乐播传媒

Grace

What has been your biggest challenge this year, and how did you overcome it?

Keeping up with the academic work in a second language is the most challenging for me. How do I overcome it? Teachers are very supportive, the feedback on homework is very useful to improve my understanding, and the notes on Moodle have been very helpful.  On top of that, I spend almost every weekend studying. 

What has been the most valuable piece of advice you've received from a mentor or colleague?

Some advice from my mentor (head teacher) "Every teacher makes mistakes; every lesson could be an adventure. The most important thing is learning from your mistakes and learning to adapt your teaching method according to your audience to deliver your lesson."

Which professional value or teaching principle has become particularly important to you?

Every kid deserves a place in school, and everyone should be valued. 

What has been the benefit of being part of a degree apprenticeship cohort?

Being able to study the learning theory in university, to observe the 'old timer' in school/workplace and to put into practise what we learnt, helps me to form a better understanding of how to be a teacher.

Where do you hope this apprenticeship will take you by the end of the four years?

Having enough subject knowledge and education theories to equip me to be able to confidently create and deliver engaging lessons in the classroom independently.

One thing you wish you had known before starting

The level and the amount of academic content.

Charlie

What has been the highlight of your first year on the apprenticeship?

Letters from students. Personally, I find it hard to know when I’m doing a good job, however, towards the end of the first year, a tradition my school has is for the students to write letters to their favourite teachers. These then get collated and gifted to the teacher in a card. I received a surprisingly large amount of cards which helped me realise how many students I’ve influenced with my actions.

What has been the most valuable piece of advice you've received from a mentor or colleague?

The energy I bring into the classroom - at the start of the course I found it hard to manage behaviours in a classroom as I’d only had experience in small group settings. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to think about the energy you bring into the classroom. It is a simple but highly effective practice - don’t be energetic in your movements if you want quiet, even when not directly interacting with students. 

Which professional value or teaching principle has become particularly important to you?

The least dangerous assumption is one of the most valuable pieces of teaching theory that has helped me to approach and manage previously intense/heightened situations. The idea being when a student is reluctant to work, you assume they are not doing it maliciously or due to a lack of work ethic but because something in their life is making it difficult to engage. Approaching situations with an open mind and from an empathic perspective usually makes the interaction painless and helps deepen your teacher-student relationship.

How have your fellow apprentices supported your learning and development?

As part of the first year, we had group sessions colloquially known as ‘group therapy’ where we discussed our trials and tribulations of learning to work as a teacher. Hearing how my peers work through their hardships, and what strategies they have employed to manage workloads, have assisted me to come up with methods to manage my own time. Also, having a space to talk through any hurdles I experience has made it a lot easier to overcome them.

What area of teaching are you keen to learn more about?

I am looking forward to learning more about planning lessons and how to make my teaching accessible to an entire class and not only small group settings. Bringing my ideas into lesson plans is something I am excited for and I can’t wait to see how I can make maths more accessible to all my students through fun and engaging methods. 

Nick

What new skill or area of knowledge have you developed the most?

I've been given the opportunity to plan and run homework catch up sessions. As my school changed homework platforms, I have been able to get to know it well and help other teachers understand the platform and how to use it better.

Can you share a memorable moment from your classroom experience this year?

I have a coaching group which is like a form group but vertical with a couple of students from each year. Every week I challenge them to beat their own achievement points from the previous week and, if they manage it, they get a little chocolate. 

What has been the benefit of being part of a degree apprenticeship cohort?

Having a mix of ages amongst the cohort has been really beneficial as we all have different view points and have something to bring that can help one another through the different challenges we face during the year.

How have you managed balancing work, study, and personal commitments?

This has been a challenge, having a one-year old at home. I've had to be more disciplined than ever before and found great success going to coffee shops to work as I procrastinate a lot less. 

What area of teaching are you keen to learn more about?

Lesson planning is the part I'm most looking forward to learning about and getting to grips with. 

Advice for someone applying to the programme

It's the best way into teaching where you feel so supported. Take the opportunity early on to see as many different parts of the school as possible as it helps you appreciate what goes on in other areas.

Ellie

What has been your biggest challenge this year and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge this year was moving away from home and navigating life with independence, whilst starting a new course. In the beginning, it felt rather overwhelming with course content and living alone. As time moved forward, I learned the art of time management (to an extent) so I could manage my studies as well as finding time to communicate with family, but also connecting with peers on the course who were experiencing similar situations.

What aspect of teaching have you enjoyed the most so far?

I have certainly enjoyed running my intervention groups in the mornings and building solid relationships with the students who attend. I love how on days that seem a little more tough, these students come into school with full smiles and some comment that will always make my day. I have enjoyed the planning and delivery of the interventions, covering an array of topics, serving as revision, for my KS3 customers. 

How have you changed personally since beginning the apprenticeship?

I find this apprenticeship has allowed me to express myself as me. Through becoming more comfortable around my peers (both in university and school), I have become more able to express myself. In the beginning, I felt quite shy and quiet; now, I feel like the more chaotic/fun person I really am, and I’m so glad I get to share this personality with everyone.

What has been the benefit of being part of a degree apprenticeship cohort?

I believe there are too many answers to answer this question in one paragraph, so I will share my favourite three…

Firstly, the number of apprentices on the course has made this experience truly amazing. I love how close we all are and how that started from a very early stage on the course. The number of apprentices also allows the tutor-student ratio to be ideal. The support I feel we receive from university is beyond anything I encountered during my school years.

The relationships we have with the tutors are also very strong, and it’s lovely to share banter and humour with them during lectures. Their supportive nature allows learning to still be a top-priority, whilst taking time to make jokes and build positive relationships with us.

Finally, the ability to learn theory in university and apply it within work is a major win for me. I have enjoyed making the connections between what we are learning in university and what is being done in schools. Having the opportunity to watch professionals in lessons as well as having the opportunity to try strategies out myself has been something I have enjoyed a lot. It’s definitely given me the chance to see my mistakes and how I can correct them in the future.

What are you most looking forward to in year 2?

I am really looking forward to spending more time in school and developing my skill set with potentially more teaching opportunities in small groups.

 Advice for someone applying to the programme

There is so much that I have learned this year that any advice I give would be a micro dose of knowledge to the things future apprentices will learn on their own journeys.

I’d definitely advise finding accommodation that will give you very limited stress (for example looking for professional housing with no time limits). I’d highly recommend organisation. I learned very quickly that one ring binder would not be sufficient. I now have two for university (to separate the maths and education) and one for school. Being organised is really important for this profession as it is, however, during your studies it’s important to know where to find all your materials and keep them all stored together as this creates your portfolio.

Finally, I’d recommend allowing yourself to have fun. In the beginning, I became so stressed out from keeping on top of my studies, worrying about how good of a job I was doing in school, and struggling from being away from home, I forgot to have fun! It’s so important to connect with friends and and find hobbies you enjoy – you will find it makes a massive difference with performance in university and school. 

Gabriel

What has been the highlight of your first year on the apprenticeship?

Going on a trip to Walesby with the year 7s. I got the opportunity to go on a fun team building trip in the first term which allowed me to quickly become part of the community of the school and build relationships with both staff and students. Hopefully, I will also be able to go on the trip again next year with better knowledge of what is happening. 

What have your pupils taught you about being a teacher?

Building relationships where there is mutual respect is the biggest help that I have found with managing behaviour. Mutual respect comes from being consistent. If you let things go then they can become the norm and if you aren’t fair with punishments students will feel hard done by. Having conversations with students and giving them clear warnings and expectations has meant that when I have had to give sanctions the students are much more receptive. 

How have you changed personally since beginning the apprenticeship?

I have become more confident both in and out of school. In school when with students I haven’t previously met, I feel much more confident and able to manage behaviour much better. Having moved from London for this course I have also had to be much more independent and meet new people.

What has been the benefit of being part of a degree apprenticeship cohort?

Having a small group at different schools has meant we have all become close and can learn from each other’s experiences so that we can have a more well-rounded knowledge of schools. 

What are you most looking forward to in year 2?

Starting to look at more A-level lessons as well as working alongside other teachers to teach parts of lessons will be something that will be challenging but also rewarding.