Welcome to the WJETT blog
What is WJETT?
The WJETT blog or Warwick Journal of Education - Transforming Teaching blog is designed to encourage staff and students to disseminate good practice and to engage with their peers on academic cultural critique or areas of research that they find interesting. With the increased focus on ‘teachers as researchers’ in the sector, many qualified teachers are expected to publish the outcomes of any action research projects they undertake. The WJETT blog can be the first step on your journey towards publishing and enables you to experience publishing and reviewing in a friendly and supportive environment.
You will need to scroll down the page below the tags to see the posts.
Presenting at WomenEd Conference 2018
When asked by Deb Outhwaite to present at the WomenEd Conference 2018 I immediately said yes. I am a yes person. It has opened up many opportunities for me during my career, but it has also led me into some sticky situations. I said yes, then I asked what I needed to do. Deb asked me to present on my Doctoral Research; how hard could that be? Then some time later I realised how much work I had to develop, and almost changed my mind. I realised I needed to go back to what I knew.
As a Drama and Performing Arts specialist who has worked in educational contexts my whole career, I knew this was my starting point. Working with the PGCE trainees at Warwick has made me recognise how much work some people need to put into their sense of presence in the classroom. As a former performer, and an acting tutor and director, it is often difficult for me to see this. It comes as second nature to me. If I find that I lack confidence, I have the skills to make it look like I have no cares in the world. It is part of my training, and now, something I rarely think about. So how do I help others to develop those skills and to consider how they present themselves in the workplace? This was where I needed to start.
I then saw the list of presenters for the WomenEd Conference and immediately became nervous. Incredible women professors and doctors speaking about their research, education, and leadership experiences. I wanted to change my mind. I was not ready to present in a line-up such as this. Then Deb said the theme was ‘10% braver’ so I reminded myself of that. As an early career researcher I knew that I would have to take the plunge at some point. So why not now, in a place full of supportive and like-minded women!
The day was unlike many other conferences I have attended. The atmosphere was not competitive at all. The speakers shared their personal narratives which lead them to where they are today, demonstrating a resilience that is incredible to hear. My journey is not the same, but I come from a working class background where no-one went to university or achieved. A place where people struggled to afford food or clothes. My narrative is different, but still challenging. I believe it has made me a yes Person. When you grow up with no opportunities offered to you, you grab them desperately as an adult.
The end of the day concluded with me being encouraged to sit on the panel! I almost said no. But, of course I said yes! I had no idea what I had let myself in for, and did not have time for my confidence to fail me. ‘10% braver’ I told myself. I was.
Writing guidance
Can I write about anything in my blog post?
Yes pretty much. Academic cultural critique (Thomson and Mewburn, 2013) is always a good source of content for academic blogs. This can include (but is not limited to) comments and reflections on funding; higher education policy or academic life. You might also want to consider blogging about:
- Academic practice (Saper, 2006)
- Information and/or self-help advice
- Technical, teaching and careers advice
- Your research or practice
- How you’ve undertaken research
- The impact of research on your practice
- An area of research/practice that interests you
- Your teaching experiences/reflections
How long can my blog post be?
Each individual blog post should be no longer than 500 words. Long blocks of text are sometimes hard for readers to digest. Break up your content into shorter paragraphs, bullet points and lists whenever possible. Also include a list of keywords or tags as this makes it easier for Google to find your work.
Do I need to use citations?
No, this is a reflective piece so it does not need to include citations (but you obviously can include them if they are relevant).
Can I include links or images?
We would encourage you to include links to any articles that you have considered whilst writing your blog post. We also welcome the use of images (as long as you have permission to use them) as they can often help to illustrate a point and obviously will not be included in the word limit. Please remember this is a public site so if you want to include images of your students in your classes then you will need permission to do this.
What is the process for submitting a piece of work?
Your blog post should be emailed to A.Ball.1@warwick.ac.uk. Once the submission has been reviewed it will either be uploaded at the beginning of the next available week or sent back to you for editing if it requires amendments. You should then send the amended work to me once again and I will then upload it.