A Day in the Life of a Trainee Teacher
The teacher training course that I chose to follow was school-direct based, which means that during these unprecedented times, I have been fortunate enough to be in a school environment. I always knew that, working as a teacher, everyday would be different, however I cannot quite put into words how true that is. I am going to try my best to run through my ‘typical’ day as a trainee mathematics teacher.
First things first, I always pack my bag the night before; this includes my laptop and charger, my planner, my pencil case, my printed-out lesson plans, and any worksheets I will use that day. This works best for me, as no matter how early I get up, packing my bag always makes me feel rushed. I then drive to the school; I have a thirty-minute commute. I get to school between 7:30am and 8:00am. I normally go straight to the maths corridor and set up in one of the maths rooms; we have about 3 teachers per room in the morning so that we can still be social but also maintain safety. There is normally either a full staff or department meeting on Zoom. Then it is off to academic review (form time); I work with a year 13 form, which I love, as currently it is all about applying for university or apprenticeships. It has been lovely hearing about the student's achievements and plans.
There are five lessons a day at my school; it can be difficult to keep up with timings due to the pandemic, some lessons are short, and the year groups all have different start and end times. I am at the point now where I teach two lessons per day, observe two lessons a day and have a free period. This hour I spent doing my reflections, lesson plans and marking. Once a week, I have a mentor meeting whereby I reflect on everything I have done and observed, identify where I have improved my teaching standards and create targets for the following week. This is one of my most valued hours, as I find it helps me feel more confident in my actions.
After school there is almost always something on, whether it be an intervention class, a department meeting, or a full staff meeting. These are useful in understanding the school more and making connections around the school. We have also had several intervention classes due to the recovery curriculum in place this academic year. I leave school between 4:00pm and 5:00pm most days, spend a few hours finishing some work and pack the next day's bag, ready for another experience.
By Dana Whitby
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