'A 'must read' not only for trainees but for all those concerned about the development of teaching as a profession' - Journal of Inservice Education. 'The contributors to this volume - all experienced and highly regarded educators in their own right - have produced a wide-ranging, up-to-date and research-based introduction to the whole gamut of professional topics and issues with which beginning teachers need to be familiar if they are to develop into accomplished practitioners. This is a 'must read' for all who are serious about learning to teach in secondary schools and aspire to become informed professionals equipped to make a difference through enhancing the life chances of young people' - Professor Michael S. Totterdell, Director, Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University.'An excellent introduction to all of the core professional issues that trainee teachers need to address during their training...a first port of call for all student teachers keen to understand the challenges involved in becoming a professional teacher in today's schools' - Professor John Furlong, Director, Department of Educational Studies, Oxford University. Preparing to Teach in Secondary Schools is key reading for all trainee secondary school teachers. It covers the range of core professional skills that student teachers need to acquire irrespective of their subject specialism or their training route. It also considers recent developments in teaching, exploring the opportunities and challenges they present for those about to enter the profession. Topics covered include: relationships with paraprofessionals and other adults in the classroom; new opportunities created by technological advances; new thinking on teachers' professionalism and teacher leadership; data-rich approaches to managing school and pupil performance; and, assessment for learning Government reforms and initiatives.Preparing to Teach in Secondary Schools is also suitable for use by newly qualified teachers to support their early professional development. The book encourages readers to engage with ideas presented in the book, and offers students: an interactive approach - chapters start with a set of objectives and contain a mix of tasks and activities, case studies and scenarios to which readers are invited to respond; practical examples and illustrations make abstract or unfamiliar ideas easier to grasp; and, self-contained tasks - most tasks can be completed there and then. For instance, if a task requires readers to analyse pupil performance data, a suitable example is provided. Contributors include: Ian Abbott, Chris Bills, Liz Bills, Val Brooks, Jo Crozier, Paul Elliott, Judith Everington, Mick Hammond, Alma Harris, Dimitra Hartas, Sandra Howard, Prue Huddleston, Chris Husbands, Alison Kitson, Peter Lang, Daniel Muijs, Susan Orlik, Kate Shilvock, and Emma Westcott.