Supporting teachers
Published: 19 January 2021
Do you have an inspiring physics education project that you would like to share with more people? Or perhaps you would like to support other teachers by sharing your physics teaching expertise and ideas?
Applications are now open to the Ogden Senior Teacher Fellowship programme for 2023/24 (for teachers already/previously involved with an Ogden Trust programme, teaching in a state funded school in England).
The fellowships offer funding to schools for a physics teacher’s timetable release and supports project costs so teachers can deliver initiatives that bring the wonder of physics to a wider audience or supports other teachers to develop their teaching practice.
“I am always looking for new challenges within teaching and being an Ogden Senior Teacher Fellowship has been the most enjoyable project I have done.”
Tom Norman, Senior Teacher Fellow 2019/20
Physics teacher, Brixham College
Read more about Tom’s project HERE
“Senior Teacher Fellowship are awarded to teachers who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to physics education and wish to develop their skills while remaining in the classroom,” explains Programme Officer Ruhena Uddin. “The programme is open to teachers who have worked with the Trust before and is designed to help give teachers the capacity to deliver a physics project that is outside of their teaching commitments,” explains Ruhena. “Enabling teachers to pursue and progress their ideas can develop pedagogy and support extra-curricular activity, whilst also sharing their expertise beyond their school.”
“The projects should address the aims of the Trust and reach some of the Trust’s priority audiences,” continues Ruhena. “They should help inspire or enable young people to take physics further, or support physics teachers to develop their teaching.”
“We would like the student enrichment projects to be sustainable once the fellowship has ended,” says Ruhena. “And we would like to be able to share the project idea, know-how and resources so that other teachers can consider implementing the initiative in their school or local area.”
Clare Loizos, primary science specialist at Broadlea School in the Isle of Wight, is one of the Ogden Senior Teacher Fellows taking part in a research and development collaboration between University College London and King’s College London – Primary science capital: a whole school teaching approach.
“Since becoming a Senior Teacher Fellow in September 2019, I have been learning about Science Capital in our primary classrooms and given the opportunity to work with other STFs to share ideas and put this into practice in our classrooms. It has been fantastic to get dedicated time to do this; so far we have met up twice in London, to share ideas and pedagogy, as well as really getting the time to evaluate our own practice.
The thing that has really resonated with me is the reminder of why are we doing what we are doing – are we doing it for the books, ourselves, our school, to tick boxes? Or are we really doing our jobs to change society and the understanding, engagement and aspiration of every individually child we teach? It has reminded me that I don’t always consider the uniqueness of the individuals I teach, and has provided me with the inspiration to try to ‘tweak’ every lesson slightly to ensure I am focusing on the children ALWAYS.
It sounds simple – and it is! It has hugely changed my mindset already and I am seeing the impact in the classroom. I love being able to discuss this with other STFs, where we can laugh at failed efforts and try to work together to find ideas and solutions that will work for all primary aged scientists!”
Claire Loizos
