Jan Monks
B.Ed, Dip. Education
Profile
I am the PGCE Secondary English tutor and am in my 10th year in charge of this programme. During this time I have been involved with a number of projects that have enabled me to appreciate the complex nature of the role and also to embrace the numerous changes that have taken place in the teaching of English in schools.
One project involved working with local ITE Secondary English tutors on ways to encourage trainees to be creative in the classroom. The subsequent article, ‘Celebrating creativity collaboratively: Inspiring PGCE English trainees to teach creative writing,’ was published in the Spring 2012 edition of, English in Education.
I have been the External examiner for the PGCE Secondary English courses at the University of the West of England and the University of Plymouth and Chief Examiner for the PGCE Secondary programme at the University of Southampton.
I have undertaken research projects for HOST policy research, including looking at effective use of TDA funded ITT websites: ‘A Review of Effective practice and practitioner impact’.
I have had extensive experience teaching in secondary schools in England and in New Zealand. Prior to joining the University I taught in a local secondary school where I became Head of English and Head of Sixth form.
My key areas of interest are the teaching of reading and writing, in particular how working collaboratively can benefit pupils of all ages.
