Saania Rashid

Please tell us about your current role & employer:

I’m a PGCE student at the University of Birmingham. I’m graduating this year and hoping to become a primary school teacher.

What does a typical day in your current role look like:

I’m currently in my final teaching placement. My year has been split into two parts – studying at University and spending time learning in classrooms. When I started my placements, I was initially observing the classes and co-teaching alongside a more experienced member of staff however, each week I increase the amount of teaching time I have in the classroom. I’m now leading three to four lessons every day.

I’m enjoying my PGCE a lot. The course is intense, and it can be demanding however, the University tutors are really supportive and more than happy to help. I’ve got a lot in common with the other students as we’re all on the same path to becoming a teacher. I like studying the theory behind teaching, especially as I can put my learning into practice during my placements.

What was the journey to getting a job after graduating from Birmingham:

I was interested in teaching before I started my Psychology degree at Birmingham. During secondary school I volunteered in a primary school for two weeks to gain some work experience and found it really insightful. After studying Psychology during my A-Levels I was keen to pursue the subject further but knew that I wanted to work with young children after my degree finished.

I graduated in 2023 and didn’t find many jobs that interested me. Throughout my degree I’d thought about teaching and made the decision to return back to Birmingham to study my PGCE. I’d enjoyed my experience here as an undergrad and knew the tutors would be supportive as I progressed my studies. I got in touch with my former Psychology tutor who wrote me a reference for the course.

How do you feel the learning experience on your course helped to prepare you for your career:

During my degree, there were several modules related to education, and I particularly enjoyed studying developmental psychology and learning about birth, infancy, and early childhood. It gave me a real insight as to what I might expect when working with children.

I also learned valuable writing and communication skills during my studies. My degree was mainly essay based and writing my assignments certainly helped me to express myself better, especially now I have to write a weekly evaluation for my PGCE. There was also a lot of group work to complete. The communication skills I learnt during assignments with my peers have helped me speak confidently with the children and teachers with whom I now work.

What are your top tips for student graduating today:

Don’t let a lack of confidence put you off getting involved! As I started my degree during Covid, I wasn’t able to make the most of my time. I’d encourage other students to come out of their shell and make friends. University isn’t just about academics, it’s important to socialise too.

What was your biggest achievement during your course (personal, professional or academic)?

I started my degree during covid and didn’t go onto the campus at all during my first year. As I live locally, I was a commuting student and although second year was hybrid, with more activity taking place in person, it was daunting to go onto campus when I hadn’t made many connections. By third year however, I felt more confident. I was on campus more, socialising with my peers and tutors and, had the opportunity to work on my final year project.

I worked on the project throughout the entirety of my final year and really enjoyed the experience however, felt nervous about presenting my findings. We did a poster presentation, and it was a big achievement for me as I was able to talk publicly about the project and present my research findings to my peers and academic staff.

If you had asked me during my second year if I would be able to present to a group or, teach, I would have said no. I’m now presenting to students daily and leading my own classes. My confidence has built continuously throughout my degree, and I’ve really developed as a person.