Daniel Childs
Staff profile
- Senior Lecturer in Education
- D.Childs@tees.ac.uk
Best thing about teaching at Teesside?
I get to see you developing your practice throughout the course and I see the positive impact you make in your communities.
How does your experience in education shape your teaching?
My initial teaching experience was in teaching English as a foreign language, where I developed innovative and creative approaches to teaching. Teaching in different socio-cultural contexts made me more empathetic and enhanced my ability to understand learners’ diverse experiences and perspectives.
How do your students benefit from your research?
One of my main interests is the development of teacher professional identity. My knowledge means I can provide more effective, focused and evidence-informed support as you navigate competing expectations and develop your professional persona. I’m also interested in technology-enhanced learning which encourages me to adopt new technologies to enhance learning and helps me to support the development of innovative approaches to teaching with emerging technologies.
What can students expect from one of your classes?
Every year, we welcome students whose subject specialisms, placement settings, class sizes and learner profiles are diverse. We create a positive learning environment to share experiences and ideas and gain insight into different educational contexts and apply them to your own practice. You should expect to be actively engaged and challenged and prepared to give and receive peer feedback.
Most memorable moment of your career?
There have been lots of powerful, memorable moments and the best ones are when a trainee’s hard work and our support have paid off. Conducting an observation and seeing a trainee put their training into practice. Seeing proud trainees with their friends and family on graduation day. Visiting a placement setting to see a familiar face of a graduate.
Best piece of advice for your students?
Be professional, proactive, curious and open-minded. Control what you can control and try to learn from every experience.
