This book is a powerful tool for beginning secondary teachers. It provides a practical guide to help trainee secondary school teachers and their mentors to maximise their learning during school placements. It uses a workplace learning approach to help beginning teachers to understand the importance of informal and collaborative learning and to be aware of the influence of their departmental, institutional, community and wider context.
The authors, all with successful experience in secondary schools, argue that trainees need to learn from the practical wisdom of experienced teachers but also need to apply and evaluate more abstract educational theory as they build their own practice and identity. In this book they provide practical support for beginning teachers to maximise their learning during school placements and to strengthen links to formal training and assessment.

The book is divided into 9 strands: managing professional learning; developing subject content knowledge; engaging pupils; managing behaviour; planning; assessment; inclusion; diversity; and using technology. Each strand is covered at three levels: beginning teaching, developing teaching and extending teaching. Together with a series of practical tasks and a self audit process this structure enables the trainee teacher to use the text to provide individualised challenge and support as they progress through their school placements.