Year
2013
Institution
University of the West of England
Job Title
Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Education
National Teaching Fellow 2013
Jane Carter originally trained in law but soon became interested in teaching through volunteer work with children in inner-city Bristol. Her teaching career has including primary classroom teaching, local authority literacy consultancy, in service training and deputy headship of a primary school. Jane now leads her Universitys English team on the Initial Teacher Education programmes.
Jane is committed to the education of trainee teachers through sharing her passion and enthusiasm for both learning and teaching. A colleague noted: "She is an inspirational practitioner: passionate about her subject and about developing the necessary enthusiasm, knowledge and skills in others to become excellent practitioners themselves."
Jane has developed and led a number of different styles of teaching practice including an innovative project linking schools in more challenging circumstances, the Local Authority and the University in order to support the teaching of reading. Students 'volunteer' to work one to one with identified children over a period of ten weeks. Children's attainment has risen alongside student confidence and competence in the teaching of reading. The experience has enabled students to be part of a project with social justice at its heart and so experience the transformative power of education.
Jane's teaching has been commended by students and led to nominations in a number of student-led teaching awards including 'Tutor of the Year' and the 'Innovative Teaching Award'.
A first-year student said: "Her passion, dedication and exceptional knowledge has inspired, motivated and supported every Early Years and Primary Education student at the University West of England."
Jane has been involved with a number of research projects including work across Europe with a focus on children's literature. She has spent time in Turkish classrooms exploring the aspirations and motivations of children as learners and has presented findings to a variety of national and international conferences. A colleague said: "Her extensive knowledge of the field of children's literature and how children extend their reading capacity established her as an expert and a leader among more senior colleagues."