IOP Teacher Training Scholarships - Nia M Wardani | A Logbook of Life Discoveries

Who says non-education graduates cannot teach? I have observed several physics teachers. Having no degree in education did not stop them from being a good teacher. I am not an education graduate either, but here I am with my students..

Of course there is pedagogical knowledge that is required when it comes to teaching. But it is not impossible to learn. There are various opportunities to upgrade yourself, from just watching YouTube videos, enrolling in a Coursera class, attending a Webinar, or even taking a longer teacher training or enrolling in a short course about education. Options are abundant.

Don’t start right away without knowing what you will face, though. I remembered the first time I taught a class, I was just staring at the blackboard and didn't know what to do. Such a terrible experience. If you have the chance, enrol yourself in a teacher training program. You will be entering your classes equipped with the knowledge of how to handle a class, to deliver material, to keep students engaged. You will not enter the class empty handed.

If you are a physics or engineering graduate, and you are interested in pursuing a physics teaching career, Institute of Physics (IOP) is opening opportunities for you to enrol in a funded teacher training program. The program is located in England, so if you reside in the United Kingdom or are willing to stay in the UK for the length of the program, then this might be a good choice.

What will you get from getting yourself enrolled in?

1. Full support for Professional Development

IOP is awarding £26,000 free of tax to cover your expenses during the training program. In addition to that, you will get the opportunities to join additional professional development programs and all other events supported by IOP. Also, the free membership for the duration of your training program.

This is a luxury. Without a scholarship, teachers can spend so much only on upgrading themselves, let alone find the time allocation to do a program. I reviewed one of the teacher training programs held by Oxford University. They carefully arrange the time: 2 days for training and 3 days for entering classes at the school within a week.

2. Professional Community

Every teacher can relate to this: teaching is very challenging, teacher communities will help you stay sane. By joining communities, you can get ideas and resources, sharing solutions to class problems, etc. Especially if you are a new teacher, you will find such help is very useful to stay in the career.

3. Look Good in Your Resume

Being an IOP Scholar, your resume will stand out! Obviously I will envy those new teachers with that title. You are among 175 best physics teachers of that round!

How to apply?

1. You will first need to look for your eligibility. You can check the IOP Teacher Training Scholarships webpage for further details. 
2. Then you can look for the suitable teacher training program that you would like to enter. Not that you need to get a place in one of the programs in England by September 2022 to be able to get the scholarships. There are a wide variety of programs you can choose from. I suggest you do a thorough research about the program before you decide to select any one of them.
3. Do the application through the website. The current round due date is 2 May 2022. There are also other incoming rounds, though, so you don't have to hurry. Prepare your application well.

Detailed information about the scholarships is already mentioned in the webpage. Do a deep research before you dive into the application. If you are the ones who had experienced the application process or had received the scholarship, please feel free to share what you know in the comment section below. Sharing is free, but it leaves a great impact on others. To end this post, for every teacher and soon-to-be teachers around the world, I wish you good luck and I hope you have an amazing teaching career years ahead. See you in the next post.