Mrs Natasha Rear

Personal Biography

Over the past 25 years I have worked in educational settings with a focus on how I and others use teaching and learning methods to teach and assess learners; this remains a core area of interest.

My interest in learning started before I did any formal study in the area with a few years volunteering in local youth centres and working on arts-based projects. In 1998 my career started more formally as I qualified as a JNC professionally recognised Youth and Community Worker. I worked in a wide variety of settings as a Youth and Community worker including local authority Community Centres, schools, outreach and detached projects, womens’ centres, hostels, health promotion units and further education colleges.  

It was whilst working in the Further Education sector that I decided to formalise my understanding and knowledge of teaching and learning by studying a PGCE. This qualification gave me the knowledge that cemented my passion for teaching, learning and assessment.

With this passion ignited I went on to teach part time on Initial Teacher Training courses covering a range of topics including safeguarding, behaviour management, supporting students, and teacher wellbeing. This experience led to a full-time teaching role teaching trainee teachers and eventually becoming a Programme Leader for Initial Teacher Education in an FE college with HE provision. I managed a partnership with Nottingham Trent University and University of Warwick for the Cert Ed/PGCE, CTLLS, DTLLS and Foundation degree programmes. I was also responsible for the Access to HE Teaching pathway course.

I spend the final years in Further Education as the Head of Development for Teaching and Learning. This gave me an opportunity to work with a wide range of teachers and assessors to develop their skills and knowledge in relation to teaching, learning and assessment. I led and managed the observation quality assurance process of 400+ teachers and assessors. I was also the nominated lead for teaching and learning during Ofsted inspections, and chaired academic committees, exam boards and departmental performance reviews across the multi-site college.

I joined the OU in 2018 as a Faculty Coordinator. This role gave me an opportunity to understand the OU and the student journey. In this role I coordinated the HWSC Peer mentoring project and won a Teaching Excellence Award for this work.  I moved into an HSC Staff Tutor (academic contract) in 2019 working on several HSC modules and managing Associate Lecturers. I have had various roles since but always with a focus on teaching, learning and assessment.

Research and teaching interests

My interests are scholarship linked to teaching, learning and assessment methods and the impact they have on student outcomes, retention and experience.

I am also interested in how we effectively manage the wellbeing of staff and students whilst working remotely (at a distance).

RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP