ABSTRACT
It is normal for trainee teachers to attend regular team-planning meetings when they can discover how systems operate, ask questions and increasingly contribute their own ideas as they become familiar with the situation. Trainees’ experiences are more varied in respect of attendance at full staff meetings, when the topic may not be relevant or a confidential matter is on the agenda. If you enquire about attendance and are told that you can come along if you want to but it is not very suitable, then it is usually better to wait for another opportunity when the topic is more appropriate. On the other hand, teachers are always impressed when trainees make an effort to attend meetings. Beware, however, that you don’t spend lots of time at meetings and neglect more pressing matters such as lesson planning and marking.
