February
2014
Issue N2
FREE CPD Opportunities for
Student members!
ATL is committed to helping its
members develop through the course
of their careers. This is why as a
student; you can access a
comprehensive range of continuing
professional development (CPD)
courses which are completely free.
Details of two upcoming workshops
can be found below. If you are
interested in finding out more about
these courses, please let me know
using the contact details in this
newsletter.
Wednesday 19th February 2014
The Library of Birmingham
Centenary Square
Broad Street
Birmingham
B1 2ND
09:30-12:30
Voice Care - Learn how to develop a
more assertive voice useful for the
more “spirited” class of students.
Please click here to register
13:00-16:00
Securing your first teaching job –
Get the job you want with the help of
Hays top tips and advice.
Please click here to register
Have your say - ATL Future Surveys
With the continued and fast paced changes being made in
the education sector, both in terms of initial teacher
training and the profession in general, one of ATL Future’s
roles is to monitor their impact on new entrants to the
teaching profession, find out what our new members
really think to inform ATL policy and represent these
views at various levels within and outside the union.
This term, you have the opportunity to have your say on two
issues: peer led learning and, if you’re undertaking the School
Direct programme, how you have found the experience so far.
Peer Led Learning Survey
Peer led learning is a vital element of any professional’s CPD and
can take many forms, from an informal chat with a colleague in
the staff room to more formal sessions where teachers come
together to share experiences and resources on topics or
challenges. We would like to find out your experiences (or lack
of) of peer led learning; to what extent you undertake peer led
learning as part of your course or School CPD, how you use peer
led learning, how useful you find it, or whether you undertake
any at all.
The results will inform us of the types of peer led learning our
members are involved in, how prevalent it is, what constitutes
best practice and how as a union we can integrate it into our
national and regional events for ATL Future members.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey here
School Direct Survey
Are you a School Direct trainee? As some of the first students
to undertake this new teacher training programme, we’d love to
hear about your experiences so far and how the course is
working for you. As a member led union, it is vital that ATL
policy draws from member’s experiences and views and this
survey is the opportunity for you to add your voice to this
important issue.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey here
The results will be used in our Shaping Education campaign and
ATL General Secretary, Mary Boustead, will be taking the
anonymous results from this survey to meetings with the
Department for Education later this term.
Top tips from ATL Future members!
During the ATL Future workshop that took place
in Birmingham on 30th November 2013,
delegates took part in an activity and shared
some of the most successful ideas and
approaches that they have tried and tested
when teaching. We have summarised some of
the best ones below…

Traffic light self-assessment.

Heads down, thumbs up selfassessment.

Learning circle (students write what
they have learnt in the circle)

Role play.

Hot seating.

Viewing the children as individuals
that are growing up to become
young adults.

Giving the children two choices
allowing them to be more active in
their decision making.

Crime scene – measuring body parts
from a chalk outline (footprints,
hand spans) gave children a real
purpose for learning!

Coloured cards to mix up students
and break up chatty students.

Outdoor learning through literacy.
If you have used any strategies or approaches
that worked really well and would like to share
them then please do get in touch and we will
try to feature them in the next ATL Future
Midlands Newsletter.
Come to ATL’s Annual Conference and
see how your union works…
If you’re interested in meeting other
education professionals and care about
discussing and furthering education issues,
then ATL Conference is a good place to start.
ATL’s Conference takes place annually, with up to
600 members gathering to discuss and vote on key
education and employment issues, which then sets
ATL’s policy for the following year. In addition to
the Conference hall proceedings, lots of other
activities take place, from workshops and training
sessions to seminars and exhibitions.
ATL is the only teaching union to grant student
teachers full voting rights at its conference, and as
a delegate students and NQT’s will also have the
opportunity to attend ATL Future specific events
and fringes and network with other ATL Future
members from across the country, as well as stand
and be elected to ATL Future’s national steering
group.
The steering group is responsible for ensuring that
ATL Future and its members are represented within
the wider union, work on enacting ATL Future
motions that are passed at conference and relate to
new professionals, as well as work on campaigns
affecting ATL Future members. The group is elected
annually at conference and those attending have
the opportunity to stand and become more involved
within the union and engage with education issues.
This year’s conference will be held in
Manchester from 13th to 16th April 2014 and
expenses for ATL Future members will be
covered by the union. Places are limited so to
register your interest please click here.
If you would like to get involved to
have your say, or if you would like
something included in the next
newsletter, please do not hesitate to
get in touch…
Danielle Campos, ATL Organiser - Midlands
[email protected]
07501483011