What Our Trainees Say About Us

I decided to apply for the i2i Teaching Partnership SCITT whilst I was working as a netball graduate assistant at a boarding school. Since graduating from university I was looking for the next step in my career and the initial teacher training seemed like a perfect fit.

After visiting the school on my interview day I was really impressed with the lead school Weydon. As an aspiring PE teacher I was amazed at the fantastic facilities, friendly and hard-working PE department. Maria and the team were incredibly welcoming and very informative regarding how the course runs and what is required of a trainee teacher.

In my first term of training, I was busy observing numerous subjects and teachers with a variety of experience and teaching styles. As requested we were required to take notes using the ‘teaching standards’ and try to identify certain teaching strategies and techniques. After we became more familiar with our lead school and timetable, I got the opportunity to teach ‘episodes’ of lessons. The i2i team were incredible with the support; they are very experienced professionals and understand the amount a trainee should be teaching. So I felt very comfortable to get stuck in. As soon as I got a taste of being a ‘real life’ teacher I could not WAIT to start teaching full lessons. However, with the excitement and challenge of teaching comes a lot of organisation and preparation.

Here are my tips and thoughts on getting the most out of your first term of teacher training:

1. BE ORGANISED. Make sure you use your time wisely. I decided to plan my free periods by writing a to do list on a post it note. Written down would be what I needed to achieve by the end of that free period. I’m currently in term two and this technique is a life saver!

2. BE ORGANISED - PART 2! Organisation is the most important tool for term one. Whether that is collecting paperwork for evidence, reflecting on your lessons or finding evidence for teaching standards. 

3. ASK FOR HELP. Every department is there to help, they will have resources coming out of their ears. Just ask for advice on how to plan for a particular class.

4. GET CREATIVE. It is apparent that trainees have to plan every lesson and it can become a bit repetitive. Therefore, be DIFFERENT and use websites such as sports plan, TES and YouTube to find new and engaging tasks or drills that students will ENJOY. I found if I enjoyed the drills I was teaching, so did the pupils.

5. GET INVOLVED WITH EVERYTHING. From attending PE quiz nights, watching the school productions and having a cup of tea at break time with other colleagues: this will make a world of difference to your experience within your lead school. Building relationships with members of staff not only makes you feel welcome, but reassures you that you ARE a teacher not just a trainee.