Category Archives: Uncategorized

By PGCE History Subject Leader Tom Donnai and some of the 2020/21 PGCE History trainees I asked some of this year’s trainees to write me a paragraph answering two questions: What have you learned this year and what will you take into the classroom next year as ECTs [Early Career Teachers]. Here’s what they cameContinue reading “PGCE History 2020/21:End of Year reflections”

By Megan Kemp (UoM PGCE History trainee), Tom Donnai (PGCE History Tutor) and Ben Scott (Professional Mentor, Wellington School) Megan Kemp, PGCE History trainee Although our experiences at both of our placement schools had been massively rewarding, there was one area where our skills were yet to be developed: the challenge of teaching A-Level HistoryContinue reading “Reflections on Sixth Form Experience: Trainee, Mentor and Tutor perspectives”

ITE providers of History and practitioner communities alike have increasingly considered the intellectual and practical means to address legitimate demands for greater inclusion and diversity within the school History curricula. This blog entry serves to highlight tutor, trainee and expert academic perspectives about the current state of LGBT History in schools, the attendant challenges andContinue reading “Celebrating LGBT+ History Month 2021: Triangulating Tutor, Trainee and Academic perspectives”

PGCE Historians Marie Bennett and Ethan Dent report on a recent session with Andrew Payne from the National Archives I think I always understood the immense value of archives for historians and record keeping, but had never much considered the use of them in the classroom. We are told as History teachers to integrate sourcesContinue reading “Exploring practical pedagogy and innovative source work with the National Archives”

UoM PGCE Historian Peter Brade reflects on recent collaboration with the British Library Schools team and considers the value of the spoken word as a powerful form of evidence As Nelson Mandela once stated “education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”; this was evident in a session conducted byContinue reading “Exploring Windrush Stories with the British Library”

PGCE Historian James Clarke reflects on a challenging – but rewarding placement 1 – and looks back on a unique and varied placement so far After spending the previous two weeks ill with Covid-19, it was a welcome sight to be back at Bury Church of England High School to pick up where the placementContinue reading “Trainee Perspectives part 2: experiences on teaching placement 1”

PGCE Historian Hannah Ruddock reflects on a unique and vibrant start to her teaching career I started my teacher training adventure in early September at Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College in Altrincham and being a part of such an amazing History department has provided me with such a positive perspective on my new teaching career!Continue reading “Trainee perspectives from teaching placement 1”

Last week ended with a new input that generated some really good discussion and follow- up work, as PGCE Historians grappled with the topical and timely issue of fake news and media literacy. So much of the recent political discourse dominating the headlines has centred around the validity of political rhetoric and the role ofContinue reading “PGCE Historians work with the Guardian Foundation on fake news and media literacy”

Peter Brade, PGCE Historian at UoM, reports on the recent work with Dr Jeff Evans on LGBT+ History and inclusive curriculum building “An inclusive reading of the past must greatly assist the creation of a more reliable interpretations of our past and thereby history” was the goal essayed by Dr Jeff Evans (Research Fellow LiverpoolContinue reading “Disruptive History: The purpose and practice of LGBT+ History : a trainee’s eye view”

On October 6th, PGCE Historians took part in a collaboration with the Maya Sharma, Collections Access Officer at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, which is based in Manchester’s Central Library. Adam Cooke, Widening Participation Coordinator for The University of Manchester Libraries, also joined us to take part in a session that centredContinue reading “PGCE Historians work on decolonising the curriculum through the use of digital archives”