Dear Log Moocs,
Think back to your first day in a classroom.
Not the timetable or the lesson plan but the feeling. The mixture of excitement, responsibility, and the realisation that what you say and do could shape how someone else sees themselves as a learner.
In the Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Being a Teacher course, this question sits at the heart of the opening modules: What does it really mean to be a teacher? Not just someone who delivers content, but someone who influences, guides, and supports learning in ways that can last a lifetime.
The course invites you to explore teaching as both a professional role and a deeply human one. It looks at how teachers develop their identity, how beliefs about learners shape classroom practice, and how your own experiences – as a student and as an adult – influence the way you teach today.
One powerful idea from the course is that effective teaching begins with intentionality: being clear about the values and purposes that guide your decisions in the classroom. When you understand why you teach the way you do, you are better equipped to respond thoughtfully to challenges, adapt your practice, and continue growing as a professional.
Try this reflection this week
Take five quiet minutes and complete this sentence in writing:
“I believe my role as a teacher is to…”
Then ask yourself:
Where did this belief come from?
How does it show up in my daily practice?
How might it influence the way I support different learners?
This kind of reflection is exactly what the course encourages and it’s a small step that can have a big impact on how you see your work.
Continue your learning
If you’ve already enrolled in Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Being a Teacher, now is a great moment to return and continue with the next video or activity. Reconnecting with the purpose and identity of teaching can be a powerful motivator to keep going and complete the course.
Already completed this course? You can continue your professional learning by exploring another course in the Foundations of Teaching for Learning series, each focusing on a different aspect of effective classroom practice and professional growth.
Your learners benefit most when you invest in your own learning too.
Warm regards, The Commonwealth Education Trust
