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Why did you choose NTU?

I had lived in Nottingham for the majority of my life and wanted to remain here for university. The fact that it was a four-year course appealed to me to gain additional experience.

What did you learn inside and outside of lectures?  What still makes you smile when you look back?

I had a really positive experience at NTU. I learned so much about best practice and the expectations of teachers, from pedagogy to curriculum requirements, which has been essential to my job.  I learned just how important strong friendships are and building connections with those on your own and other courses. When the workload is challenging or the pressure is intense, it is nice to know that you’re in it together.

What does your current day involve? Take us through a “typical” day (if there is one!)

I start my day by ensuring resources are prepared and the classroom is ready for the children to learn in. I welcome the class and we have a morning catch up, prior to starting our first lesson. Following this, the class have an assembly, before playtime. I catch up with marking and identify the next steps for pupils in their learning. I then teach another lesson just before lunchtime. During my lunch break, I mark any work,  prepare for the afternoon and eat lunch! The afternoon consists of teaching two lessons. After school I mark the remaining books. Once home I take time for myself. That might consist of going for a run, meeting friends or walking my dog.

What attracted you to this field of work?

I was set on the fact that NTU was my first-choice university. I decided upon Primary Education, as I was already spending time volunteering at a school and with children. I knew that it would be a rewarding career that I would genuinely enjoy. I felt I would feel more fulfilled teaching and the prospect motivated me more than alternative career choices.

What challenges have you faced?

It was my workload and taking time for myself. At times, it was difficult to balance placements, where I would be teaching up to 80% of the working week. I also had to evidence my best practice through online portfolios and completing upcoming university assignments, alongside keeping healthy and maintaining a work/life balance.  I would block out my time clearly every day and designate certain days/evenings to lesson preparation, resource creation, portfolio work or assignment research. Treating the course as a 9-5 job helped me to do what I needed to do.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

One of the biggest highlights of my career has been winning the prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement, while at NTU. This was a culmination of years of hard work on assignments, research projects and placements.  Beyond university, the overarching highlight has been a successful first year as a primary school teacher. I have formed great relationships with the children in my
class, as well as the staff, parents/carers and wider community. This has led to a calm and happy working environment, great academic progress and results across the entire curriculum and a brilliant understanding by pupils of growth mindset and emotional regulation strategies.

The biggest challenges of my career have involved balancing the workload with staying healthy. Teaching a suitably adapted lesson that ensures progress and learning for every pupil is challenging, particularly alongside the unseen demands of teaching.  There is always more that can be done, which has been a tough lesson to learn.  Resultantly, the biggest challenge has been managing the pressure that I put on myself with staying healthy and avoiding burnout.

What are your plans for the future?

In the future, I would love to specialise in maths and carry out my own research into primary mathematics. My dissertation and third year research project were both around mathematical language and reasoning.

What advice would you give to new graduates?

Prioritise healthy habits and take time for yourself. There will always be more work to do and the to-do list will never fully be finished. Don’t burn yourself out by trying to get it all done.

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