MSc and CTA in Educational TA

Giles Barrow MSc TSTA(E)

The Educational TA programme is an exciting development for students at The Berne Institute. The joint CTA/Msc accreditation is the first of its kind and as the lead trainer for the course, I encourage educators to consider joining this programme as it begins its third year.

The Ed TA option is for those people who have really enjoyed their learning at The Berne and are finding TA a valuable framework, and who are wondering which is the right pathway for them. It is ideally suited for those already working in some kind of educational context – adult learning, community education, colleges and schools. It will be relevant for anyone working in the more public domain with children, young people, parents and professionals in the caring professions.  If you have been wondering about how TA is applied outside of a clinical frame of reference, this will be worthwhile exploring.

This programme at The Berne is one that I have developed over several years and is a distinctive approach to combining TA as a useful educational psychology with ideas about teaching and learning – it is much more than an advanced TA training course. At the heart of the programme there are three connections:

• We explore the landscape of educational philosophy, theory and practice. In other words, we get into the range of ideas that have developed about understanding the ‘why’ of education. As this unfolds, so the course integrates this material with TA models and movements which most resonate and illuminate what education is about. This connection is all about getting into the soil of education.
• The second connection focuses on the integration of soul and role, and here the emphasis is on the question of ‘who’ is showing up as educator?  We will be looking inwards, at the motivations, influences and early decisions about who we think we are as educators; in other words, our educational ‘script’. For some this personal work is about reclaiming a sense of vocation. Whilst for others it can be a profound experience to discover their identity as an educator.
• Thirdly, the programme looks at how education connects within the context of community, or society. It is in this aspect of the course that we appreciate the power of TA for understanding the relational aspects of teaching and learning. Focusing on how our educational work informs, reforms and transforms the wider society in which it takes place is critical in Ed TA training.

The programme comprises of six modules, which span two years and are mostly integrated into the typical Berne training weekend, which includes tutor group supervision day followed by a training day. At least one of the weekends will take place at the Mill House in Suffolk.  The format is designed in conjunction with with the clinical pathway in that assignments and training hours can be counted for both Masters and CTA accreditation. For those working in any kind of educational role, you may already have substantial ‘client’ hours and also have plenty of opportunity to design a case study for your dissertation. This can be supported through the tutorial component of the programme. Fees for the year are £2400 (plus optional MSc fees).

Finally, if you are curious about my approach to education, or want to know a bit more about me, there is a series of interviews available via the following link:
https://conversationsinta.com/giles-barrow/

Training Dates & Topics 2019 – 20

CTA Written and Oral Examinations