What does it really take for beginning teachers to be classroom-ready? Rachele Newman shares findings from her research revealing a gap between how mentors and trainee teachers on an ITE programme understand classroom readiness. While mentors focus on technical proficiency and compliance with school systems, trainees look for professional autonomy and the confidence to make their own decisions. We explore why this matters for teacher retention, the tensions between centralised curricula and teacher agency, and what happens to professional creativity when teachers become deliverers rather than designers of learning. Plus: why retrieval practice might be getting lost in translation.

Rachele’s article in Chartered College Impact – What does it really mean to be classroom-ready? Professional agency, autonomy and confidence in beginner te ...