Usman Mukhtar A.

As you will see from my attached CV, I hold a degree in Biological Sciences. Thirteen years ago, on the day of my graduation, I was offered a position at my current school. I took up the opportunity to become a Science teacher for lower secondary students in a school following the British national curriculum. I then progressed to teaching IGCSE and A levels in the same school. These last thirteen years have certainly been a journey where I have learned a lot and developed a real passion for teaching. In my first two years of teaching, I was learning the ropes and conducting classes in the same way I had been taught during my own education. I tended to be very authoritarian in my approach to discipline and stuck to the textbook and past exam papers to follow the curriculum, using only questions and answers to assess progress. At that time, I understood the importance of clarity in concepts, so I would use animations and flow charts to describe events or processes.

My frequently used technique is engineering questions to lead them towards lesson objectives. Students are very responsive to questions. I often start with a carefully planned question and then use their answers for discussion, leading them forward to the next objective. I make sure that everyone participates by using the popsicle technique. To encourage students, I ask them to respond by starting their sentence with "I am going to take a risk," followed by their response. Assessment for learning is a key classroom practice. It's intuitive for any teacher to assess students' progress. In my early teaching career, I did not use AFL more effectively than I am using it now. Regular consistent repetition displaying concepts as an advert to create a life long memory which students can not forget An unlimited bank of exam questions to improve problem solving skills and help students achieve their desired goals DIY experiments (in house) for an interactive hands on experience.