At the start of the academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) introduced the new International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) and updated the requirements for the International Post Graduate Certificate for Education (iPGCE). Both are equivalent to the domestic qualifications following the same structure, content and approach, allowing teachers all over the world the opportunity to train to British teaching standards and access British curriculum schools, both in the UK and further afield. While the iQTS is new for 2023/24, the iPGCE has been available to teachers for a few years.
Namara Ruth Karatsi completed her iPGCE in 2018 while working at GEMS Cambridge International School in Kampala, Uganda, where we worked together. A Ugandan national, she is currently a music and performing arts teacher at Woodland Star International School in Nairobi, Kenya, for primary and middle years. Before moving to Kenya, she taught music and drama at Braeburn International School in Arusha, Tanzania.
I caught up with her to find out how the iPGCE had impacted her practice and career to date.
JI: What is your teaching philosophy?
NK: My music classroom is run on the concept of flow, where students immerse themselves in their work, either through practical or theory tasks, enhancing their engagement with the music. The students act as researchers and problem-solvers in small groups, assessing their work and that of their peers, taking ownership of their learning.
JI: What were your reasons for starting the iPGCE?
NK: I had a bachelor's degree in music from Makerere University in Kampala, and I wanted to develop my musical career away from performing, focussing more on teaching. I had been teaching at other international schools in the city, but at GEMS I had the opportunity to complete a teaching qualification to validate the career change.
JI: What key research impacted your learning, and how have you embedded this in the classroom?
NK: I remember learning about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow model, and how positive education and the state of flow had been explored in various studies (Seligman, 2009; Galloway, 2015). This concept was a gamechanger, as it reflected the work that my students had been doing but gave me a framework to enhance my classroom practice. The concept of flow in the music classroom became my main research topic for what I felt was the ‘ideal classroom’, and it helped me define my teaching philosophy. I am now aware of the practices, values and curricula which promote positive education and impact the state of flow in my classroom.
JI: In what areas did the iPGCE impact your professional practice?
NK: The iPGCE helped develop my practice in many areas, some of which I was already aware of and some that were new concepts. It made me more mindful of how creating a positive environment impacts behavioural management throughout a lesson. This includes sharing key expectations and agreed ways of working with the children before they are allowed freedom of the room. I improved my use of meaningful praise and how to challenge negative behaviours, particularly low-level disruption. I started to see the learning environment as a collaborative space, ensuring the students are engaged and taking ownership of their learning when completing tasks and activities.
My planning improved as I created thorough lesson plans with clear objectives, linking activities that directly supported students achieving these aims. I learnt to differentiate my groups effectively, particularly mixed-ability groups, ensuring that all students have specific roles with appropriate levels of challenge to make progress. I now always share success criteria for tasks, planning plenty of opportunities for students to reflect on their learning. My lessons are carefully thought-through and adapted to the needs of all my students. I promote resilience, hard work and persistence (which I feel are essential qualities in musicians) and encourage my students to develop a growth mindset. I always praise effort over outcome to build confidence in students, regardless of technical ability. I love questioning my students to support them in articulating their thoughts, including open questions to enhance the dialogic environment.
Assessment is a key part of my lessons, and I build peer assessment opportunities into all performance classes. Students are directed to consider the success criteria and reflect on their performances, setting targets for development. One of the biggest areas I developed on the iPGCE was the ability to self-reflect, and I am always reviewing my plans and lessons, looking to build and improve on my delivery as well as enhancing student outcomes.
JI: If you were to repeat the iPGCE, what would you have done differently?
NK: I would have planned my reading time better and spread out my papers across the whole semester, rather than waiting until the last month to work through it all! It's very challenging completing an iPGCE alongside a full-time timetable and
the additional responsibilities of a music teacher. By being more organised with reading and module tasks, I would have had more time to explore concepts in the classroom. If I had not been so fatigued by the end of the year, I may have considered going on to complete a master's degree. Instead, I wanted to take time to focus on my teaching and embed everything I had learnt. There is no rush with this process, and it is important to listen to your heart with what is most valuable for you. It is important, as teachers, to take care of our wellbeing, as this job can be very demanding.
JI: What advice would you give international teachers considering the iPGCE?
NK: Do it! It is a gateway to international schools and now to schools in the UK too, which is super exciting. I get to do the job I love while having an incredible adventure and meeting amazing teachers and students from all over the world. But even more important than the adventure, it is a fantastic opportunity to explore teaching concepts and pedagogies to improve your classroom practice. I highly recommend it.
JI: What do you think is the best thing about being a music teacher?
NK: I love being a music teacher. There is no limit to how far a child can go in music. There will always be more and more you can introduce them to, and I love the fact that I see their progress in real-time. From playing single notes to playing melodies, chords, whole songs and more, you can be there every step of their musical journeys. I get to make music with students all day, every day. I watch them build confidence to be able to perform and develop a sense of belonging within the performing arts space. My favourite part of the whole job is leading productions. I'm always amazed at how much students rise to these occasions, and it makes me so proud.
JI: Is there anything else you would like to share with aspiring music teachers?
NK: It is a privilege to be a music teacher. Teaching is a calling, and we must do right by the student. It is important to educate ourselves first and ensure that our students' needs are central to the decisions we make. We owe it to them to be their champion, building their confidence and love of the subject. I am well qualified in Kodály, and love Zoltán Kodály's famous quote: ‘Only the best is good enough for a child’.
To find out more about iPGCE and iQTS options available to you, talk to your school's ITT coordinator.
Links and references:
- DfE – Routes to qualified teacher status (QTS) for teachers and those with teaching experience outside the UK
- DfE/Get Into Teaching – Get international qualified teacher status
- Seligman, M. et al. (2009) Positive Education: Positive Psychology and Classroom Interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35, 293–311.
- Galloway, R. and Reynolds, B. (2015) Positive Psychology in the Elementary Classroom: The Influence of Strengths-Based Approaches on Children's Self-Efficacy. Open Journal of Social Science, 3, 16–23.
