Amy Green

1. Tell us a little about your current job. What do you enjoy most?

I currently teach Spanish at a boys grammar school in Bexley. I started there in September after five years at my previous school as I was excited by the way they teach languages - we use flipped learning to introduce vocabulary, freeing up lesson time to really manipulate language. We also use maximum target language use and students learn how to truly interact in the language from day one which is very rewarding.

2. I see you have come some way from doing the MTeach. What would you say are the key things about the MTeach that have stayed with you?

The MTeach provided a theoretical underpinning to my early development as a classroom practitioner and gave me the confidence to try things in my classroom and put forward new ideas to my department and the leadership team. As a result of the MTeach I was offered a newly created role as Deputy Head of Sixth Form in my previous school - a role which I absolutely loved until I went on maternity leave and decided to take a step back for a few years.

3. What did your dissertation/ practice based enquiry (PBE) explore? What did you find out and how did it influence you?

I chose to consult the head teacher before writing my PBE and investigate something of relevance to the school so that my findings could have an impact. I looked at able underachievers in Maths and English in year 11 and what motivates them (or not) to succeed. My findings fed into a new reward policy for KS4 at the school and was used in CPD training for teachers.

4. How was the MTeach work different from School or other professional development courses (e.g. INSET)?

The main difference for me was having the time to really investigate something in detail. I enjoyed having access to relevant theories and research to support my studies. I also found it invaluable early in my career to discuss things with other new teachers from both primary and secondary settings and a range of subject areas to share ideas, experiences, make comparisons and reassure each other.

5. The MTeach is for teachers only. It often uses the sharing of participants classroom experiences/practice as a starting point. How did this work for you?

See above. For me, it was one of the best things about the face to face sessions - being able to share something with people working in different contexts who could bring a new perspective or share something that worked in their school.

6. What is your next career move?

We’ll see when my daughter is a bit older. I would love to get back to a role on the pastoral side of teaching.