This is the first of a new series we’re introducing to give you a sneak peek behind the classroom door and shine a spotlight on our outstanding teachers. We'll be showcasing some of the engaging techniques and innovative approaches they use to inspire, enthuse and educate our students every day. 

In the hot seat today… Politics with Ms FitzGerald (left in the photo above)

It’s a busy Tuesday morning and Ms FitzGerald has just returned from assembly. Alongside folders, books and paperwork on her desk lies a beautiful bouquet of flowers – a thoughtful gift from her U6 form class on their last day before study leave for their exams. 

“There’s so much I love about teaching,” Ms FitzGerald says, with wide eyes and a huge smile that shows how much passion she has for her work. “I love my subjects – History and Politics – and working with young people. It’s all about building relationships and there’s so much spontaneity; you never know what’s going to happen or where a conversation is going to go.” 

To say Ms FitzGerald is adept at time management is an understatement. It’s clear she likes to be busy: alongside teaching and responsibility as Head of Initial Teacher Training (ITT), Ms FitzGerald also works on the school’s Enrichment programme and acts at LEH’s HALE co-ordinator. HALE, an LEH initiative launched to celebrate Humanities, Art, Languages and English, has been running for three years and forges helpful links between different subjects. 

“We have such diversity at LEH, and everyone has different strengths. I often think HALE subjects are about the ‘why’ and understanding the world we’re in. HALE helps you to see the wonderful things around us and to understand why they exist. Getting to grips with conceptual ideas, analysing and interpreting and looking at things in a different way; all this comes naturally with HALE. It felt important for HALE subjects to be showcased and championed in this way. It’s also brilliant to see the sparks when a love of HALE and STEM combines!” 

This is Ms FitzGerald’s seventh year at LEH having taught at other schools in both the independent and state sectors previously. Before that, after completing her degree in History and Masters in Theatre Practice, Ms FitzGerald trod the boards on the improv scene as part of a theatre company at the Edinburgh Festival before moving to a role at the British Film Institute (BFI), where she worked with children and older people looking at remembrance in those with early onset dementia. It was in this role that Ms FitzGerald realised how much creativity there was education, and where she discovered that teaching could bring together all her skills and passions. 

“For me, history and politics are a great pairing. History is about looking back, and politics is about looking forward. The subjects work well together. Politics is offered at A level at LEH, and the teaching team has done an amazing job of helping students to articulate what they are seeing and experiencing. We look at theories and can see these in practice in what is happening around us. We look at UK and international politics, mainly the US system, and we explore dominant political ideology as well as feminism. 

“I think one of the most important skills that our students learn in Politics is one of the most crucial skills for life – civil discourse and the ability to hold conversations and to listen to people with completely different opinions. It’s such a transferable skill to be able to look at multifaceted arguments and then to compile your own. Politics really brings this to life and it’s a subject that works in a very complementary way with a range of others like Economics, English and Psychology, though we don’t have set expectations of what or how students should combine A level subjects with Politics.” 

Along with soft skills that can be applied to many life situations, the exploration of complex political systems and ideologies lie at the heart of teaching Politics. This can lead to lively and engaging lessons. 

“Our classes are full of debate and discussion – and that is great! Playing Devil’s Advocate is a good way for pupils to examine different sides of an argument, and to help them formulate their own views on what they believe is the most compelling rationale. Sometimes their views change as their horizons expand, and sometimes, their views solidify – it’s wonderful to see this happening.”  

Ms FitzGerald and her colleagues ensure a good learning environment which allows students to safely try out ideas and opinions. “It’s OK to make mistakes and try out views with each other. I try to be as objective as possible and leave my own beliefs at the classroom door. My job isn’t to tell our students what to think, but instead to help them create their own thinking. I think that’s essential to teaching Politics – you’d have to ask my students how successful I am, though!” 

Discussions are often sparked by news stories and topical events. “Recently we had a great discussion about civil rights following the arrests of protesters at the coronation. I shared an article on our Politics Teams channel and then a student sent another back ten minutes later that talked about Liberalism thoughts and the harm principle. The thinking starts before the students arrive and continues long after our lessons end. It’s brilliant to be able to link something very relevant to a bill that’s just gone through. We’re not passing judgment on the issues, but we’ll look at things like how actions affect human rights, and we focus on setting out a case and justifying views.” 

To help build pupils’ confidence, the teaching team provides plenty of opportunity to exchange views and try out civil discourse skills outside the teaching room. “We recently worked with Philosophy and took some politics students to the Ethics Cup, where students are given interesting topics that they then present and discuss. It could be anything topical, like pet breeding, or taking on someone else’s surname after marriage. Students are then paired up with other schools, and they don’t know which issue they will be given but students then question each other and build on arguments. It’s a nice example of different HALE subjects coming together, and the fundamental skills of civil discourse being sharpened.” 

Other trips to places like the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court give more in-depth meaning and allow pupils the chance to see what they’ve been discussing in action. “Our trip to Washington every other year is very special; seeing the constitution in real life makes pupils feel differently about things, I think. Something like gun rights can feel quite distant to us in the UK, but being in the US they get a sense of how and why it’s tied into the Constitution and why there may be different views that feel so alien to a lot of people.” 

And with that, the bell rings and Ms FitzGerald is off to teach her next lesson. 

By Mrs Day - Director of Development and Communications