Teach First Taster Experience Review

by Teach First

Rating

4.6/5
  • About You
    4.5
  • The Company
    4.8
  • Everything Else
    4.3

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the virtual experience?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 day experience with Teach First. I thought that it was very beneficial to be able to plan and lead a mini-lesson to both peers, who would be providing us with feedback, and to a qualified teacher with experience in the Teach First program. Considering this opportunity had to run online as opposed to in London as was originally planned, I really felt that this did not impact on the quality of my experience.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • I definitely felt valued by Teach First because each and every colleague who led a session/ invited us to ask questions was welcoming and understanding, but also engaging and interactive with us which made me feel encouraged to interact in return. This was crucial to an online experience, as sometimes Zoom can be awkward without being able to rely on normal gestural habits. Further to this, we were informed of lots of further opportunities with the company extending beyond the "traditional" or "standard" teaching route. It was really great to hear from someone who had trained with Teach First and then gone on to work with a corporation firm.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the virtual experience?
  • We were completely supported throughout the whole process by either the Zoom host, or numerous other Teach First personnel who were always on hand to ask questions, either aloud in a session or through the private chat function. I messaged the Taster Experience coordinator several times with questions and was responded to efficiently and kindly.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • Given that the experience was only 2 days long, I don't feel that the skills i gained were countless. However, this being said, we were all encouraged to focus on the skills that the Teach First company look for and also encouraged to self-reflect and reflect with other attendees on whether we felt we had gained these skills. I now feel considerably more confident both at interacting with people in a sometimes odd virtual setting and also in applying to work further with this company.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the virtual experience?
  • The virtual experience was very well structured because each session was timed and the itinerary was basically stuck to, with not much need for contingency plans. I was always sure of what part of the experience was coming up next and what I would be doing each day both because of virtual access to this written information and because the hosts reminded us.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your virtual experience?
  • Again, in spite of the experience being carried out online, I truly felt that the coordinators had gone out their way to ensure that this did not mean that the atmosphere was awkward or not as personal. Through placing the attendees into break out rooms and regularly bringing us back into the main Zoom call, I felt really engaged and involved. The atmosphere was great, in spite of the occasional awkward online moment.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Teach First really pushed our personal development, across the two days and then also in discussing how we would go our seperate ways and continue to develop our skills gained. In terms of personal training, the company gave us several hours to talk about and with Teach First's partners who can help to boost our CV and application for Teach First.

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the virtual experience help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • Because we got to talk to actual trainees in the company who we could interact with, this meant that it was very clear what having a full time role would feel like. if relayed accounts of these peoples' experiences were not clear enough, we could ask specific questions to these individuals.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the virtual experience help you in understanding the company culture?
  • I left the course with a very clear understanding of what it is that Teach First aims to do and how it is that they do this. This was reinforced several times in several sessions over the 2 days meaning that this was at the very forefront of my mind.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • Invaluable! I had a cliched epiphany moment that teaching is the career for me, and Teach First is definitely a company that I would strongly if not definitely consider to help me get to this career. However, i also felt that if the 2 day experience had taught me that teaching perhaps was not for me, that I would have still gained a foundation in many key professional and personal skills and had further thoughts about a career.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was not paid of reimbursed expenses, purely because there were no expenses on the virtual experience. However, when the original plan was to go down to London, the company made it clear that train tickets could be reimbursed up to a certain value and that accommodation would be completely covered for those we had no connections in the city.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Lots and lots of networking opportunities- we spoke to representatives employees of the firm, ambassadors for the firm etc etc. This gave a very well rounded view of all the different aspects to a role in the company and widened my horizons in terms of thinking about what I can do in the near future and what my far future might look like.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • We were provided with lots of contacts and websites in order to get in contact with the partner firms. This was a large emphasis of the 2 days which was really well organised and didnt feel stale even after we had questioned several people consecutively. Teach First really wanted to provide us ways to enhance our applications both for their company, but also in life in general.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • Not really- this was not an emphasis of the 2 day course. However, we were informed of the opportunities teachers who train with Teach First can engage with outside typical lessons. There are projects such as volunteering projects that the trainees can get involved with alongside their lesson planning to enrich their skills.

    3/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this virtual experience to a friend?
  • I would definitely recommend this virtual experience to anyone considering teaching who meets the criteria specific to Teach First. it was an inspiring 2 days which have confirmed to me that teaching is a legitimate career choice for my existent and developed skill sets. I will definitely be getting involved with this company again.

    5/5

    Report this review

Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

June 2020


View More Reviews

View More Jobs