Never Giving Up

Ben EastwoodI’m currently doing my PGCE and with everything being as it is at the moment, it’s easy to let the uncertainty make you feel unsure. In my first placement last term, I had 2 weeks in isolation as I’d come in close contact with someone who had tested positive. 

During this time, I still had to teach from home but I found it really difficult. I’m sure there are others out there who had a similar experience and might well have also found that trying to teach a classroom from the other side of a screen in your bedroom is far from the experience we signed up for. During this period, I found that my confidence and belief in myself almost entirely vanished, and I spent a lot of my time telling myself I couldn’t do it. After speaking with family, friends, and school and university staff about how I was feeling, they all said only I knew what was right for me, but recommended giving it at least another week in school to make sure my decision was the right one.

Luckily, that is what I did! Whilst returning to being in front of a class was nerve-racking at first, I quickly realised that it was a lot better than being stuck at home. I once again felt that I was actually in control of what was happening and being part of the school environment made me feel so much better. I realised that all that time I spent stressing and telling myself I couldn’t do it was all wrong, and that in reality it was a lot better than I had convinced myself It was!

And so the main thing I learnt from my period of isolation is that things are never as bad as you think they are going to be – you might just be going through a rough patch. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, so don’t give up!

By Ben Eastwood