Trainee 2021-22

Teaching, it is the profession for me!

I’ve wanted to be a Design and Technology teacher as long as I could remember. I was heavily influenced by the amazing teachers I had at school and the impact they had on me, with both my academic studies and personal achievements. I always remember the standout moments, from when I was accepted for an unconditional offer for my Product Design degree, all the way through to being accepted for School Direct, with GITEP. I knew in my heart of hearts this was meant to be. It is a fit like no other, to become part of a school and a family of colleagues and pupils.

Upon writing this testimonial, I reflect back on one of my interview questions. “So why do you want to be a teacher?”, for all of us in the profession, there are many possible reasons as to why. For me its seeing the lightbulb moment, when a pupil just “get’s it”. Seeing visually in a student’s expression, the joy, and the energy of fully understanding something and then being able to further engage is just the epitome of what it means to be a teacher. And I have truly had these moments with pupils, throughout my training year.

Another response I gave to this question, was to inspire pupils into being interested in STEM and possible STEM career paths. For me teaching is about providing pupils with engaging, dynamic, and informative academia, but also practical skills, for not just their current studies, but also for general life-based skills. Design and Technology, really embeds both of these, from problem solving skills, to investigating possibilities, considering how to be more sustainably conscious to communicating and expressing ideas, in creative and professional formats. Even if my pupils, choose not to venture down the STEM route in future, I know I have provided them with the life skills, to be successful in any career or anything they set their mind to.

Finally, I wanted to share my own vitality and passions for both my subject, supporting young people to thrive and also for learning. There is no other job in the world I can possibly think of which allows you to influence society and the young minds of the future, like teaching can. It’s also a job that, you never stop learning, from your own personal and professional development, but making you a more employable, well rounded and soft-skilled individual. Not only, do my pupils challenge me to create memorable and enlightening lessons, they teach me every day, how to have fun, to know that we are all only human and to give myself credit where its due. We as teachers are the role models for these students, how can we possibly teach them, when we don’t reflect the same drive, motivation and positive attitude to learning, to them, ourselves. This is something I hope I will never loose the ability to do and thus why teaching is the profession for me!