Author: Benedict Conway-Jones

Part 3 (at the CAT)

My time being based at the Collegiate Academy Trust is now over. The resources I have created will hopefully assist lessons and revising students for years to come!

The resources I have created cover some of the trickier areas of geography, such as rivers, exam questions and volcanism, topics that even the most talented geographer can find testing at times! Working with these areas created an extra challenge, not only to create the resources in the first place, but make them as interesting and enjoyable as possible.

As you can see I’m only on part 3, so, what’s to come in the final chapter?

Part 2 (at the CAT)

Spending time on the other side of a school is something I cannot recommend enough. As strange as it may sound, I have begun to appreciate that teachers and staff are human – sounds like an obvious statement but up until the age of 9 I assumed they lived in their classrooms! Not only are they human, but some of the most hard working and dedicated people.

I digress. The resources I have produced are now seeping into lessons. My regenerated school rock collection, along with factsheets, has been used in several science lessons with great feedback – supporting students (and staff) who lack complete understanding and appreciation of rocks.

Week 1&2 at the Collegiate Academy Trust

I came into the CAT (Collegiate Academy Trust) wanting to inspire young minds and show them that there is a world behind the geography and geology they study, and I have left everyday with the same urge. My time at the CAT, based at their flagship school, is to be spent creating resources and developing connections with the geological community; as well as getting a feel for teaching on a day to day basis.

I spent my first few days being introduced to the latest resource creating software and settling into life in a school. Once I got over the novelty of seeing a school (and teachers) from the other side, its a place I felt right at home.