I chose teaching because I wanted to inspire children and fill their minds with a love for my subject; I am deeply passionate about my job and put my heart and soul into lessons.
I hope to inspire social change and give students from disadvantaged backgrounds the best experience of education possible, with hopes that they will continue education past compulsory age.
Why did you choose Birmingham?
Having moved to the West Midlands for my undergraduate study, I wanted to find a university-led teacher training course nearby that would challenge and inspire me. Birmingham’s reputation as a red-brick university stood out to me. Additionally, I was motivated by the fact that the programme has the advantage of including more postgraduate credits than the other training routes in the area. This means you can carry the credits over to complete a MA in teaching Studies within your first five years of teaching, a course which I am hoping to do within the next year or two.
One of my fondest memories of my time at Birmingham was the day where we got to explore more of the campus. After finishing our main studies, our course tutor set us the challenge of visiting different places on campus – Lapworth Museum of Geology, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Winterbourne gardens. In groups, we visited each place in order to gather ideas for potential school trips we could plan. It was a brilliant way to showcase all the amazing opportunities on campus, that perhaps we could have otherwise overlooked.
Tell us about your role and a typical day
I currently work as an English Teacher at King Edward VI Sheldon Heath (KESH) Academy in South Birmingham. Our department is becoming increasingly collaborative, and we are developing a whole new KS3 curriculum from the ground up. It is an exciting place to work, with many aspirational leaders. I am also a form tutor to a lovely Year 7 tutor group. Go Lloyd house!
Typically, I wake up around 6.30am, get ready and then drive to school. I have breakfast with my colleagues in the English staffroom before my working day starts and check over any lessons, print resources and prepare my classroom for the day.
Generally, I will teach for between 4-6 periods a day and use any frees for planning, marking and various admin like emails. I always make sure to have lunch with my colleagues – they are the best support and it is so important for my wellbeing to have those conversations.
The school day finishes at 3.10 and I generally stay at school until about 4pm finishing up my jobs or attending any meetings after school. I try to make sure all work is completed at school, as I do not find it easy to work from home in normal circumstances.
What is your best piece of advice?
My best piece of advice for new students is spread out your workload”. At times, I was guilty of rushing things/cramming the end of essays into the weekend before. Work a little every day to spread things out and help keep a work/life balance! This will be an essential skill when you begin teaching full time and help to avoid ‘burnout’. It is also okay to submit essays early if they are finished!