Student Review

Such a beneficial two-day insight into the work of TeachFirst, not just in terms of the information on getting into teaching but also on the need to tackle inequality in education. I found the range of activities really engaging and have developed a range of key skills over the two days. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to debate issues in education and hear the ideas of like-minded peers from across the country. I also found the chance to present a mini-lesson and receive feedback from a TeachFirst ambassador very valuable.

I felt extremely valued as a member of this two-day experience. The organisers were polite, friendly and approachable, able to answer any questions and provide support when needed. I also felt my contributions were valued and respected in the smaller group sessions - especially when receiving feedback on my mini-lesson and when pitching a potential solution to problems in education. Overall the atmosphere created allowed be to grow in confidence and contribute to group discussions.

I received lots of guidance throughout. Before the course began I received multiple emails with instructions on the structure of the two-day programme. I also received the resources we would be using beforehand allowing me to familiarise myself with these and have a good sense of what we would be covering. During the course any questions were answered clearly, and the coordinators were very helpful in guiding us through the events of the two days.

The TeachFirst course was heavily focused on the eight competencies which are obviously essential for a role in teaching, but I feel they are also transferable skills which will really help my employability opportunities after university. I especially think that I grew in confidence when interacting with new people over zoom, and in presenting my ideas clearly to a group. These skills will be very useful for interviews for any job and help not only with future online work experiences but more immediately with online university studying.

The course was packed with a range of activities but also included important breaks so we were not focused on the computer screen for the entire day. I felt each activity was well structured and clearly instructed. each day had a combination of presentation from speakers and interactive discussion activities. The best part was the chance to plan the mini-lesson on the first day and have 24hours to finish this before presenting the following day.

The general atmosphere was extremely friendly and encouraging. Especially given the fact it was online, the coordinators did a great job of helping us to feel comfortable, for example by having ice breakers and networking opportunities to get to know the other people taking part. This was really helpful as I found I spotted a number of familiar faces throughout the activities, meaning I felt more at ease contributing in these. All the ambassadors were very open and friendly when giving advice and answering questions.

The Taster session was aimed at helping personal development, with lots of opportunities to reflect on my progress and skills before, during and after the course. The opportunity to present a mini-lesson and receive personalized feedback from my peers and a Teach First ambassador was especially helpful for developing my own skills. In a couple of the sessions, some of the talks surrounded the STEM online experience which I am not eligible for, but overall the discussions were very useful in opening, my eyes to opportunities beyond university.

The Teach First course helped me to understand what their teaching programme for graduates involves. They provided lots of detail on the application process including the selection days, and the actual two-year training programme. The chance to speak to ambassadors who had gone through the programme only furthered this, allowing personal insights into experiences of the course. There was also the chance to hear from those deciding who will get a place on the Teach First graduate course.

The chance to hear from current Teach First students and ambassadors who had completed the programme allowed a real insight into the large support network that the company provides during the programme, the positive training environment and the beneficial network it provides even after you leave. I got the impression that TeachFirst has the applicant's needs at heart and really aims to facilitate the best training they can. Their commitment to tackling inequality in education was also clear - placing students in schools that need good quality teachers the most.

I found the content really helpful to get an insight into what a role in teaching might be like. It has helped me to decide that, while I am passionate about the problems in education and like the idea of working to support children in education, I do not want to go into teaching straight after university. Through hearing from ambassadors who had gone on to work for other companies but remained involved in the Teach First project due to its sentiments in tackling educational inequality, I realised that I definitely want to be involved in charities tackling these issues even if I am not teaching directly.

This course was free so there was no need to cover any costs - this also made it accessible for participants even if they are living off of a student budget or do not have a large income.

Yes - there was the chance to meet others on the course in an introductory session a week prior to the course, and multiple chances to chat with other people during the course. There were dedicated slots where we were placed in small breakout rooms, and we were mixed up for each activity so I felt that I had the chance to meet almost everyone on the course over the two days despite there being nearly 60 participants. The Christmas quiz on the first day helped to build on this, allowing us to form connections with others in a fun activity

Considering the limitations of an online course, the TeachFirst programme allowed for lots of opportunities to network and get to know the others on the course. The Christmas quiz at the end of the first day made a big difference going into the second day as we bonded not only in our teams but as a group overall. There could have been a bit more use of the Facebook group prior to the course, but overall I felt very comfortable due to the opportunities to network.

Yes - we heard from multiple companies that work with TeachFirst, including multiple tutoring companies offering both paid and voluntary opportunities currently. This was really helpful as it showed that we could start gaining more experience even before applying for the graduate training programme.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking of a career in teaching, but also anyone who might not be set on teaching but likes the idea of working with children and has an interest in working to help tackle the inequality in education. I found this course really beneficial for developing lots of transferable skills even though I am not thinking of going into teaching straight away.