Not many things can compare to the feeling I got when I first entered a classroom and became Miss Jones. Having prepared during the summer holidays, it was still a shock to realise that I was now in control of, and responsible for, this class of 20 students. But it was a good shock.
To have a class full of children hanging on to your every word, joining in with the games you devised for them, letting you know about their hopes, dreams, and worries, is the most rewarding part of the job, and certainly one of the main reasons why I chose to become a teacher in the first place.
I had visited my old secondary school to observe some lessons, and had been offered a place to train to be a teacher there. The school was a United Learning school, and so it seemed obvious that I would train with United Teaching. Having been accepted, myself and the other United Teaching trainees began our summer school training to prepare us for September. All the trainees were keen to learn, and eager to get involved with the training as much as possible. Interactive training sessions, rather than lecture-style learning, implicitly taught us some of the methods we would eventually be using in our classrooms to help our pupils make the best progress that they can. Sessions were catered to us, both as teachers and learners, meaning that there was as ample opportunity to get extra help, or voice our concerns.
Nervous, but with some helpful hints and tips stored away in our minds, we all started at our host schools in September. But this was not to be the end of our training together. Training sessions every Monday afternoon meant that we could continue to learn and develop as teachers, without having to miss any teaching time. Most importantly, it gave us a regular slot where we could gather and air our worries and our accomplishments, in the knowledge that everyone around you was experiencing the same thing.
I think that I have most enjoyed schools trips this year, as I have been able to get to know the students in a whole different environment, and feel that I understand them much more. Probably my favourite memory will be taking my group of 10 Year 8 students up a climbing wall. Though some were confident to begin with, many were nervous. However, both myself and the other students encouraged the girls to give it a go, and by the end everyone had tried and thoroughly enjoyed the climbing. To have that sort of influence on students, where you are able to encourage them to be confident in themselves, to be proud of their work, and to be good to each other, is a privilege that is really only reserved for parents and teachers. To know that I can make a difference in a child’s life, and to help them realise their dreams, certainly makes me a very proud teacher.
Having been graded as an outstanding teacher, my plans are to continue in the school I am in, getting further help and mentoring as I progress through my NQT year. I will be able to experience teaching Year 11 and 12, and I will get to take my first classes through their GCSE and AS levels. I am certain that choosing United Teaching has had a huge impact on my teaching, and am sure that I wouldn’t be the confident, understanding, and knowledgeable teacher I am today without them.