Reflect on your experience of your first term of teaching
Teaching is all about reflection – reflecting on pupil
progress, reflecting on teaching methods, reflecting on the success of an
activity, etc. However, when you piece all these small reflections together and
think about an entire term, well that is huge. Especially your first term as a
trainee (oh, and during a global pandemic!).
I have loved my first placement. It has been challenging,
rewarding and exciting. I remember how nervous I was before my first day on
placement, possibly the most nervous I have ever felt. That was, until it came
to teaching my very first lesson one week in. It was a year nine class and the
topic was probability. My hands were shaking with nerves as I tried to log on
to the computer and load the starter onto the smartboard ready for students
returning from break. My brain was in overdrive – who knew there were so many
things a teacher needs to focus on during a lesson? Not me, that’s for sure!
An hour after that first lesson I received a text from NHS
Track and Trace. I had to go home to self-isolate for 14 days. Such is training
to teach during a global pandemic!
The nerves (and excitement) came back as I returned to
school after self-isolating. With the potential for schools to close any
minute, or for that dreaded NHS track and trace text to make a second
appearance, I knew how precious school experience was this year. With this in
mind, I just wanted to get on with teaching my classes and putting into
practice advice from the class teacher who observed my very first lesson.
At some point during the term, my brain began to process the
small things and the cognitive overload decreased. Minor things like taking a
register, sorting out equipment and working the smartboards became more
natural. This meant I could focus on improving my modelling and questioning for
example. I haven’t felt nervous about a lesson for a while now, instead I
really look forwards to them. So much so that I was gutted today when the
entire year 9 bubble was sent home to self-isolate prior to my last year 9
lesson. Such is training to teach during a global pandemic!
My biggest takeaway from this term is that resilience and
ensuring every day is a fresh start are key. This is particularly challenging
when you training under Tier 3 restrictions and there is little to distract
your brain from reflecting on what you could have done better during your
lesson. But, such is training to teach during a global pandemic!
By Molly Reeve