Why good teaching practice should be shared to raise standards

I've just come back from a fantastic brand new school in Rowley Regis writes Bill Green of the University of Wolverhampton.

It's a really ambitious building and a great learning environment for children. It really does make it look like the people that opted for this believe that educating our children is something worth spending some serious money on – and after all, what could be more important than that?

The new school is one of the projects that survived when cuts to the building programme in Sandwell (and elsewhere in the region) meant that others could not go ahead, which was a huge blow.

The school, right at the top of one of the highest hills in the region, has one side of the building almost entirely glass, and the view from the first floor landing is just breathtaking. What an inspiring place!

My diary is full of visits to schools for the next few weeks. I'm going all over the West Midlands and the wider region, visiting students training to be science teachers. They're a very mixed bunch in many respects such as age, gender, ethnic background and so on, but they're all scientists, with science degrees, and they're all mad keen to work with the 11-18 year olds of the region to spread their fascination with science.

It hardly seems any time at all since our trainee teachers started their courses. They spend a relatively short period at the University during this year. Most of their time is spent out in real schools, working with real pupils. They're well supported in those schools by the teachers who are our highly valued partners in the training process.

At the very beginning of the course the trainee teachers spend some time learning the fundamentals of being effective in the job, and watching experienced teachers in action (a hugely important part of the learning process). Now they're just starting to take a few lessons of their own, and I get to visit and see how things are going for them, and maybe offer some carefully critical advice and support to help them on their way to becoming the first rate teachers that all our youngsters in the region deserve.

I worked as a science teacher in local schools for a good few years before joining the University as a teacher trainer, but if I'm honest I'll admit that I've learned a great deal about science teaching since, by watching so many different people teaching in so many different ways in so many different schools – with, of course, so many different children.

It's a real "eye-opener" and it fascinates me to observe and analyse lessons, with regard to the principles underlying what does and what doesn't work well. And of course, there's always room for some surprises.

I feel very fortunate to be in a position where I've been able to learn so much from such a wide range of contexts– something many teachers would appreciate if they could only have the opportunity to get out of their own school and go and look.

Maybe this is an area where we could develop more opportunities for "sharing good practice" and just opening the door on what is happening in schools. And maybe it's not only teachers who might welcome the opportunity to take a wider view?