Teach First Taster Experience Review

The Teach First Taster Experience Online definitely gave me an insight to teaching and a greater understanding of the problems faced in education. I loved that so many sessions were in different breakout rooms! This gave me the opportunity to meet new people, network/socialise, and practice my interaction/communication skills! I also loved that each activity was structured in order to allow us to develop the Teach First competencies. This has helped me to strengthen the skills of a great teacher.

The Teach First Taster was focused on helping us (the participants) to develop the Teach First competencies. I feel that Teach First's aim was to equip us to complete competitive applications for the Training Programme. I find this approach amazing as they motivate us to apply for their programmes by developing us rather than just feeding us loads of information. Throughout the taster, the managers/leads constantly checked up on us and encouraged us to reflect & evaluate ourselves.

We were constantly supported by the Teach First staff as well as our peers (the other participants). The staff would often enter breakout rooms to see how we were getting along. In some activities (such as the debates, solving problems in education & in the teaching episodes) each breakout room was assigned a member of staff who gave us group & individual feedback, advice & general support throughout the sessions. The general guidance from the Taster manager/lead & the online resources available were also amazing!

I was able to develop the Teach First competencies: Humility, respect & empathy, Interaction, Understanding & motivation, Leadership, Planning & organising, Problem-solving, Resilience, and Self-evaluation. I will be able to apply these skills throughout my university studies and future career. In particular, problem-solving & interaction will allow me to progress in a career in Engineering & STEM. Self-evaluation is particularly important as a teacher. It is vital to be constantly reflecting and improving my skills.

The timetable was very well structured & organised. The timings for all the activities was also very well prepared and fit into the timetable well. However, for next time I suggest longer breaks in between or a shorter day spread out throughout 3 days (due to online/ZOOM fatigue). Perhaps also the session where the partner companies rotated throughout breakout rooms could have been longer. The breakout rooms in particular were very well organised & in my opinion, were extremely efficient!

The atmosphere was amazing! All the participants were very interactive throughout the breakout rooms as well as on the general meeting. The TeachFirst staff were also very enthusiastic which generated a positive, fun atmosphere. However, towards the end of the 2nd day most participants in my breakout room began to lose energy. Next time this may be avoided if the Taster is spread out throughout more days with less hours in each. In general, the atmosphere was interactive, positive, and supportive!

The Teach First Taster was focused on helping us (the participants) to develop the Teach First competencies. I feel that Teach First's aim was to equip us to complete competitive applications for the Training Programme. I find this approach amazing as they motivate us to apply for their programmes by developing us rather than just feeding us loads of information. Throughout the taster, the managers/leads constantly checked up on us and encouraged us to reflect & evaluate ourselves. We were also constantly supported throughout the experience.

The Teach First Taster Experience Online definitely gave me an insight to teaching and a greater understanding of the problems faced in education. - which is the motivation & vision of the company. I understood the importance of developing the TeachFirst competences & how they can support us in our roles as teachers. I also learn't about the culture of Teach First - which is supportive & pushes us to develop into better individuals. In particular, I am now aware of the benefits as well as the challenges of being a teacher.

I learn't about the culture of Teach First - which is supportive & pushes us to develop into better individuals. In particular, I am now aware of the benefits as well as the challenges of being a teacher. I also now understand what the Training Programme consists of & the benefits for all the ambassadors. This was because we were able to network & ask questions to ambassadors and current trainees. Definitely allowed me to understand the culture more.

I was able to develop the Teach First competencies: Humility, respect & empathy, Interaction, Understanding & motivation, Leadership, Planning & organising, Problem-solving, Resilience, and Self-evaluation. I will be able to apply these skills throughout my university studies and future career. Self-evaluation is particularly important as a teacher. It is vital to be constantly reflecting and improving my skills. I am now more aware of the skills which I have & the skills that I would like to develop. This has allowed me to understand the sort of career I hope to enter.I am definitely considering teaching more now than before. I am also aware of the opportunities available at the moment in order to build me into a better applicant.

Not paid but still worth it!

Yes, we were able to network with ambassadors as well as the staff including the recruitment staff. This allowed us to understand the skills that are looked for by the employers in TeachFirst. This allowed us to understand what skills we need to develop and how to showcase our skills in the application, interview & assessment centre. Also allowed us to understand the programme such as how it works, the benefits as well as the challenges.

I loved that so many sessions were in different breakout rooms! This gave me the opportunity to meet new people, network/socialise, and practice my interaction/communication skills! We also gave each other feedback which allowed me to learn from others! In terms of social event opportunities, we were all added to a Facebook group so that we can connect with each other. We also had a social quiz at the end of the 1st day & a welcome webinar before the 1st day. This allowed us to socialise which was fun!

Yes! We were given the opportunity to network & ask questions to employers and recruiters in volunteering and paid tutoring companies. This also gave us an insight into the opportunities available for us to develop our skills and Teach First competencies prior to applying to the Training programme. We were also given a handbook with information from these companies prior to meeting them so that we were aware and could research them beforehand. Definitely a great initiative!

Definitely! It was very eye-opening and enriching. For any one looking to go into teaching or would just like to develop their skills, I highly suggest trying out the Taster. It also allows you to step out of your comfort zone and interact with people you may have never met before. I learn't how important it is to work as a team with others, receive and give feedback, and be constantly self-evaluating. These are essential skills to apply to the work-place and personally.