Learning continues for our whole lives. Whether we are teaching people new skills or we are learning how to do a new job, there is always something new to pick up. People can sometimes find themselves short of inspiration, so you might want to try one of these news ways of learning:

• Drawing and colouring. Making something colourful and fun to look at can help some people learn. The process of drawing an object can make it more memorable.
• Reading. If you like words and can often remember people’s sentences word for word, try reading from a text book or from the internet. You should absorb the information well.
• Listening. Make songs, record them and listen back to them, or listen to ebooks on your subject. You could also watch television shows and documentaries, as listening to someone talk about your subject could help you to remember and learn your facts.

Exams are a necessary evil of life. School pupils are put through exams all the time and increasingly, adults take exams in the workplace as well. Here are some tips to help you pass your exams with flying colours and get that qualification or promotion you are looking for:

• Know what will be on the exam. Look through past questions and practice answering them. Know your topics inside out.
• Practice makes perfect. Come up with sample answers for some of the most commonly-asked questions. Go over it again and again.
• Revise. Make sure you have the knowledge to pass the exam. Everybody revises differently so find a way that works for you. Try using flashcards, writing notes and watching films to help.
• Talk to others. Talking through exam questions and information can help you to retain the information. You can share your knowledge and get valuable feedback from others people.

Learning is not just for children who are in school. Adults can continue to learn as well as children, though they may need some extra support as they are not as used to learning any more. If you want to pick up new skills and possibly begin a new career, you may decide to go to night school.

There are lots of different types of courses available at a night school or college. You will be able to study for qualifications like GCSEs and A Levels, as well as for new careers like hair and beauty or counseling. Have a look at what is available in your area and decide from there what is going to be the most beneficial for you.

Some people simply like to learn and they may decide to go to night school in order to pick up new skills for fun. They may choose to learn a language, or take a history course.

Computers have so many benefits in modern education. They are an invaluable learning resource both at home and in the classroom. However, is it the right thing to do to always let your child use a computer for their homework?

It might be ok in some situations, for example, if they have to write a long essay. However, sometimes, there will be reasons why you child should write their homework out by hand. They may need to work on their handwriting, in which case, they should be given as many opportunities to practice as possible. They may also be working towards exams that have to be completed by hand, in which case, they need to learn how to write for long periods of time. It’s also probably far more appropriate for some subjects than others. Maths would be difficult to complete on a computer as sums will usually require the working out to be written down.

Teaching is a wonderfully rewarding career for many people. It is one of the best feelings in the world to be able to help people and to do it for a living. However, there are some things you should be prepared for when entering the teaching profession. Here are just a few of them to give you an idea:

• Teachers work long, hard hours. This will usually include weekends as well as evenings. Teachers work far longer hours than their students do!
• You will be constantly challenged. Teaching isn’t a career where you can settle down and take it easy. Every day will be difficult in its own way.

In order to progress, you will need to learn new skills. Many promotions in the teaching world will also involve management, so you will need to be willing to learn how to help manage and organise your department. You may even need a Masters in Education

Supply teaching is an excellent option for many qualified teachers wanting flexible work. It can be a good way of ingratiating yourself to a new school, or a great opportunity to earn some extra money. Whatever stage you’re at in your teaching career, supply teaching is an option that can be beneficial. Here are some of the ways supply teaching can help you:

• Added flexibility. Supply teaching gives you the ability to choose your own schedule. You can accept work on the days you want to and have a break from teaching if you need some time to yourself.
• Easy integration into a new school/ area. If you’re moving to a new part of the UK, you might find it easier to get supply work. This will help you get to know the schools in the area and to have an idea of where you want to work. Alternatively, if you want to work in a specific school but there are no openings, you may be able to get temporary supply work there. This is a very good way to meet the people in charge and make sure they remember you.
• Allows you to cut your hours. If you are close to retiring or want to work part time around other commitments, supply work could be the ideal option for you.
• Presents a new challenge. This can be perfect if you want to try something new and get some more experience. Working in new schools with different pupils every day will help to make you a versatile and well-rounded teacher.
• Helps you to learn. If you’re a newly qualified teacher, you may want to consider supply teaching to get as much experience as possible. It will help you to learn how to work with different groups of students in many different environments.

Think about the benefits of supply teaching, and consider it for your next teaching career move.

Over the years school trips have become more and more educational. Previously trips were often seen as a holiday with a few educational tasks thrown in but many schools realise that for a trip to be successful there needs to be a good balance and although the trip need to be fun, it does need to be highly educational and have set targets which they want the students to take away from the trips.

Planning is essential when it comes to educational trips. As a teacher you should always try and carry out the trip yourself first prior to taking students. This will allow you to map put your day or week etc. to allow you to give the students the best opportunities and to partake in activities that will help them.

Risk assessments are also very important when taking children on trips and need to be considered carefully as you are taking over responsibility for children in a place that they and you may not be very familiar of.

Over the years, the way children are taught to read and write has changed. Historically children were taught the names of the letters and had to memorise how words were spelt. This was then changed to children learning the letters more by sound and recently this has changed again so that now children learn the pure sound of each letter so they can spell words out.

As a parent, it can be hard to get your head around phonics, the new way of teaching letters but there are some great YouTube tutorials that will run through how to pronounce each letter. There is also something called Jolly Phonics, and a song that will help young children remember what sound each letter makes.

If you are struggling or worried about how to assist your child with their leaning at home, then why not arrange a meeting with the teacher to ask for help and advice.

With the new school year about to start it is vital for parents to realise the importance of attendance at school. Prior to school the child may not have attended a nursery or child minding setting or if they did it was often the parents’ choice to take them out of the setting as and when they wanted to. With school, you are not supposed to take your child out of school except for illness or very specific circumstances such as death of a close relative.

Many parents do not like to be told when they can and cannot take their child out of school, especially when it comes to holidays. Holiday prices are so inflated over the school holidays that many parents simply cannot afford to go during these times. Taking your child out of school for a week or two may seem the easier option but can have detrimental effects on their education in the long term.

When your child goes to nursery or school you should try and keep in touch with the progress they are making. You will often be encouraged to attend parents evening to discuss your child’s learning and behaviour but this may only happen a few times a year.

If you want to have more regular updates on your child’s progress then many schools have a system that you can opt in to that will allow you to share information on a web portal, photos and work completed can be uploaded and sent to parents to keep them in the loop as to what the child is doing at school.

Many schools also have a learning diary which again can be accessed and completed by schools and parents to share information. Reading with your child every day will improve the progress they make with reading, writing and spelling and their overall education.