Teresa Smith

Teresa is a Lecturer in Education with 14 years experience of working in HE Initial Teacher Education. She is passionate about the visual creative arts, their role in childhood and the lives of children, and the role that art and design as a subject offers in inclusive, holistic primary education practices.

Prior to joining the University, Teresa was a class teacher in primary schools in Norfolk. She came into teaching with a primary art education specialism, and developed this through her work in museum and gallery education departments, such as the Tate Gallery in London and the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich. 

Teresa teaches in Initial Teacher Education in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning. Subjects on the Primary PGCE that she holds lead responsibility for are: Art and Design, PSHE Education, Design and Technology. She also contributes to the Early Years programmes and to the BA Education 'Creativity in Education' module. 

Teresa is the lead tutor responsible for Professional Studies and also holds joint coordinating responsibilities for the foundation subjects programme as a whole. She leads the SEND and Inclusion (SENDI) specialist training pathway, which involves both leadership of the core Primary PGCE SEND and Inclusion content, and the additional in-depth content for the specialist pathway.

Teresa belongs to the UEA School of Education and Lifelong Learning EDI committee. She is also a UEA Colleague Wellbeing Ambassador. 

Teresa is joint convenor of the national UBITE (University-based ITE) Primary Art and Design network, affiliated with NSEAD (National Society for Education in Art and Design), leading termly network meetings.

Teresa’s interests are particularly in the the visual creative arts, especially their role in children's development, and the ways in which schools and teachers can make best use of artists, galleries and museums to support or extend art education within the classroom. 

Her MA research explored teachers’ dedication and the relationship between teachers' personal and professional identities, using an autobiographical narrative and visual methodology. She continues to be particularly interested in artist-researcher-teacher identity and arts-based research approaches to developing thinking and understanding.

Teresa's own art practice explores themes of identity, untold stories and liminality in a variety of media, including linoprint, textiles, drawing, book making and poetry. 

www.art-research-teach.com 

"Please do visit my website (use the web link underneath my photo, above). It is an extension of my sketchbook: a place of progress, to create connections and ideas, as well as a place to share and disseminate art-research-teaching work that has been completed."

Teresa is part of the Primary PGCE Admissions team, reviewing applications and interviewing prospective candidates. She also supports and mentors trainee teachers on school placements across Norfolk and Suffolk in partnership schools.