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Since my first experience of working with children, I have known that teaching would be right for me. My early interest in education began with child-minding, where reading stories, arts and crafts, and answering endless questions, left me heading home with a real sense of reward.
As a teenager, my part-time workplace had its own crèche, for children between the ages of 3 months to 5 years. After helping to set-up children’s parties on several occasions, I was offered the opportunity to work in the crèche during the holidays. With the guidance and support of the qualified staff, I found myself rapidly developing a variety of skills, alongside a genuine passion and enjoyment for the job. I also gained an acute awareness of how important a child’s early years are to their future development. The urge to impart my knowledge of life and the world to these inquisitive youngsters came naturally. This is one of the main reasons I decided to train as a teacher.
During Sixth Form, as a community project, I chose to spend my Monday afternoon’s with Year 1 and 2 at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School. Observing the teacher’s interaction with her students, and the difference she was making to their abilities and understanding, was inspiring. Having such a profoundly positive influence on a child’s future really motivated me to want to teach. I learned the importance of patience and good organisation, and improved my listening skills. Over time, I discovered that I could learn just as much from the children, as they could learn from me. This experience led to me receiving the annual award at my school for service to the community.
My time as a cadet in the Air Training Corps gave me a wealth of experience and new skills. It also took me further along my path toward teaching. Alongside various adventurous activities, I studied a diverse syllabus, eventually reaching the level of Staff Cadet. This qualified me to teach our younger cadets, between the ages of 13 to 17 years. I was able to teach the syllabus and other subjects including Drill, Field Craft, Radio, Map Reading, and how to play the Bell-Lyre in our Marching Band. This was my first experience of teaching, and I found it extremely rewarding and worthwhile. Each time I taught, I learnt another technique or approach to make the information more accessible. The challenging part was engaging the cadets, and keeping their interest. I needed to be adaptable and aware of each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. The experience I gained during my time as a Staff Cadet was invaluable to my professional teacher training. I have recently left the Air Training Corps, but spent my last two years as a Non-Commissioned Officer, holding the rank of Adult Sergeant. Teaching was a principal part of my role as an adult member of staff.
My degree in English and Psychology has also been especially useful to my career as a teacher. English allowed me to express my creativity, enhancing my literary abilities in both verbal and written form. Psychology was fascinating, and I particularly enjoyed the developmental aspects of childhood through to adulthood, and the science of human behaviour. Equipped with this knowledge, and a variety of skills attained through my experiences of working with young people, I hoped to become a successful teacher, making a compelling educational difference to future generations.
Gaining a place on the PGCE Primary Education Course at Middlesex University was the next step towards these teaching aspirations. I studied a detailed syllabus of five modules, centred on the National Curriculum subjects and my professional development. I also successfully completed two six-week teaching placements in Year 1 and Year 5. I found the course to be a comprehensive and inspiring introduction to the world of education. I pursued this qualification with commitment and vigour, and felt a unique sense of satisfaction on completion - I was finally on my way to the career of my dreams. Equipped with my PGCE I was given the opportunity of an interview at local Infant & Nursery School, after which I was offered my first post.
I successfully completed my induction year, and my second year there, and in my search for further experience I have moved schools and continued into my third year of teaching at a Catholic Primary School. During these three years, I have taken every opportunity to develop myself both personally and professionally, and I thoroughly enjoy my job. I have acquired a number of new skills, and I have also worked hard to improve myself; acting on the advice of my mentor and my colleagues. I have shown myself to be a dedicated and committed teacher, who thrives on the reward of seeing my students succeed, not just academically, but socially and emotionally. I am a good listener and an effective communicator, both of which I have found to be vital to the teaching profession. I am able to work well independently and I can also work very well as part of a team. In addition, I am a creative person with good organisational skills, who has worked hard to gain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter I am teaching.
The aspects that I like most about my career, are perhaps the best way to indicate the kind of teacher that I am: The feelings of reward, purpose and satisfaction when a child learns something new that only I have taught them; having such a positive role in a child’s life – feeling that I really am making a difference everyday; the friendships I have built up with colleagues and pupils alike; the fact that every day is different, and that I teach in such a wide variety of settings; the unique opportunities and experiences that arise everyday for the children and I.
I have a strong commitment to teaching and learning, and I am confident that my current level of experience, my dedication to my career and my positive attitude, all equip me well for private tutoring.
