Excited to start my ITT
So, I personally was very excited to start my ITT as I’m sure most trainees are and I wasn’t very nervous at all. I had one or two concerns, but I was so keen to start and get the ball rolling I had very little time for nerves. Just to give some context, I came from an Engineering background. All educational, meaning no work experience. I did a degree in automotive engineering a couple years back to doing a masters in renewable energy engineering and it was during my masters where I realised this route truly was not for me. There was far too much pressure to be spot on with subject knowledge and although mine was somewhat good. It was not the best.
So going through with my masters combined with not being able to land a job in this field of renewable energy really pushed me to teaching, which came about as a suggestion from my partner. I would always mention the fact that I really enjoyed working in a previous role I had as a security officer supervisor in a London college, where behaviour and safety was an issue. I liked the environment and felt much happier there. This led me to believe that I could eventually become a good teacher. Since I thrive on building positive nurturing relationships with children and believed my experience in life could go a long way in guiding pupils that required it.
So before I started my ITT I was actually full of confidence. I felt my only weakness was subject knowledge. But doing a subject knowledge enhancement course over summer mostly addressed this. I felt very much at ease with the behaviour management stuff etc. However after my first two weeks at university, which included a week at my first placement school my confidence took a hit somewhat. This was mainly after attending professional studies sessions and subject sessions. I felt like I absorbed an overload of information and that I actually knew very little about what I thought teaching was, even though I had a fairly good grasp on it. But in a way it was a good sort of pressure I was feeling. It encouraged me to work harder. To bring my subject knowledge up to par. To discuss my issues with other trainee teachers and qualified teachers.
Although I haven’t taught a lesson yet, I feel very confident about teaching my first lesson, which is coming up very soon. This is mainly after deciding that I would definitely make mistakes and that is ok and keeping things simple is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s very much encouraged. I tend to be a perfectionist. So this was music to my ears. I don’t take very well to making mistakes, although I have Improved on this in recent years and I put constructive feedback to work far better then I ever did. So far in my ITT I have received a great amount of support. More support I have ever received in any other degree or course or even workplace, this felt amazing. It was the best feeling in the world to know that I had a support system of actual people (course leaders), who introduced themselves to me and let it be known that they are here for me to succeed and will do anything in their power to see that this happens. I sincerely hope that this is the case in other universities since this is such a powerful tool to have in your arsenal as both a student and trainee. This also applies to staff at my first placement school. They have been nothing but supportive and encouraging.
By Tawer Zadok