How Quizlet can benefit new teachers

For newly qualified teachers (NQTs), there is a lot to think about: from learning the layout of a school to teaching those first, never-to-be-forgotten lessons.

Therefore, anything that can help you hit the ground running and ensure that students are progressing as intended is welcomed with open arms. One tool that can help with this transition is Quizlet. The service offers a raft of interactive learning tools that teachers can use with pupils, from quizzes to revision cards, study materials and games that can all help boost learning.

Teacher Ben Whitaker regularly trains new teachers and says he sees NQTs using Quizlet to help to ensure that they are on track with delivering key learning outcomes to their new pupils.

“As an NQT, there is a huge onus on ensuring that learning outcomes are met and that students can show progress over time. With the Quizlet Teacher feature, there is a clear methodology to track student progress and see which sets they have accessed most regularly,” he says.

Quizlet gives NQTs insight

Secondary school English teacher Lauran Hampshire-Dell has been using Quizlet since she was an NQT and says these sorts of insights are great for building confidence that lessons are delivering the required learning to pupils.

“No one can really teach you that in teacher training - you just have to learn as you go and Quizlet is great for helping you see that your lessons are having an impact.”

She adds that getting students to use Quizlet to test themselves on what they are learning is also a great way to build time into lessons - either pre-planned or on an ad hoc basis whenever required - as you prepare for the next segment of the class.

“You go from teaching not many lessons to teaching something like 23 lessons a week [as an NQT], and that’s a massive jump. Sometimes you need to just build some time into a lesson to give you a moment to think,” she says.

Gabriella Burton is an NQT who will start teaching history in September and has used Quizlet during her training year. She, too, has seen the benefit of using Quizlet to create time in lessons that then allows for more engaged, direct guidance when required.

“It’s great when they are really engaged and taking part in quizzes. It means I have time to then go around the class and see how everyone is getting on and answer any questions they may have,” she says.

“You can be balancing a lot of things when you’re new to the classroom, so it’s great to have time to take a step back.”

‘A no-brainer for your NQT teaching arsenal’

She adds that Quizlet’s ease of use is also beneficial as if you discover that there are still a few spare minutes left in a class, it can help provide some quick end-of-lesson learning. “Pupils can just fire up the app or go to the website and do some quick spelling tests, for example,” she says.

Furthermore, Ben says that NQTs can use Quizlet as a good routine-building task for the entry and exit of classes. “As an NQT to have set routines on entry and exit of class is good practice; completing Quizlet sets could be a good way to set a routine - e.g., score 8+ out of 10 on your key vocabulary before starting your first activity or work in pairs to test each other on essential definitions before going to your next lesson. Indeed, I have seen outstanding lessons from teachers doing just this as part of their learning cycle,” he explains.

Ben adds that for NQTs keen to ensure that pupils have as rich a learning experience as possible, Quizlet can be a great way to maintain engagement as many of them are just as keen on it as teachers.

“I was introduced to Quizlet by one of my GCSE students who was learning her religious studies key words and came across it,” he says. “She used to play the games on the bus into school. With hundreds of pre-loaded sets and an option to personalise or generate your own, it really is a brilliant tool.”

Clearly then Quizlet has its benefits for NQTs preparing for the year ahead. Of course, it’s not the only tool, technique or survival mechanism that will help get you through those first memorable weeks, but it’s worth taking advantage of when required.

As Ben puts it: “I would say that Quizlet is a no-brainer to add to your NQT arsenal.”