Taster session Review

I found the taster session very engaging, despite the fact that we had to take part over zoom instead of in person. It was very well structured and every minute felt useful. I learned about how to reflect on my own skills, and got experience with making connections over zoom that will be so vital going into the post-covid future. I had plenty of opportunities to ask further questions, and really valued the teaching advice that we were given. Getting to teach my peers an 8 minute lesson and receive highly constructive feedback was also very valuable.

I definitely felt welcomed! The ambassadors were all very friendly and made us feel comfortable by asking for volunteers to speak and giving us the opportunity to break out into smaller rooms where we could engage with the tasks much more easily. Even though zoom is inherently a little isolating, I was still able to connect with people! We were also given great advice about applying to the training programme and we were really made to feel supported.

I gained a lot of insight into what makes a good teacher and a good lesson, and will definitely retain those tips for my future career. Getting to teach an 8 minute lesson was extremely insightful and allowed me to really consider whether teaching is for me for the first time. We also met lots of different ambassadors and heard about their experiences, and had many opportunities to ask further questions. Their experiences were all different and all extremely useful.

The skills we developed were centred on the company’s key competencies, and having a deeper understanding of these will put me in good stead to apply for the Teach First training programme. We self-reflected multiple times and I discovered what some of my areas for improvement are, and was encouraged to plan out how I would further develop in those areas. My skills have definitely been refined by this taster session. The information we received about Teach First and the application process was also extremely valuable.

It was very well structured. Tasks were just the right length so that you could get stuck in and focus, but not bored and tired out. We had multiple breaks and a 45 minute lunch break, which I thought were all well timed. The day was 10-5 / 9-4:30 so I felt really accomplished by the end of it all, but not exhausted. We were given our timetables we’ll know advance and we stuck very closely to those timings, which was reassuring.

It is hard to create a lively atmosphere on zoom, but the taster definitely wasn’t dull. We had a lot of varied tasks, and the group tasks in particular shone out as being very dynamic and interesting as we got to know one another. It was rare that I felt distracted or bored, as the content was always interesting and engaging. The highlights were definitely those group tasks where we were able to create an atmosphere in the break out rooms.

We were introduced to the key competencies of the company and frequently referred back to these in order to track how we were developing and how we could further develop our skills. The ambassadors also offered us great teaching advice and tips, and we were taught how to structure a good lesson. I definitely felt that we had been invested in - the ambassadors wished us the best of luck for further applications to the company, but really equipped us with the tools to be successful in that process.

This was a great strength of the taster session. We heard from a range of ambassadors what it was like to teach with Teach First, and I really appreciated that they shared both their highs and their lows in order to demonstrate an honest picture of teaching. Seeing their passion and resilience was very inspiring, and the support they told us they had received from Teach First was easy to believe, when all of the ambassadors had been so friendly and supportive to us.

I feel that the company culture is one of support and resilience, as well as social justice, as we spent time looking at the educational inequalities that Teach First specifically aims to tackle. Many participants were clearly passionate about this and it was very enriching to have these profound conversations. I feel that anyone on the taster session is now well equipped with an understanding of whether they would fit in with the Teach First vision.

The taster really consolidated my interest in teaching, which I’ve spent years wondering about but never being quite sure about. It was very reassuring to hear from ambassadors with a range of career goals - some had always wanted to teach, some were teaching for now but planning to move on, and some had already moved on. Hearing about the qualifications that you can gain through Teach First was a huge incentive for me, and I feel very confident now about what I will do next.

I didn’t have to travel and so didn’t expect reimbursement.

Yes, we met plenty of ambassadors and people who worked for Teach First. They were all very approachable and offered a great insight into what they did, their career path, and the application process. I feel that we were introduced to a great range of people, as we also met employees from partner tutoring firms and we were encouraged to take up work experience with these vision-aligned companies if possible. This was a great strength of the taster.

The networking opportunities where we were able to ask ambassadors, employees, and vision-aligned partners questions about their jobs and their experiences were incredibly insightful. We, the students, also got to know one another through group tasks in break out rooms, and by keeping these groups varied we met a lot of people. The group tasks were very interesting and led to profound and interesting conversations, a real success given the isolated nature of zoom calls. We also had a quiz night which was a great opportunity to feel more at ease with the other people.

We heard about the opportunities available to teachers in their schools, such as clubs, extra managerial responsibilities, and so on, as well as the opportunities available for those who are training with Teach First. This involves internships and placements, and is a huge incentive for applying to the training programme. They really made clear that you would be supported throughout the process and throughout your employment, and helped to find other avenues that suited you.

Absolutely. I learned a huge amount about what it is really like to be a teacher, and I learned that Teach First is a very good route to take into teaching as you learn on your feet, earn a salary, and become highly qualified. I wasn’t sure about teaching before but now I am very certain. I met lots of interesting people and felt that the company really valued their employees. It was a genuinely enriching experience.