The Lincoln Award for Teaching
Programme Handbook
Dates: 8th June–12th June 2026
Purpose: Handbook and learning journal for the Lincoln Award for Teaching.
For those of you considering a career in teaching, this is the perfect opportunity to gain some experience of different teaching environments.
There are a variety of tasks you will be asked to complete during the course of this programme. These are detailed in this handbook. The final day of the programme will provide an exciting opportunity for participants to share their successes through delivery of team presentations.
Purpose of This Handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to ensure:
- reflection on your experiences
- focus during observation of lessons
- development of skills for teaching
- evaluative and reflective notes that will feed into your celebration presentation
We also hope that the completion of this handbook will provide you with an interesting evidence base to support your potential future interviews for teacher training positions.
Lincoln Award – Teaching Overview
Internal section references: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6.
| Day | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing across the week | As you work with individuals and small groups, reflect on the impact that you have and how you have supported learners (see Section 1). Complete a minimum of four reflections of the support you gave and its effectiveness across the week. | … |
| Monday - 8th June | SETTLING IN: Today, get used to the routines of the classroom and start to make relationships with the class(es). See Section 2 for ideas on how to develop relationships and reflect on how successful you were. Also, in Section 2, take note of key routines across the day; reflect on what these are and their impact. | Host school |
| Tuesday - 9th June | OBSERVATION & SUPPORT DAY: Observation of two lessons with some opportunities to support pupils and the teacher (act as an informal Teaching Assistant). Complete Section 3 of the handbook to capture your learning notes from your observations. | Host school |
| Wednesday - 10th June | OBSERVATION & SUPPORT DAY: Observation of two lessons with some opportunities to support pupils and the teacher (act as an informal Teaching Assistant). Complete Section 4 of the handbook to capture your learning notes from your observations. In readiness for tomorrow, discuss a possible section of a lesson for you to teach, that will be planned by the class teacher. Choose a lesson that you feel confident to teach - just teach a small section to have a go. | Host school |
| Thursday - 11th June | OBSERVATION, SUPPORT & A SHORT LESSON INPUT DAY (optional): If you feel comfortable to, teach a section of a lesson. The teacher will plan the lesson and will talk you through what to do/say and why. Discuss the lesson with the teacher and ask them to model to you how they would teach it, so you can replicate what they say/do. After the lesson, complete Section 5 to reflect on your experience. | Host school |
| Friday - 12th June | Programme Review, Project Presentation & Celebration Day. Morning session: 9.30 am start. In readiness for today, participants need to complete Section 6 before the day to evaluate the programme. Participants will work as part of a team to construct a short presentation to communicate their professional learning during their time on the Lincoln Award Programme. Presentations can be in any preferred format - PowerPoint, flip charts, posters etc. Written reports, photographic evidence, data etc. might be included to form part of this presentation. You should plan for presentation delivery to take around 10 minutes. The team presentation will be shared, and you will be assessed for your individual contribution. You will be scored using the Lincoln Award criteria and you will receive your result and feedback within the following week. Upon successful completion of the award, you will receive a digital badge and certificate - full details of this will be provided. | University of Lincoln; Room TBC |
Section 1
One-to-One and Small Group Support Record – Ongoing Throughout the Week
Across the week, the class teacher will ask you to work with individual children and small groups. Record below these instances (four as a minimum across the week) and reflect on the impact you had.
What did you do to support these learners? Did you follow the teacher’s directions? Can you understand why you needed to support the learners in the way that you were directed?
Support Instance 1
- What did you have to do to support the learner(s)?
- What impact did this have?
- What did the child/children find hard? How did you help them overcome this?
- What strategies did you use to support the child/children to understand?
Reflection
…
Support Instance 2
- What did you have to do to support the learner(s)?
- What impact did this have?
- What did the child/children find hard? How did you help them overcome this?
- What strategies did you use to support the child/children to understand?
Reflection
…
Support Instance 3
- What did you have to do to support the learner(s)?
- What impact did this have?
- What did the child/children find hard? How did you help them overcome this?
- What strategies did you use to support the child/children to understand?
Reflection
…
Support Instance 4
- What did you have to do to support the learner(s)?
- What impact did this have?
- What did the child/children find hard? How did you help them overcome this?
- What strategies did you use to support the child/children to understand?
Reflection
…
Copy and paste more sections below according to how many times you want to reflect on the support you have given - 4 is the minimum expectation.
Section 2
Getting to Know You
Monday 8th June
Relationships are at the heart of being a good teacher, so spend today getting to know the children and their names. Also, get used to the routines within the school; focus and reflect on these two key elements today by completing the sections below - using the scaffolds as support.
Suggested Ways to Make Relationships with Children
- Have a smile on your face - this makes such a difference.
- Stand with confidence; do not let them know you are nervous even if you are.
- Introduce yourself: use Mr/Miss/Ms/Mrs and then surname - no first names.
- Get down to their level to speak to them; leaning over a child can be intimidating.
- Learn their names - maybe take in card and ask them to put their name on the card at the start of the day/lesson?
- Ask about themselves - what are their hobbies and interests?
- Keep it professional - do not use phrases like “mate”; you are not their friend.
Suggested Ways to Make Relationships with Children - Continued
- Set clear boundaries to gain respect; if they start to become over-familiar, step back.
- Volunteer to help them; do not sit in the corner waiting to be directed - get stuck in and offer to help the children.
- Read the school’s vision/values and behaviour policy before you go in - ask the teacher if you can give out rewards and ensure you are following school policy.
- Check with the teacher if you feel a behaviour is unsuitable; do not put yourself in a vulnerable situation.
- Stay with your class teacher all day and observe how they talk to the children and the language/phrases they use.
Reflection on how I Made Positive Relationships Today
(Use some of the scaffolds above as a prompt as you write.)
…
How I Aim to Build on This Tomorrow
(Use some of the scaffolds above as a prompt as you write.)
…
Routines Are Central to the Successful Running of a classroom/lesson
Use the prompts below to help you consider the impact of routines:
- What are the routines of the school day? What are the specific timings that need to be considered?
- Are there any routines for when the children enter and leave the room?
- Are there any routines/expectations for what the children do once they have sat down at the start of the day/lesson?
- Are there any routines for questions and answers?
- What are the routines/expectations for partner and group work?
- What are the routines for working independently?
- Are there any routines at the end of the lesson - what are the expectations for packing away and finishing the learning?
- Are there particular routines within the different subjects?
Reflection on how Routines Were Used Today and Their Impact in Managing a Classroom
(Use some of the scaffolds above as a prompt as you write.)
…
How Will You Use Your Understanding of Routines to Support You for the Rest of the Week?
(Use some of the above as a prompt as you write.)
…
Section 3
Observation and Support Day
Tuesday 9th June
Observe a minimum of two lessons in detail today; the rest of the day support and become familiar with the class routines/school expectations. Use the proforma to include reflections on both lessons - use the prompts on the left-hand side to focus your thinking.
Lesson Observation Prompts
| Focus area | Observations (what strategies are used and what impact do they have?) | Questions you may have |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour for Learning Strategies Observed – How does the teacher foster respectful relationships? How do they set boundaries and high expectations? What strategies do they use to manage behaviour? | … | … |
| Start of the lesson – How does the teacher recap and revisit prior learning? Why do you think they do this? | … | … |
| Pupil engagement and participation – What strategies are used to encourage participation? How are children managed who do not engage/participate? | … | … |
| Structure of the main body of the lesson – How is learning broken down into manageable chunks? Why does the teacher do this? How does the teacher make clear what they want the learning to look like? Why do they “think aloud”? How do they model the learning and expectations to the children? | … | … |
| Supporting learners’ needs – How are children challenged in the lesson? If children are struggling, how are they supported? How does the teacher ensure all understand the learning and can achieve in the lesson? | … | … |
| How learning and progress is assessed through the lesson – How does the teacher know if the children understand or not? How do they work out who does not understand the learning and who needs help? How does the teacher provide instant feedback on the learning? | … | … |
| The plenary/review and lesson close – How does the lesson finish? How does the teacher know if the learning was achieved or not? What strategies do they use to summarise the learning? | … | … |
Complete the one-to-one and small group activity record (minimum of two a day).
Section 4
Observation and Support Day
Wednesday 10th June
Observe a minimum of two different lessons in detail today; the rest of the day support and become familiar with the class routines/school expectations. Use the proforma to include reflections on both lessons - use the prompts on the left-hand side to focus your thinking.
Use the same table headings and prompts as in Section 3 to guide your notes for today’s observations.
…
Section 5
Teaching a Section of a Lesson
Thursday 11th June
Depending on your confidence, have a go at teaching a section from a lesson today. Agree this with the class teacher the day before, so you have time to consider what you will say/do.
Ask the teacher to model to you and show you what to do/say and then you practise having a go. If you choose not to teach the whole class, have a go at teaching a small group and modelling to them instead.
Teaching Reflection
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Describe what you taught. …
-
Was there any subject-specific vocabulary that you had to use? …
-
How did you manage behaviour as you taught? Was this successful? Why? …
-
Did the children understand what you taught - how do you know? …
-
What was successful about your teaching? …
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If you were to teach that again, what would you change and why? …
Section 6
Lincoln Award for Teaching – Participant Programme Evaluation
Please complete at the end of the week, in time for our meeting on Friday 12th June.
Evaluation Prompts
- Summarise how you feel at the close of your Lincoln Award for Teaching Internship Programme.
- What do you feel have been your key successes across the week? Why?
- Where are your areas for development? Are there any ways you can continue your links with the school to develop in these areas?
- Is teaching the route for you? Did you choose the right phase/age range?
- Is there anything that we (providers and university) could have done better?
- Any other points you would like to share with us.
Thank you so much for taking part in the scheme. We hope to hear from you in the future - please contact Lincolnshire ITT for further support and advice on scittenquiries@prioryacademies.co.uk.