Here at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, we strongly believe that teaching is a journey of learning. In many ways, teachers are much like their students because for both, there is always more to learn. In our recent webinar, Head of Professional Development Victoria Renfro explores how our Preparing to Teach courses help you apply key teaching approaches using our resources.
This session covers key professional development needs that you may resonate with and looks at how our Preparing to Teach courses support those needs. Victoria shares how we support you to adapt the training materials to suit the needs of your teaching team.
Catch up on what you missed
Here are the accompanying slides to the webinar:
Answering your questions
We received a lot of questions from our participants throughout the session. It would be difficult to answer all of them in detail, but we have identified some common themes and provided our advice on each.
Q: What would you recommend for those who do not feel confident to deliver their own workshops?
A: Our Preparing to Teach courses include varying levels of support to help you prepare for your workshops. We understand that delivering training may be new to you and we encourage you to view this as a development experience, to boost your leadership skills. Alternatively, take a look at our other professional development opportunities to build on your skills and increase your confidence. Find out more about the Cambridge Teacher Support Service and the Cambridge Teaching Skills Roadmap. Remember, you are the expert of your own school context and no one can lead your teaching team better than you can.
Q: Are the courses available for A Level subjects?
A: Our Preparing to Teach courses are currently available to support teaching with Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary resources. Preparing to Teach courses for Cambridge IGCSE™ English as a Second Language and Success International English Skills for Cambridge IGCSE™ resources are coming soon.
Q: What type of Preparing to Teach certificate is more recognised?
A: Both the Online Masterclasses and Face-to-Face Workshops are completely equal in terms of recognition and status. The Self-Study option does not include a certificate or any interaction with a Cambridge trainer.
Q: Is it possible to apply the training to the non-Cambridge school curriculum?
A: Our Preparing to Teach courses align specifically with our teaching and learning resources. However if you are a new Cambridge school or you are looking to start teaching with Cambridge resources, you may find the Cambridge Teaching Skills Roadmap a useful support tool in the beginning. The roadmap provides guidance and best practice examples for key teaching skills at three levels, including active learning, classroom management and assessment for learning. Wherever you are on your teaching journey, you can use the roadmap to develop your skills as an individual or with your team.
Q: How do I know what type of Preparing to Teach is best for me?
A: If you are an experienced leader and are very familiar with the resources and key teaching approaches, you may be comfortable to take the Self-Study option. If you have never done anything like this before, the Online Masterclasses or Face-to-Face Workshops are a great place to start. The training materials include extensive notes so you know how to approach different tasks during your workshops. The interaction with a Cambridge trainer provides the opportunity to clarify areas where you are unsure, modify the training to suit the needs of your teaching team, and reflect upon the success of your experience afterwards.
To learn more about our Preparing to Teach courses and other professional development opportunities, please visit our website.
