John Woodcock, MP for Barnes and Furness, is working towards a Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification as well as being an MP.

You can read his column here – Guardian 14th March 2014

In it he explains that his constituency has long term low attainment in numeracy and literacy and faces many challenges in relation to raising standards and improving the potential workforce. He is leading an initiative to improve attainment in core subjects in primary schools so that children are prepared for education at secondary school.

As part of his work towards a Level 3 qualification he must work in schools for a minimum of six hours a week – click on the link above to read about his early experiences in a Year 5 mathematics lesson.

You can follow him on twitter @JWoodcockMP

What advice would you give him, as he works in school and on his course?