How to network for success, the IOE way

East London teacher James Coleman says that without the connections he made at the IOE, he might not have made it through.

Overwhelming and intense: that’s how primary school teacher James Coleman describes the experience of his first two placements in East London. “I grew up in Bournemouth and had just moved to London, so it was a real culture shock. For the first 18 months I was like a rabbit in the headlights, there were so many elements to absorb. I felt as if I was constantly spinning plates, with no time to spare.”

Soon, however, James realised it was time to challenge himself again. “I went on a couple of professional development courses, through which I met other primary school teachers working in my area. We called our exchanges ‘magpieing’ – stealing each other’s best ideas.”

And he says the support he received from the IOE, particularly in establishing that network of colleagues, was invaluable. “I was enormously well-supported by the IOE, who from the outset set the highest standards and encouraged discussion. I was surrounded by high quality practitioners I could learn from. But there were also 30 other passionate young teachers from my course at the IOE, and we were encouraged to network.”

James is certain that without those early connections he might not have made it through the course. “I remember feeling overwhelmed at times, but the support of like-minded people going through the same training was crucial. We would meet informally every Friday to discuss our week. It was education, education, education – we never talked about anything else!”

In his current role as Head of Operations and Training at the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), one of James’ priorities is to connect trainee teachers both to each other and to subject experts. “I am passionate that networking should be embedded in teaching practice. But when time is such a precious resource, it is understandable that young teachers might see it as a luxury.”

James is also responsible for establishing mentoring programmes, which he sees as complementary to networking. “Mentoring is a formal process, with clear expectations, weekly reports and regular monitoring. Networking by contrast is far more informal and organic by nature. It is important to remember that networks are not given to you, you have to join them in the first place.”

James credits his early training at the IOE with giving him that impetus. “The collegiate atmosphere at IOE stayed with me and gave me the bedrock on which to build my networks. My personality is naturally suited to teaching and, without that encouragement to reach out to others, I might have been tempted to rest on my laurels.

“But my learning through the IOE prioritised the opportunity to discuss best practice, and I was set the highest standards early on in my career. There were expectations, not just for myself but for the children I teach and the adults I work alongside. I had not experienced that level of excellence before, and it was invaluable to me to be able to discuss the challenges with others at similar stages in their careers.”

Eight years after James enrolled at the IOE, his first WhatsApp group of young teachers is still going. “We’re friends; we go away together for weekends, but we still always find ourselves talking about teaching! The habit of comparing best practice with my peers started at the IOE and now I see it as necessity, not a luxury. In fact, having had it as such a core part of my initial learning experience, it would seem frankly odd not to. Networking is a part of the job which I encourage all teachers, at whatever stage of their career, to adopt. The opportunities are there, but you have to be ready to take them.”