Access to Science

It was 20 years ago that I sat my A-Levels (biology, chemistry, geography and general studies) and 22 years ago that I did my GCSE’s. So the prospect of teaching these subjects was rather daunting. I was particularly worried about the requirement to teach chemistry and physics at key stage 3, which is often a […]
Catchphrase – A Game for Topic Revision
For my interview to got onto the SCITT I had to prepare 10 minutes of teaching, revising the topic of ‘Semi-Conservative DNA replication’ to a class of year 12 students. For tips to help with your teaching practice please click here I decided to create a game of catchphrase. I am lucky in that I […]
The Inspiration to Teach
In 2000, I moved to Stirling to commence a Ph.D in Aquatic Veterinary Science at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling. The focus of my research was investigating the effect of season on rainbow trout. I loved working in the lab, making new discoveries and sharing the results of my work at international conferences. […]
Now is the time

I have thought about being a teacher before. In fact, a few years ago I got a place on a primary school teaching course at Dundee university. At the time I lived in Stirling so figured that it would be entirely feasible to commute for 1.5 h there and back every day. However, the day […]
Primary Ambitions
I made my first career choice at a very young age. I have a very clear memory of being home from primary school. I don’t recall exactly why, but it was due to some childhood lurgy. To keep me occupied I was watching (if my memory serves me correctly) BBC2’s ‘The Natural World’. The episode […]
So it begins…
I have recently accepted a place on a SCITT course to become a secondary biology with science teacher. I have only been on this particular journey for a few months, but I have already learned a great deal. However, there have been a few experiences that I wish I had been forewarned about e.g. having […]