Biomedical Sciences undergraduate student Review

Despite the challenges of using an online platform, Teach first did an incredible job of ensuring that the activity remained enjoyable and interactive, even with lots of participants. I never found myself at a loose end and they were always there to support any questions or technical difficulties. Despite being online, teach first made sure that we all got to know one another and interact as if we would in person by setting up quizzes and break out rooms which was extremely beneficial

There was never a moment during the internship that I felt as though my time there was not valuable. Teach first constantly thanked us all for being there and made sure we knew that they were there for anything. They consistently took each and every question and went above and beyond to send out emails when questions ran over time and were not able to be answered. They really did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and at ease throughout.

The support from the experience was impeccable. Part of the team was always available via zoom, phone call or email if we had any problems and this was made obvious always. When I had technical difficulties during a task, the team were so understanding and gave me plenty of time to complete the task again even though it would mean we were behind. Each task was explained brilliantly and any confusions were cleared up immediately.

Each skill I learnt on the course is not only something that I felt could be perfectly applied to make me a better teacher in the future but were also skills that I could apply to any career that I went into. Some of the skills I learnt will also assist me in my current degree such as planning and organisation. Along with this, all of the information provided was made interesting and was always given with examples of how it could be applied.

An online experience will always come with its issues but Teach first did a great job at combatting that. Occasionally due to the vast amounts of people on the course, things such as timetables and separate zoom links were a little confusing however the company was incredible at answering any and all confusions. The course ran extremely smoothly and there was never a delay when it came to the tasks or episodes which meant that each day finished on time with all tasks complete which was extremely useful.

The atmosphere of the experience was fantastic. Everyone I met was equally enthusiastic about the course and I met some really like-minded people. The instructors were extremely informative and always enthusiastic which made the experience even more fun. Adding things such as the quiz really brought some personality to the course and made it feel the same as it would be in person, which is a difficult thing to make work. I would 100% recommend the course to anybody.

Through each step, you could tell the main focus from the company was to ensure that we took everything we could away from the sessions and used it to better ourselves. They are a very invested company and are really excellent at seeing potential within people. Their process of giving feedback is fantastic which just highlights how passionate they are about wanting each student to be successful in their tasks and learning. I couldn’t have asked for more from them on a personal level.

Due to the nature of the course being online it did make it difficult to experience a true teaching environment, however this is no fault of the company. As a group we were not able to visit schools to teach as we normally would have, but teach first did a fantastic job of getting us as close as possible. The role play of the staff as pupils was very impressive and the opportunity to talk to people currently in schools was fantastic.

Getting to learn more about teach first as a company and what they stand for was fabulous. Although I already knew a lot about the work they did and wanted to do, it was interesting to hear how the current pandemic had affected what they do. Also, it was interesting to learn about how the company is also connected to various businesses and to see just how big of a network the company has and how helpful that would be.

Before going on this course I was 90% sure teaching is what I wanted to do. The course has consolidated that for me and I now 100% know that I want to teach. The skills I have learnt have really inspired me to want to be an excellent teacher and to make a difference to children’s lives and education. this is especially the case in knowing that with teach first I would be working to inspire a disadvantaged collection of children.

There was no need to reimburse any expenses due to the course being online. Despite this, I would say that due to the fact that originally when in person the course was going to be a paid course, it was unfortunate to not receive any payment for the course. I was delighted to be on the course either way however I did have to take time off work for it and would possibly have benefitted from a small bursary.

There was a question and answer session set up for us to learn more about the programme and those involved in it which I found extremely valuable. Not only this but we consistently met different people within the company and were able to learn different things from each of them. It would have been nice to have the opportunity to ask those leading us some more personal questions about their career and not just questions regarding the learning.

As far as an online course can be, the interaction was great. Teach first set up a special quiz night and a debate which gave us all the opportunity to get to know each other a little better without the fear of assessment. This was very useful as it allowed me to meet like-minded people and be inspired by their pathways and ideas- just as it would have been had the course been delivered in person.

Teach first did an excellent job via a next steps session that enlightened us to all of the opportunities we can gain from the company despite whether we are successful on the course or not. This involved volunteering opportunities and general ways of keeping in touch with the company. This was extremely valuable to learn and highlighted that the company respected each of us enough to want us to keep pursuing our chosen career paths and helping us get to them.

I would 100% recommend this course to a friend. I have learnt so much from the course, things I never would have even considered otherwise. The team were extremely welcoming and friendly and really put the entire group at ease. It was a pleasure to be on the course and I know that no matter what, I will always want to stay in touch with teach first as a company. I could not recommend the course more.