Top Tips - Febuary 2007

It is always helpful when you are new to a job to learn from people with more experience. That is why we have teamed up with teachers and development officers to produce these top tips to help you settle into your new career.

Top Tips - Febuary 2007 - A Curriculum for Excellence

This month’s Top Tips come from the A Curriculum for Excellence team, who hope these tips will help you on your way.

1. Welcome the opportunity – this is an exciting time! A licence to be creative and innovative.
   
2. Effective teaching and learning are at the heart of A Curriculum for Excellence. Keep that to the fore of your mind when planning.
   
3. What you teach should help young people achieve success in the four capacities.
   
4. Make your teaching and young people’s learning challenging and enjoyable. If you are enjoying it so will they.
   
5. Be open to new ideas and listen to what the young people have to say about their own education.
   
6. Make imaginative use of the community and the environment and all that these have to offer. Think beyond the classroom.
   
7. Offer opportunities which will allow young people to exercise a degree of choice.
8. Be creative in the use of cross-curricular activity to get the best out of the teaching and learning experience.
   
9. Make the learning real, make it meaningful – utilise young people’s interests, curiosities and talents.
   
10. Give young people the opportunity to promote their wider achievements.
    
11. Get to know as many people as you can, speak to others in the staffroom, and make the links outwith your stage or department.