Primary School Teacher
It is the best, most rewarding job and you will see that just within the first few days of your NQT year.
My first few weeks as a teacher
My first few weeks as a teacher were fantastic! I remember building the first day up in my head so much, thinking it was so daunting. As soon as I finished my first day and even my first week I wondered to myself why I had worried so much. You really have the chance to come into your own, have your own style and put all your training into practice.
The placements I undertook at Leeds Trinity helped me prepare for the workload and organise my time accordingly so that I was able to manage the first few weeks with confidence. Going into my first class, I knew I was going to have a special educational needs child to plan for and work with. The lectures at University for this topic really gave me an insight into how to approach this best and already that has helped them to blossom. This is due to my knowledge from Leeds Trinity and putting that into supporting this child.
Words of wisdom
Advice I would give to future NQTs would be to not work yourself up about beginning your NQT year. I had the best times during the first few weeks, firstly, having my own class! Getting to know all the children was amazing, especially when they have those lightbulb moments because of the teaching you have delivered!
There is so much to look forward to and you will have the time of your lives. Just remember, stay organised, plan ahead and never expect your to-do list to come to an end! You will never look back at your decision once you have your own class, it is the best, most rewarding job and you will see that just within the first few days of your NQT year.
The challenges
Challenges I faced in the first few weeks were grasping the new routine. Teaching is a hard job and you have got to put the hours in, so even when you’re home from school, there’s always something to do. My to-do list is never complete which is sometimes frustrating but I have to remind myself that no teachers to-do list ever is complete!! Finding a school and home life balance took some work and getting used to.