Future Teachers Programme - Gemma's Story

What motivated you to join the Future Teachers Programme?

As someone just finishing their university course and having realised I wanted to work in an educational setting, the FT role was a brilliant route into teacher training, allowing me to gain experience, train and earn a wage all in a single year. The variety of experience and the ability to be a permanent member of staff in your main placement school was much more appealing than increasing student debt and having to change school every term.

How did your role help you understand classroom teaching? 

By experiencing a variety of subjects in the classroom, I was able to see the variety of options available as my subject specialism during training. I also experienced a range of teaching styles and got to understand how the school’s culture was shared throughout departments. The idea of having my own classes without having had the responsibility of running a classroom on my own felt daunting, so the FT role meant this was a much easier transition.

What skills have you developed during your time in the programme? 

Adaptability is the biggest skill I have developed through my FT year – every school day is different and there will always be unexpected moments, but being a FT meant this was a normal part of my school experience even before I started training. I was far more able to cope with challenges and disruptions to routines during my training because of my experience. During your training year, you can focus on learning to teach your subject specialism rather than how to manage a classroom, since you have been doing this during your FT year. 

How effective was the support and mentoring you received? How has Teaching Personnel supported you?

Even now, the Teaching Personnel staff who first introduced me to the FT role still visits the school I trained and now work in. It is always lovely for them to come into my classroom and have other prospective FT applicants see where they could be in the future. The mentoring programme has developed over recent years to ensure each FT has someone linked to their subject and are able to prepare themselves to train in those specific areas. 

What challenges did you face while working in a school environment, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge is the unpredictability. You never know what students are going to throw at you or what sudden changes will need to be made. I always struggled with changes to schedule and not being able to plan excessively in advance, so the FT role really forced me out of my comfort zone. As result of this, I can now confidently say I am much calmer and much more able to cope with challenges that appear during the working day. It has made my journey into teaching much less stressful and easier to cope with. Equally, having supportive team members and those around you who you get to know well, since you are working in one main school, means you are always supported and have someone you can ask to help.

How has the programme influenced your decision to pursue a teaching career? 

Without the programme, I know myself and other previous FTs have said they would not have managed to do their training year or would have found it much harder. Training to teach is hard and to have to learn how to manage a classroom at the same time and how to teach a specific subject would have been extremely challenging. The FT role gave me the chance to experience the real term-to-term running of a secondary school and decide what subject area I most wanted to teach permanently. 

Looking back, what has been the most valuable part of your experience in this programme?

Without a doubt, the most valuable experience through my journey through the FT programme has been the opportunity to try out a range of subjects and build relationships with students across the curriculum. During my training, I knew so many staff members and had built such great working relationships with almost all students in the school, making me feel confident and comfortable in my position within a school and classroom setting. 

I think if you’re someone who knows they want to work in education but are also a little unsure about subject specialism or even what role within a school you want to do, the FT role is the perfect way to earn and get a huge range of experience. From gaining hands-on experience in the classroom to building confidence and forming meaningful relationships, the Future Teachers Programme provides a strong foundation for those interested in teaching. 

Sign up to get started with Future Teachers today via Teaching Personnel.