Jane Whorwood’s concern to encourage students to think for themselves is leading to some very ahistorical thinking. Jane Whorwood has proved to be a generally confident and positive trainee, largely due to two years’ experience as a cover supervisor before committing to a formal training programme. She has made a...

This issue's problem: Susie Cook is struggling to sustain an emphasis on developing historical knowledge and understanding in teaching about genocide. Susie Cook worked for nearly ten years as a web designer before deciding to move into teaching. Once she had secured her place on the programme she spent several months...

This issue's problem: Emma Norman finds the analogies that she's using to make historical ideas meaningful end up distracting or confusing the students. Emma has come into history teaching after a number of years at home looking after children. Her previous work was as a fundraiser for an environmental campaign group,...

This Issue's Problem: Cathy Mompesson is uncertain where to draw the boundaries when teaching sensitive issues. A recent Year 9 visit to the Imperial War Museum has left Cathy Mompesson confused about the relationship between moral and historical objectives in her teaching. Her placement school visits the museum every year,...

This Issue's Problem: Ajmal Khan has recently started his second school placement. Although he is very pleased to be working now in an ethnically diverse urban school (after a first placement in a largely white suburban setting), he is feeling somewhat overawed at the prospect of teaching Year 9 about...

This Issue's Problem: Tom Payne is confused and concerned about the role he’s expected to play in contributing to the cross-curricular teaching of Citizenship.