list in alphabetical order. This will include the full details of all the books you have quoted from. Some referencing systems use punctuation, others do not; just make sure you are consistent.
Example of the above book in a reference list
Gravells, A. (2017) Principles and Practices of Teaching and Training. London: Learning Matters SAGE.
When inserting text, make sure you understand what it actually means and how it will fit within your writing. It could be that you agree with what the author has said and it supports what you are saying, or it could be that you totally disagree with it. If so, explain why you agree or disagree, and if it’s the latter, state what you might do differently. It’s best to write what you think, or what your point of view is, and relate it to your specialist subject when you can.
If the text you use is longer than three lines, indent the paragraph from both margins. Always copy the words and punctuation as it is in the original, even if there are mistakes. You can add [sic] after the error to denote that you are aware of it. Long quotes are always in single line spacing, quotes of three lines or less can be in the line spacing of the main text, for example, if you have used double line spacing.
If a quote is not used within your writing, but the author is still referred to, it will look like this in your text:
Gravells (2017) advocates the agreement of ground rules with learners.
Again, the full book details will go in the reference list.
It’s best to use a range of sources to develop your knowledge and understanding. Reading more than one book will help you to gain the perspectives of different authors. You don’t have to read the book in full, you can just locate relevant topics by using the index at the back. If you have a look at the index at the back of this book, you will see all the topics are listed alphabetically, making it easy for you to locate the relevant page numbers. The organisation you are taking the qualification with should be able to give you advice regarding academic writing, citing text and referencing your work. They should also provide you with a reading list of relevant textbooks. If not, a reading list is available at www.anngravells.com/reading-lists/teaching.
Referencing a website
The text would be inserted within your writing in a similar way to a book, with the organisation and year it was added in brackets at the end. The month and year is often stated with news updates.
Example
“The Education and Training Foundation today warmly welcomed the Sainsbury review and the Post-16 Skills Plan published today [sic]. ETF Chief Executive David Russell said: ‘There is a great deal to like about the review. It is realistic in its assessment of the challenges facing our country. It is serious about setting a reform timescale that can be delivered. And it is unambiguous that our FE and Training system is the solution, not the problem.’” (ETF, 2016)
It would look like this in your reference list, along with the date it was accessed:
Sainsbury Review and Post 16 Skills Plan
www.et-foundation.co.uk/news/sainsbury-review-post-16-skills-plan (accessed April 2017)
The date you accessed it is important as web pages often change or are removed. You might like to take a look at the above web link to read the full article, and to see how the date it was published is available at the beginning of it.
Referencing an online report
The text would be inserted within your writing in the same way as a book.
Example
“Teacher educators have traditionally struggled with convincing learners to work on their portfolios, competing against more traditional assessment demands and the habit of putting the portfolio together at the last minute” (Hopper and Sanford, 2010, page 4).
It would look like this in your reference list, along with the date it was accessed:
Hopper, T. and Sanford, K. (2010) Starting a program-wide ePortfolio practice in teacher education: Resistance, support and renewal. Teacher Education Quarterly, Special Online Edition.
www.teqjournal.org/onlineissue/PDFFlash/HopperSanfordManuscript/fscommand/Hopper_Sanford.pdf (accessed May 2017)
There are many other ways of sourcing and referencing information. You might like to obtain further information from your teacher, or from relevant textbooks or websites.
Extension activity
Practise writing some text regarding an educational topic which interests you at the moment. For example, ground rules, or the different ways in which learning takes place. Relate your writing to relevant text from a book (just look up a topic in the index at the back) and use an acceptable form of academic writing and referencing. You could also research how to reference other aspects such as a journal article, a government publication or a video.
Obtaining a teaching position and progressing further
If you haven’t obtained a teaching position yet, this section will give you some advice regarding how to do so. It will also help you consider how you can progress further with your teaching career. Learning shouldn’t stop just because you have read this book, or you have become qualified, or have gained a teaching or training role. Things change quickly: for example, there might be some new equipment you could use to deliver your subject, or new aspects of technology which you could use with your learners.
Obtaining a teaching position
It can be overwhelming making a career move into teaching, particularly if you have been working in industry for a long while. You might feel you lack confidence at the moment, but self-confidence will come with experience. You can’t really think of teaching as a 9–5 job as you will need to spend a lot of your own time preparing your sessions, creating resources and marking learners’ work. However, once you have made the decision, you can research jobs which are available for the amount of time you are able to commit. For example, you might like to give up your current career and teach full time, or you might like to teach evening classes while continuing working, or train others in your place of work. You also need to consider what age group you would like to teach, what subject you would like to teach, and where you would like to teach. For example, 16–19 year olds in a college, adult learners attending an evening class in a community centre, offenders in a prison, or new staff at your current place of work (covered in Chapter 2).
Activity
If you are not already teaching, consider the subject you would like to teach and why. Is this because you currently work in a similar subject area or because it’s a hobby or an interest? Think about the age range of the learners you would like to teach, where you would like to teach and for what time periods.
The time you have available for a teaching role and
