Spotlight On
Matt McLain
Head of Secondary Programmes, School of Education Education
1989 to 1992 - BA (Hons) Architectural Studies - Liverpool Polytechnic 1997 to 1998 - Postgraduate Certificate in Education – Secondary Design and Technology (11-18) - Edge Hill University 2001 to 2005 - Masters in Managing School Design and Technology - Sheffield Hallam University 2010 to 2011 - Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education – distinction - Liverpool John Moores University What route I graduated in the middle of the building recessions in the 1990s, and decided to take a gap did you year after my degree with a youth organisation. Following that I worked in a rehabilitation take to centre in South Wales for two years, where I was given the responsibility for coordinating become a the education programme. I returned to Liverpool to get married in 1995, where I worked teacher with unemployed adults and disaffected young people before making the decision to train educator? as a teacher of design and technology. As a teacher I became a subject leader after 4 years, during which time I started my Masters with Sheffield Hallam. I went on to become one of the first Lead Practitioners for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and an Advance Skills Teacher, before moving to LJMU as a teacher educator after 11 years in schools. Before becoming Head of Secondary Programmes in 2014, I led the PGCE Design and Technology programme for 5 years What’s the secret to your success?
Hard work! I was never the most academic student at school, or on my degree, but I have adopted a growth mindset and am currently working towards submitting for a PhD by Publication within the next 12 months. My architecture background helps me to apply systems and design thinking to programme development and leadership. In recent years, I have developed my resilience through outside interests including running and hillwalking, mindfulness, tai chi and qigong.
What advice would you give out to somebody starting in education?
To be an effective teacher, you need more that good subject knowledge; the ability to articulate knowledge and empathy with learners are essential. Loving your subject is important alongside a love of learning and promoting learning with young people. I wish that I had learnt to look after my health (physical and mental) earlier in my career, and would encourage beginning teachers to see developing personal and outside interests as being essential to being an effective professional and having a sustainable career. Avoid blame, either of yourself or others, look for other points of view and solutions to problems.
What makes LJMU different?
We are interested in individuals, and whilst we want the LJMU Teacher to be inquisitive, creative and reflective, each does it in different ways. We value self-reflection as a professional practice and want our trainees to see themselves as leaders in education with a social conscience and a wider perspective.
Tell us about LJMU’s plans for the next 12 months:
We are currently reviewing our secondary ITE programmes and are looking forward to launching the new PGCE and PGDE in September 2018. The new programmes will promote the skills and dispositions of the LJMU Teacher, and are being developed with input from trainees, staff and teachers in the LJMU Partnership. We are also expecting Ofsted this year and data on trainees’ outcomes over the past three years is promising, with progress in outcomes for mathematics trainees and challenges to continue to improve in science. Page 4
