October 9: An early career teacher survival guide

Taking place just a few weeks into the autumn term 2024, this SecEd Webinar will offer practical advice and encouragement to help and support early career teachers, including wellbeing strategies, teaching tips, behaviour insights, and much more
October 9: An early career teacher survival guide
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Taking place just a few weeks into the autumn term 2024, this SecEd Webinar will offer practical advice and encouragement to help and support early career teachers, including wellbeing strategies, teaching tips, behaviour insights, and much more

The hour-long webinar will take place from 4pm to 5pm on Wednesday, October 9, and will feature useful tips and advice from experienced teaching professionals to help early career teachers (ECTs) thrive and survive at the chalkface.

The webinar complements SecEd’s annual ECT supplement, which published in June 2024 and similarly offers a range of practical guidance for new teachers. The webinar will feature a number of the experts who contributed to this supplement. You can download this 16-page supplement for free via: www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/downloads/supplement-a-survival-guide-for-early-career-teachers

In the webinar, we will discuss key topics for ECTs including handling workload, creating a workable work/life balance, avoiding burn-out, tackling ECTs’ common classroom “mistakes”, wider teaching tips, and advice for managing behaviour.

Ultimately, we will discuss ideas that can ensure ECTs begin creating healthy working habits now that will last you an entire career.

This webinar is being produced in partnership with our friends at the National Education Union.

Who is this webinar for?

This webinar is designed for early career teachers (ECTs), especially those in the first or second year of their teaching careers. The webinar will also be of great use to trainee teachers and those involved in the mentoring and induction of ECTs.

Meet our experts

The webinar will be hosted by Pete Henshaw, the editor of SecEd, who has been a specialist education journalist and writer for more than 20 years.

Our expert panel have all contributed to this year’s SecEd ECT supplement in June 2024 (see above). They include:

  • Sean Harris is a doctoral researcher with Teesside University investigating poverty and educational inequality in schools. He is also a trust improvement leader at Tees Valley Education, an all-through multi-academy trust serving communities in the North East of England. Sean has extensive experience working with new teachers, including as an ECT mentor. 

  • Shanti Chahal has worked in teaching at both secondary and primary level, including as an English subject lead and a curriculum-developer. She currently works for e-Qualitas Teacher Training as a English subject lead and lead mentor for wellbeing.

  • The webinar panel will include an expert from our friends at Education Support UK, a UK charity dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of the education workforce. The charity's experts have contributed to SecEd for the last 20 years, including to our annual ECT supplement.

  • Matt Bromley is an education journalist, author, and advisor with 25 years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher. He remains a practising teacher. Matt is the author of numerous books on education and co-host of the award-winning SecEd Podcast.

  • Jessica Hannan is a programme manager for the Staff Wellbeing Service at Education Support UK, a UK charity dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of the education workforce. Jessica has more than 15 years experience in education. She has helped schools develop strategies to improve the wellbeing of their staff and has developed a programme of wellbeing service to schools in Wales.

  • Suzanne Beckley trained and worked as an English teacher in London in the early to mid-2000s, before taking up a position within the then ATL union as a pay, conditions and pensions officer. Suzanne is now the senior policy manager for the National Education Union and in this role has led on areas including family-friendly policy, initial teacher training and career development, and inspection reform.

The discussion

During the one-hour discussion, we will address the following themes and broad questions:

  • What are the biggest workload challenges for ECTs and how can you handle the workload that comes with life at the chalkface?

  • How can we get a handle on workload associated with marking and feedback?

  • What steps can ECTs take to create a workable work/life balance from day one?

  • It is well-known that 1 in 3 teaches will quit the chalkface after just five years, with workload and burn-out being key factors – what are the vital healthy working habits that ECTs must develop now in order to protect themselves from future burn-out?

  • What are the common classroom “mistakes” that ECTs make – and how can we avoid them or address them?

  • What are the common challenges for ECTs when it comes to managing behaviour – and what advice can we offer?

  • We will ask each of our experts for their “top tips” for ECTs to help make the first years of teaching successful, enjoyable and rewarding.

  • Question & answer from the audience: We will leave time for questions at the end of the webinar

The SecEd Webinar: An early career teacher survival guide. Wednesday, October 9 (4pm to 5pm) CLICK HERE to reserve your free place.

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