Teacher Training Review

by Ark

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • About You
    4.4
  • The Company
    3.7
  • Everything Else
    3.0

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the insight. It was diverse, offering us an in-depth insight into the career of teaching. We were able to observe lessons and engage with teachers and pupils to get a first-hand account of what it means to be a teacher. Furthermore, we were able to teach a segment of a lesson, which allowed us to get a real taste of what the career requires. The school was extremely welcoming and accommodating. The insight emphasised to me how much I'd love to be a teacher, it really inspired and motivated me further to embark on this career.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Ark and Globe Academy made me feel so welcome. I felt of purpose and that us being there was as much of a great opportunity for them as it was for us. Staff were super encouraging and enthusiastic about our presence at the school. They were friendly and always offered advice and support. The pupils also made me feel valued, asking for advice on their academic studies. I felt I was able to inspire pupils to achieve their full potential and help show them that absolutely anyone can have access to higher education if they have the drive and motivation to work hard.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • There was an ideal amount of support. I felt as though there were staff I could talk to if there were ever any problems. It was made clear to us that if we had any queries there were several members of staff at hand to assist. For example, there were some timetable issues yet this was dealt with quickly by members of staff, who always did their best to ensure we were well accommodated.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I think the skills developed will help most with post-graduate studies, e.g if I train to become a teacher. This is because the insight was so tailored to the teaching environment, helping build skills required of one to work in a school, like resilience and confidence when teaching a class. However, I do think the insight has helped with time management skills because the day was well-structured, which will be useful in my degree and beyond.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The insight followed the structure of the school timetable, therefore it was very structured! However, I think that the hours of 15:30 and 17:00 labelled 'reflections' was not that useful and the time could have been more directed to a specific task. For example, team building activities could have been scheduled within these hours for the students on the insight. This would have been a useful way to make the most out of these hours and help build our skills, Despite this, on some occasions this time did have a definitive purpose e.g - lesson planning or a meeting with the teachers, which meant these hours were useful and fulfilling.

    3/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • We were given a room that we could go to at anytime that providing infinite supply of tea/coffee and biscuits! This was a great space to get to know other people on the insight and therefore created a friendly, relaxing environment. The atmosphere was exciting and bustling! The staff and pupils were so welcoming, further creating a great working environment that was inspiring and motivating.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • The insight offered us a chance to teach a lesson, which helped build on personal training to be a teacher through heightening our confidence skills and resilience. I think more opportunities to learn about specific skills or difficulties in being a teacher, e.g - how to manage controversial believes/opinions amongst pupils, would have enhanced our personal training. This could have taken place between the hours of 15:30 - 17:00 to ensure that time was spent usefully.

    3/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • I am aware there is still a lot more insight to be had! One week was not long enough to experience the full demands of being a teacher. I know there is a lot more that comes with the career! It did however, emphasise the values of Ark and provided a good insight into the progress that Ark is making within resolving educational inequality.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • The insight helped me understand the company culture thoroughly as it was based in a school where the ambitions of Ark are firmly in place. The culture of Ark was shown through various behaviour and educational schemes the school had in place, for example the concept of normalising mistakes and an ethos that hard work can get you anywhere. Again, the Culture Pyramid was placed on walls across the school and the pupils had a really good understanding of it. I would have like to have known more about how teachers personally choose to implement the company culture.

    4/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • I do not think the content could have provided a much better insight into a career in teaching. The timetable offered opportunity to observe a variety of lessons, shadow a student, participate in teacher meetings and teach a segment of a lesson. All of these activities are extremely relevant and useful in deciding if one wants to become a teacher. The final day was an Enrichment Day, which also helped shown the diversity of days when teaching. However, I did not get to observe as many lessons in my chosen subject as I would have liked/as was scheduled in the timetable. This was due to a field trip taking place within the subject, therefore subject staff were not present. This was a shame, however I am grateful for having the opportunity to explore other subjects instead.

    4/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I will hopefully be reimbursed for travel expenses to London and also travel around London. Furthermore, we were all given tokens to use at the school canteen at lunch. Despite the generosity of these tokens however, I think many would have preferred to have had a set budget to buy a lunch offsite or bring in a packed lunch made at home. We could have still eaten this in the canteen and be present within the school community at lunchtime, as I think that was the ultimate purpose of the tokens. Also, I feel a set allowance of expenses for the day to help towards any accommodation costs would have been greatly appreciated as London is very expensive!


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • We we able to talk staff within the firm and get an insight into how they got into teaching, they were so welcoming in sharing their stories. I was also lucky enough to meet staff that were training with Ark Teaching Training at present. We had a lunch scheduled with trainee teachers however this did not take place. This was disappointing as I think they could have given us the most up to date and useful insight into teacher training with Ark as they were currently experiencing the procedure. Despite this, we had chances within the week to engage with employees of the firm, who were open to any questions and feedback.

    4/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • There were no scheduled social events by the company. Despite this, the fact we could all gather into a base room exclusively for the students participating on the insight provided a good chance to network with one another. Again, because of this commune, we were able to arrange social events between us, which heightened the experience and helped build new relationships.

    2/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • In relation to teaching and education, no. We had a chance to learn about the lifestyle of a teacher (e.g - extremely busy and long working hours!), and it was great that employees were open to sharing their experiences. It would have been good to learn about events that happen throughout the year that go alongside teaching in regards to external meetings etc.

    1/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • Yes! I think that even if you think you do not want to go into teaching, it is a short insight that offers you the chance to confirm any ambitions/concerns you have about a career in teaching. I really enjoyed myself and it enlightened me as to what I want to do in the future. I think any insight is a great opportunity to explore what you like/ dislike doing and to discover any talents you have! I know that for me, this insight only enhanced my desire of wanting to be a teacher and it was participating in this insight that confirmed this to me.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Education/Teaching

London

July 2017


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