent thinking about the teaching of historical interpretations. This is an area that has been extensively discussed and theorised about for many years. You can find more help with this tricky concept on the HA website.   In June a collection of history teachers … Continue reading Teaching interpretations – maximising potential and avoiding pitfalls!

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KS3, local networks, subject leadership, teaching and learning ideas, teaching history

North of Scotch Corner – a cross country approach to developing explicit explanations

This blogpost describes a really effective school link up as a result of discussions at Teach Meet History Icons back in March 2018. Here, Martyn Bajkowski, HA Secondary Committee, describes how he and Alex Fairlamb, lead coordinator of TMHistoryIcons, worked together to motivate their students to put in effort and develop clarity with their historical explanations. A brilliant idea that is easily copied – thank … Continue reading North of Scotch Corner – a cross country approach to developing explicit explanations

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