Why teaching?

During the final semester of my undergraduate degree, I took up a part-time job working as a cover supervisor. It was a job I really enjoyed, and I was able to work in a variety of different secondary schools, covering a range of lessons as well as all year groups Y7-11.

When I started covering maths lessons, a subject I thoroughly enjoy and was able to actually teach to students, I quickly realised how much joy it brought me. I loved all of it; the feeling of being able to break down tricky topics and explain them to students in a way that makes it seem less intimidating, the satisfaction of helping students reach their potential and being able to make a difference in the lives of the next generation. It soon became apparent to me that this is what I wanted. A job with a sense of fulfilment and purpose. Now it was time to figure out how I was going to get there.

Why a PGCE?

I looked at many routes into becoming a teacher. SCITTs, teaching degree apprenticeships and the university-based PGCE. I decided on the university-based PGCE, because I knew I’d prefer a gradual approach, where I’d get the chance to learn more about teaching strategies and education theory before entering a classroom.

Why The University of Manchester?

I used the ‘Find teacher training courses’ search tool on Gov.UK to see all the available options, and the University Of Manchester quickly caught my eye as it was one of the few that offered the 11-19 qualification (the usual is 11-16), meaning that upon completion I’d be able to teach in colleges and sixth forms too, which was something I wanted to do.

The University of Manchester is also the only teacher training provider to offer a ‘Mathematics with Economics’ teaching course, which ultimately convinced me, as even though I was initially looking to teach maths, my undergraduate degree is in Economics, and having the qualification to also teach that was an added bonus, something that I knew I would enjoy, and it’d definitely increase my employability.

At the UoM the PGCE course is made up of 3 placement blocks, where your first and final block will be in the same school, and your second, in a different school. I liked the idea of this split as it allows you to leave your first placement school and experience a contrasting environment, develop your teaching skills, and then return to your initial school, where you can showcase your improved skills and your development as a teacher, and see the
differences in your practice from the start of your course vs the end, in the same school.

Some universities are similar, and some have 2 longer placements instead of 3 shorter ones, which you may prefer, so this is definitely something to consider when finding your course!

Final comments

Although teaching isn’t easy, it definitely is rewarding! You’ll find that no two classes are the same, and each day comes with a new story to tell. If it’s something you’re interested in but not certain on yet, look into Get Into Teaching open events and guided campus tours to get a better insight.

Similarly, if like me you did an undergraduate degree which is different to the subject you’d like to teach, and you’re not sure if you’re eligible to apply, call the admissions team and just ask! If your degree doesn’t suffice you may be able to do a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course instead, so it’s always worth asking.

Written by Raisah, currently studying for a PGCE. 

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