Recommended Tools and Resources for You

There are certain careers that require a fairly fixed skillset and knowledge-base, but teaching is not one of them. You end up being an academic, an administrator, a shoulder to cry on, a careers advisor, a trip leader and everything else in between.

Below is a compilation of resources to get you started, signposted by topic and type. Keep it bookmarked, and add to it when you stumble across new gems specific to your class or subject.

Classroom learning

The internet can be an absolute liability sometimes. Your students are supposedly researching Ancient Chinese burial rituals, but somehow you’ve already spotted several browsers open on eBay, Fortnite, and YouTube make up tutorials.

The world wide web has many redeeming features, however, and can really enhance learning if it’s harnessed effectively. Make and save presentations for your class (or get them to make them as plenaries or revision resources), upload and share documents, look up academic research, show the latest documentaries and make quick-fire activities fun with name randomisers and noisy timers.

• Oxford English Dictionary (subscription)
• Cambridge dictionary (free)
• Thesaurus
• Journals, textbooks and ebooks
• Student magazine
• Interactive presentations
• Document storage and editing
• Student name-picker
• Onscreen task timer
• Build quizzes

In-house helpers

Never underestimate the power of your school or college’s librarian. She can look up information for you; compile book boxes based on any given topic; show students how best to select and reference information… She’s there to help, so make use of this excellent in-the-flesh resource!

Organise yourself

There’s reports due in two weeks, data to input tonight, a meeting to prepare for tomorrow and a lesson observation on Thursday. Why aren’t you already using one of these nifty organisers to keep you on the straight and narrow? A teacher’s planner book is so 2014.

• todoist
• wunderlist

All about careers advice

Obviously, we’ve got articles to steer you right when it comes to dispensing careers advice to students, but you can also help your youngsters to help themselves, by searching online for placements and career-specific advice.

Whole-school literacy issues

Whether you’ve got a whole-school literacy responsibility, your department has recently adopted a new literacy policy, or you simply want to know your Ps and Qs when it comes to checking over personal statements, then there’s a site for that.

• Geoff Barton
• National Literacy Trust

Pastoral care

After ‘fast tea-brewing’, ’Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ is day one of teacher training, and with good reason. Without proper care, children cannot learn. Care comes first, and it’s your job to appropriately support young people with whatever behavioural, emotional and social challenges they may be facing.

• Restorative justice
• Do Parents Know They Matter? — Alma Harris
• A Pastoral Leader’s Handbook — Marilyn Nathan
• How to Help Children and Young People with Complex Behavioural Difficulties — Ted Cole and Barbara Knowles

SEN

Everybody has the right to education, so don’t let special educational needs be a barrier to your enthusiastic and ambitious students. Here’s a range of organisations who offer help to make academia accessible to people across the SEN spectrum.

• IPSEA
• MENCAP
• NASEN

Study skills

Biased, schmiased! Start off with our articles to get your students knuckling down and learning efficiently. Then, if you want to take things to a whole other level, get your hands on some of these books for further advice.

• Help Your Kids With Study Skills — Carol Vorderman
• The Study Skills Handbook — Stella Cottrell
• Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide To Success At University — Tom Burns and Sandra Sinfield
• The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World In Flux — Cathy N. Davidson

Your subject

You and your department should have a well-stocked cupboard and a wealth of tips for specific websites and textbooks, but when in doubt, CGP always make fun and comprehensive revision guides.

Teaching unions

Not everyone wants to join a union, but they can be a really reassuring presence during any times of turbulence in your teaching career. Not to mention, the free pens and journals are always handy.

• NUT
• ATL
• NASUWT

Student finance

If you’re not sure where to start with student finance, have a gander at our timeline to see how the whole application process works. Here’s where students should be looking and applying:

• England
• Ireland
• Wales
• Scotland

Oxbridge applications

The creme-de-la-creme of British educational institutions, students applying to Oxford or Cambridge often need to adopt a different approach and different expectations. It’s a whole other ball game, really. Get clued up and make the whole thing less intimidating.

• Cambridge University
• Oxford University
• Oxbridge Entrance: The Real Rules — Elfi Pallis
• The Ultimate Oxbridge Interview Guide — Rohan Agarwal
• How to Get Into Oxbridge: A Comprehensive Guide to Succeeding in Your Application Process — Christopher See

Your career

Careers advice isn’t just for the young ‘uns, you know. You might be less sprightly than them, but you have just as much promise on the horizon. Look out for number one and nurture your career with as much attention as you bestow upon other people’s hopes and dreams. Did you know that the Open University, for example, has a huge variety of courses to study for free, from the comfort of your own home? Whether it’s pedagogical in nature (such as ‘Exploring Children’s Learning’ or ‘Taking First Steps into Higher Education’) or if you’re looking to enrich your subject knowledge (‘Biofuels’, ‘Forensic Psychology’ and ‘French Revolution’, amongst others), it’s worth checking out.

• Free OU courses
• CPD course search
• Job search