Mrs Rachel Lees
- Lecturer in Language and Literacy (Learning, Teaching & Scholarship Track) (School of Education)
Biography
Biography
I joined the University of Glasgow in 2022, as Lecturer in Language and Literacy on the Learning, Teaching and Scholarship track. In academic session 2022-23, I was course leader for Education and Society 4 (MEduc) and joint course leader on RELLT (PGDE). My teaching workload is mainly in Initial Teacher Education (ITE), but I also work closely with the Children's Literature team.
Prior to this, I worked as a teacher and middle-leader in a variety of primary and secondary settings in Scotland and London. I completed the MEd Children’s Literature and Literacies course at the University of Glasgow on a part-time basis and graduated in 2021 (with Distinction). I hold a dual qualification with the GTCS to teach Primary and Secondary (English). My experience extends to working internationally on various long-term Erasmus and International Schools projects throughout my career. I also gained extensive experience of leading residential school trips in the UK and abroad with primary and secondary level students.
My background also includes published writing in the form of 'story starters' for an international online education platform and the development of teaching resources for publication on national/international platforms.
Presentations
The Child and the Book international conference, Montenegro, May 2023.
Listen with your eyes: Chinese teachers’ responses to the visual sound picture book Summer Concerto (Conference presentation- Fuling Deng and Rachel Lees)
SERA Conference, Ayr, Nov 2022.
Narrative-led video games and their potential for literacy development in the classroom
(Poster presentation- Rachel Lees)
Professional Learning and Courses
Fire Warden Training (St Andrew's Building)
April 2023
Building Racial Literacy (Education Scotland)
March 2023
Bias and privilege- decolonising the curriculum
November 2021
Making Thinking Visible
October 2021
Major Dissertation (Education) (Level 11)
August 2021
Developing Literacy (Level 11)
June 2021
Taking a Trauma Informed Lens
April 2021
Readingwise Literacy Programme
February 2021
Nurture Training
October 2020
Apple Teacher Certification
August 2020
Dyslexia: Identification and Support
May 2020
Texts for Children: from the printing press to virtual reality (Level 11)
May 2020
Modern Educational Thought (Level 11)
May 2020
Supporting Dyslexia , Inclusive Practice and Literacy (Open University)
April 2020
Introduction to Dyslexia and Inclusive Practice (Open University)
March 2020
Reframing Language, Literature & Literacies for 21st Century Life (Level 11)
May 2019
Children's Literature and Literacies: a critical enquiry (Level 11)
May 2019
Introduction to Educational and Social Research (Level 11)
January 2019
Academic Skills Writing (Level 7)
September 2018
Working Towards an Inclusive Learning Environment
September 2018
Women in Qualifications Leadership Roles with Confidence
February 2018
Strength-focused Coaching for Line Managers: Taking your Coaching Capability to the Next Level
September 2016 and 2017
Career overview
2022- Present: Lecturer in Language and Literacy, University of Glasgow
2020-2022: English Teacher (Secondary), Glasgow City Council
2016-2020: Head of Support for Learning (Prinicpal Teacher), Ayr
2014-2016: Primary 7 Teacher and Secondary SfL teacher, Ayr
2012-2014: Primary Teacher with responsibility for The Children's Team, Lewisham Council
2011-2012: Primary Teacher, Lewisham Council
2010-2011: Probation Primary Teacher, East Dunbartonshire Council
2006-2010: Activity leader and TEFL teacher, Embassy CES Summer Schools (Fixed term, summer only)
Research interests
Multimodal and Future Literacies; Video Games and Literacy Learning; Video Games and Narrativity; Reading for Pleasure in the Secondary English and Primary Classroom; Inclusive Children's and Young Adult Literature; Young Adult Literature in the Secondary English classroom; Literacy Development; Picturebooks and Multimodality.
Teaching
I currently teach on the following programmes:
- MEduc 1 Literacy and English
- MEduc 2 Literacy and English
- MEduc 3 Literacy and English
- MEduc 4 Literacy and English
- MEduc 4 Education and Society (Course Leader)
- PGDE English and Literacy
- PGDE Becoming a Teacher (BAT)
- PGDE Research and Enquiry-Led Learning and Teaching (RELLT) (joint Course Leader)
- MEduc 3 Elective in Children's Literature
Additional information
Committees:
Anti-racism SoE committee
Professional membership:
- UKLA
- SERA
- GTC Scotland
