Teach First Taster experience participant Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the Teach First taster experience. I had a chance to engage with those who had completed the program and learn about the opportunities involved with Teach First. I particularly enjoyed the mini-lesson task where we were able to deliver a short 8 minute lesson to other participants and a professional and receive feedback on our performance. It was great to receive feedback on how I could improve and mentor others on enhancing their teaching skills.

I felt extremely valued on the taster experience. The break out rooms allowed us to interact with the program coordinators and participants and give our input on the tasks. There were many opportunities to ask questions and receive advice on areas such as teaching skills, gaining teaching experience and what the charity is looking for on their applications and the development day. What really sets Teach First apart from other companies is that they value each member of their company for their individual skill sets and they do not try to force you to fit a particular ideal or image.

We received plenty of guidance and support throughout the virtual experience. All tasks were clearly explained and we had many mentors to help guide us through the the process and give feedback throughout. We received support on areas such as applications, teaching ability and opportunities within Teach First. They gave us many opportunities to enhance our knowledge of the company since we could ask questions and these were always answered in a clear and understandable way.

They clearly outlined the competencies they look for at teach first and throughout the program, I gained skills in areas such as humility, empathy and respect, understanding and motivation and resilience. These skills will be vital for future applications since these are skills which are important across many sectors including teaching. For my degree studies, the organization and planning skills I have gained will be useful since I can effectively plan and create outstanding assessments.

The experience was very well structured. We received a clear timetable with a number of different sessions. There was the opportunity for group work, hearing from previous teach first ambassadors and learning about the social inequality in education currently which the company is aiming to reduce. The experience was varied and interesting and clearly showed us the missions and values of the company and to what extent we could help to work on their mission.

The general atmosphere was very positive throughout the experience. The mentors were helpful and respectful and endorsed the values of Teach First throughout. Everyone seemed engaged in the program and excited to work toward reducing social inequality. The engagement from my peers and those running the program led to many interesting debates and it was great to hear how I would be able to be involved in reducing social inequality in the future. This made the experience fantastic.

The company were heavily invested in our personal training and development. We needed to complete worksheets responding to our development throughout the process and we received feedback on our performance constantly. In particular, the feedback we received on our mini lesson was helping in enhancing the skills needed to work for this company as well as improving our personal development. I also loved the fact that we were able to mentor others since this was a great way to develop our leadership skills.

There were many speakers who had previously worked at teach first who came to discuss what their experience was like as a full time job. What was great to learn was how there were so many different paths you could take with teach first and how the company does not limit you to a particular sector. There are opportunities to work abroad, work in other areas of education and work in completely different sectors after the program such as consultancy.

The company culture was clear throughout. The competencies they look for fit in line with their culture. They aim to recruit motivated, empathetic and respectful people who care about making a difference to social inequality. Furthermore, they place great emphasis on helping you to develop and improve your skills so that you can be the best teacher possible. Furthermore, they make sure to fit you to schools which suit your abilities which means you will have a great experience since they tailor the program to you.

The content made me sure that I want to apply for the training program at teach first. I was unsure before whether teaching was the right sector for me, but after finding out how many opportunities there were with teach first, I am now motivated to take part in the program. I am excited to apply for Teach First and aim to tackle social injustice across any career path I pursue and their values are ones I am inspired by.

This was a virtual experience and went on for only two days so there was no pay. However, the values we gained from the experience were priceless. This is completely understandable since they are a charity and this was an insight scheme rather than an internship. There was no need for expenses to be paid since we were working from home, however I have heard that they do normally cover expenses when these experiences take place in person.

Yes, we had breakout rooms where we could ask questions to employees of the company. They were able to give us advice on the experience of working there and how to improve our chance of being accepted onto the program. We were also able to talk to our peers and hear about their experiences of tutoring so there was an opportunity to network with other Teach First taster experiences participants. The advice I have gained from everyone is invaluable.

We had a quiz at the end of the first day which was a great opportunity to talk to our peers in a more relaxed setting. The networking opportunities were also useful and it was great to hear other people's experiences and gain advice. It was a great way to be inspired by some fantastic people who truly care about the mission. This level of motivation is quite unmatched to other companies I have seen before.

Yes, we heard about summer projects which teach first holds where you can apply to work on social enterprise projects such as residential support for SEN students. We also heard about volunteering experiences with Teach First's partners where they help to tutor vulnerable and low income students across the UK. It was great to hear about these opportunities and it enhanced the culture and mission of Teach First beyond their summer institute and training program.

100%. If you are aiming to go into a training profession, the taster experience is an invaluable way to develop the skills needed to be a fantastic teacher. It was a great way to gain an insight into the company and understood why it is good to apply there and what you can gain from working for this company. The sessions were fun, interactive and thoroughly enjoyable. I would recommend this to many different people.