Erin – “This year, I have finally begun my journey into teaching”
My name is Erin, I am 24 years old and I am a Trainee Teacher at Prestolee SCITT! I remember being eight years old, sat in my classroom at primary school and being mesmerised by the role of my teacher; wanting to know everything and anything about what her role involved. It is definitely fair to say that I had a love of learning instilled into me from a very young age! This is something that I have carried with me through to my adult life, have always wanted to infuse into the younger generation, and have been lucky enough to pass this on to my two-year-old son – he loves to learn! This year, I have finally begun my journey into teaching.
I researched lots of providers before applying and decided Prestolee was the perfect choice for me. Having no prior teaching experience, I chose Prestolee because I knew I wanted as much experience as possible before my NQT year to provide me with more confidence in my teaching practice. From attending the online event to my interview, I was given maximum information and the staff were so welcoming! I knew I had made the right choice straightaway as Prestolee were able to see my passion and determination for teaching even though I had no experience.
We are now a month into the course and due to the current pandemic, all teaching has been online. Although I was slightly nervous about this as I did not know what to expect, I have learnt so much already. Everything has been organised impeccably, so I do not feel that online learning has been a hindrance in any way. We have had lectures based on theory and teaching techniques such as behaviour management, professional conduct and safeguarding. On top of this, we have also had subject specific lectures focussing on core subjects within the curriculum. It is definitely hard to choose a favourite so far as I feel that every lecture we have had has been jam-packed with information, yet really easy to follow and I have gained so much new knowledge! All of the lectures have kept me engaged and made me eager to put what I have learnt into practice in the classroom. We even got a lovely ‘great story-teller’ demonstration from Vicky, who read Room on the Broom to us, dressed as a witch! This was most definitely a highlight of my online learning!
My first placement starts on Tuesday and I am nervous, yet excited, to get stuck in. I have chosen to specialise in the 5-11 age phase, and I will be placed in a Year Two class. The one thing I am most looking forward to is getting to know the class and staff at my school and observing how they like to learn, so I can incorporate it in my planning. Even though I do feel slightly nervous, I know that my lead mentor at the SCITT and my mentor in school will enhance my new knowledge with their wealth of experience, so I can definitely aspire to become an outstanding teacher.
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Erin – It is definitely fair to say that I had a love of learning instilled into me from a very young age! This is something that I have carried with me through to my adult life, have always wanted to infuse into the younger generation, and have been lucky enough to pass this on to my two-year-old son – he loves to learn! This year, I have finally begun my journey into teaching.
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