STEM Insight Week Participant Review

I really enjoyed my insight at Teach First it gave me a great idea about teaching as a career and about teaching at disadvantaged schools in particular. They made an effort to make us feel valued as participants, and that we would be welcome back as Leadership Development Programme Participants.

Very valued - there were times during the second week of the insight when we were working in the schools where the usual concerns about teacher morale and authority in the classroom became apparent to me, but as participants we were valued quite a lot both by the programme organisers and the students we worked with.

We received a lot of classroom based learning about leadership qualities during our first week on the programme. This was complemented by rather more on the job learning in schools during the second week. In this respect, there was far more support during the first week of the insight programme.

I learnt how to manage a difficult classroom environment independently. This was key because such a skill is applicable in different contexts, in particular in a business context. We learnt how to present ourselves well to different stakeholders. I also gained a good understanding of Teach First's corporate partnerships with other employers.

Well structured - this was the first year in which Teach First ran an insight fortnight for STEM students, and it was handled well. We had an initial application process and a short assessment centre, before we were invited onto the insight. The insight itself was well organized, with plenty of time to develop our skills.

The atmosphere was great. All of the participants I met were passionate about teaching. There were a few who want to use Teach First as a springboard for a corporate career however, these were in the minority, and in any case all participants seemed committed to the 2 year Leadership Development Programme.

There were a lot of speakers from the corporate world invited to the first week to help train us in the leadership skills necessary to succeed in the corporate world. We then put these skills into practice in the classroom the week afterwards. Furthermore, all participants have an advantage when it comes to applying for the 2 year Leadership Development Programme.

On the development and leadership side of things I feel that the insight gave me a good understanding of the kind of skills I would be expected to develop as a full time teacher on the 2 year Leadership Developmeny Programme. I feel that the classroom based work was a little less realistic.

I was able to understand Teach First mission well - to tackle inequality in society through education. This I thought did not necessarily match up well with Teach First's partnerships with corporate companies, but I understand that they do need support and additional funding from somewhere, and these relationships are amicable.

I was able to secure a full time role at Teach First off the back of the insight fortnight. I deferred the beginning of my full time working in order to take a gap year post university, and this has meant that I will be on their Leadership Development Programme from this September.

Yes

Great

Yes

Yes