Accreditation and Membership
Accreditation
Accreditation is for teachers who wish to be recognised for the quality of their teaching using ART good practice techniques and following ART guidelines. It recognises teachers who strive to continually review and develop their teaching in line with ART good practice. It is open to all ringing teachers who want to develop their teaching skills using ART techniques. You don't have to be a brilliant ringer to become accredited but you do have to be a good teacher.
Accreditation can be achieved through one of two pathways; either as a teacher, or as a mentor. They have equal value and both lead to ART Membership.
The Teaching Pathway
Start teaching as soon as you can after your day course; it's amazing how quickly things can be forgotten and confidence lost if the techniques you've learnt aren't put into practice very soon after the course. Teachers and mentors are encouraged to work together in clusters, to share the teaching of ringers and learn from and support each other.
Work with your mentor developing your practical and coaching skills, referring to and completing your Teacher Training Logbook as you go. In order to complete a Module and be accredited, you must have:
- Completed your Teacher Training Logbook, signed by your mentor.
- Completed the online quiz through the SmART Ringer website.
- Carried out an assessed lesson with your ringer (Module 1) or band (Modules 2F and 2C) observed by an ART Assessor.
At this stage you will be invited to become an ART Member by the ART Administrator.
The Mentoring Pathway
Mentoring takes time, self-knowledge and good communication skills. The teacher you mentor will be looking to you to:
- Acquire knowledge and information.
- Receive feedback to help develop skills.
- Offer suggestions, guidance, and ideas.
After the course you need to ensure that your teacher starts teaching as soon as they can. You should be building a rapport with your teacher; taking the lead role in building the relationship.
You should work together developing practical and coaching skills until the teacher is capable of working independently. Teaching alongside each other is often the best way of mentoring.
Mentors become an accredited member of ART when their teacher completes a Module. However, if your teacher does not complete a Module you can still gain accreditation as a teacher in your own right, by joining the teaching pathway.
Why Accredit?
People often ask why they should accredit. They really enjoyed the day course and learnt some new techniques that they're going to take away with them. So what's the point, after all it sounds a bit bureaucratic doesn't it?
The answer is that without practice, feedback and reinforcement, basic human nature kicks in and people revert back to their old ways of doing things. We tell our new ringers to practise until it is in your muscle memory and practise it right. That's what we as teachers need to do to – practise until it becomes second-nature and practise it right. That's what the ART Training Scheme provides – processes and support to help you improve your teaching.
How many excellent work place courses have you been on or New Year's resolutions have you made, that you've not followed through long term? Accreditation helps helps you keep your new teaching resolutions after the course.
ART Membership
You will be invited by the ART Administrator to become a Member of ART after completing one or both of the ART Training Scheme Modules. Full membership is available to all those who have been accredited at Module 1 and either Module 2F or 2C; Associate membership to those who have been accredited at just one Module. Associate Members have all the benefits of full membership but do not have voting rights. Annual membership is just £5 which is less than 10p per week. Membership of ART offers a range of benefits including:
Teaching Benefits
- Full access to SmART Ringer and the online learning portal
- On-going access to the full Learning the Ropes scheme for ringers
- Referral of new recruits who use the Learn to Ring with ART facility
- Teaching liability insurance
- Safeguarding best practice and DBS
- Appear on our website directory of ART Members
Financial Benefits
- Preferential pricing for Bell Handling DVD – £5 off
- Preferential pricing for Raising & Lowering DVD – £5 off
- Free access to the Youth Toolbox – saving £5
- Free access to current, new and updated Teaching Toolboxes – saving £10
- Reduced ticket price for ART Conference – £5 off
- Priority workshop booking at the ART Conference
Why become a member?
There are the member benefits which include appearing on our members' directory (so that potential new ringers can contact you in the knowledge that you are an accredited teacher), our members' public liability insurance, ongoing access to the Learning the Ropes scheme to use with your ringers, and ART can help with your DBS application through the deal with have with Lloyd Education (they charge only £8 to issue a certificate for ART members.)
Most importantly by joining as an accredited member, you are contributing to ART through your £5 per year subs - the ongoing support from membership subscriptions is a big help in financing us now that ART is self-funding. ART is a membership organisation and as a member you also have the right to vote at the AGM.