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after all, my prospective employers. Being mentored by people who had spent many years in local schools gave the lectures a sense of personalisation and relevance. Studying at Wolverhampton allowed me to develop strong relationships with other PGCE students. I knew where to access support when needed, and I was able to collaborate with interesting and inspiring guest lecturers. The facilities in the new education building at the Walsall Campus are state of the art and provide a motivational learning environment.
Leanne Gould Age: 22 Degree and university: PGCE Science, Wolverhampton Work Title: Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) What do you actually do? I currently work as a NQT in a local secondary school in Wolverhampton while continuing my academic study to gain a masters degree in education through the University of Wolverhampton. I now recognise the importance of the skills I acquired during my PGCE, which have helped me develop self-discipline, efficiency and organisation to manage both a full time job and postgraduate study. Were you always interested in teaching as a career? After thoroughly enjoying studying science in higher education I couldn’t imagine continuing life without learning more about the subject, and I have always enjoyed being able to relay my knowledge to others. For this reason I decided to pursue a career in teaching. How did you find out about the teaching sector? After considering all of the optional routes into the profession I decided that a PGCE was the best course for me as I felt it provided the level of support I would need while beginning a new career. The structure of the PGCE allows you to participate in school life while being an active part of a university. The course is organised to give students practical experience as they enhance their knowledge of teaching academically and also professionally. Although my PGCE year was very challenging I felt that the mentors at university of Wolverhampton were very supportive, equipping me for life in the classroom. I chose to study at Wolverhampton as it had been named one of the top universities for teacher training and worked in close partnership with local schools and communities which were,
What do you most like about what you do? I relish life as a teacher; it’s a career with flexibility, a job that allows you to exert your personality and creativity. Through association with the University of Wolverhampton I am proud to be involved in an organisation called ‘creative partnerships’ which supports teachers through innovative teaching approaches and has given me many opportunities to be creative and inspirational in my first term of teaching. As hardly any years have passed since I was a secondary school student myself, I understand that science needs to be brought to life for pupils to experience.
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the structure of the pgce allows you to participate in school life while being an active part of the university. Scott Eastwood
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Degree and university: Mathematics and Statistics, University of Southampton (2004), PGCE, Institute of Learning, University of Hull (2007 – 8) Work Title: Newly qualified teacher (NQT) Secondary Maths. Were you always interested in teaching as a career? I began a career as an accountant, starting at the bottom as an accounts assistant. Teaching had always been something I had been interested in, but at the time I didn’t feel I was in a position financially to continue studying full-time. I soon realised that life in an office was not for me, doing the same things day in day out, and after 18 months I decided to pursue something else. I had kept the ‘bug’ for studying while working as an accountant by studying at university after work once a week, and after realising what a buzz helping my younger sister with her homework generated, I decided to give up my day job and enrolled for the PGCE at the University of Hull.
What did you most enjoy about your teacher training experience at the University of Hull? I enjoyed being back in university surroundings, meeting a wide range of new people all with the same goal. The PGCE group as a whole and the mathematics element included newly graduated people, middle-aged people and people like myself, who were somewhere in the middle. This resulted in many varied views on teaching and styles of teaching, with each member of the group having their own role. Mine, apparently, was to be the joker of the group; I have the certificate to prove it! I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the course and have made some extremely close friends form it. How are you finding teaching now? There is no doubt it is hard work but it is also the best decision I could have made. No two days are ever the same, each posing their own new challenges. The pupils are challenging and at the same time rewarding. They are constantly surprising you and the good moments definitely make up for the bad. I am particularly enjoying building a relationship with my form group. What would you say to anyone thinking about a possible career in, or change of career to, secondary teaching? Do it but make sure you are prepared to devote most evenings to your work. The school day does not end when the final bell rings! You are never too old to become a teacher, in fact, life experience is a definite bonus, but I advise visiting a school so you know what they are like now. Making a connection with teenagers is such a buzz; I can’t see myself having any other career.
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