STEM Insight Week Participant Review

The Insight event was split up into two weeks. The first week was all about learning about the theory and practice of teaching, including pedagogy, how to create a good working relationship with students among other things. We were given an introduction to Teach First's business partners, including professional services and consultancy companies. The second week was spent at a partner school, observing lessons, helping out teachers, and putting what we had learnt into practice.

I have learnt a lot of skills that will help me throughout my career. There are many transferable skills involved with teaching, such as learning how to communicate with others, how to manage large numbers of people, and how to be a positive role model. These are skills that I have not been able to practice as much throughout my university course, so I will be better prepared to enter the working world once I graduate.

It was great to see the various routes into the teaching profession via Teach First. The main programme is the 2 year leadership development programme, where graduates spend two years training to become a qualified teacher whilst having a strong participation in the classroom. Graduates are encouraged to have a strong participation in extra curricular activities such as being the leader of a sports of debating club. There was also an emphasis on the fact that people can retrain to get into the profession.

The company culture was great. Teach First prides itself on its mission to reduce educational inequality through the provision of great teachers. That being said, there are some doubts about its relationship with corporate partners. The majority of people who attended the event seemed genuinely interested in a career in teaching, which was positive because there is a shortage of teachers in many subjects in the UK. There was a good atmosphere at the networking events.

I really enjoyed the insight. It was an opportunity for me to learn about the teaching profession and whether teaching is for me. Although I am undecided, the insight definitely encouraged me to consider teaching as a possible profession - whether in the near future or further down the line in my career. I learnt a lot about the Teach First mission - to reduce educational inequality in the UK. I also gained a lot of connections with other participants.

Yes

Try and emphasize what you can offer to Teach First, particularly if you studied a degree related to STEM. This is because there is a shortage of teachers in the UK, and being a motivated graduate is attractive to employers such as Teach First, where there is a need for teachers with both good subject knowledge and great leadership skills. Emphasize how your extracurricular activities have helped you to become a well rounded person in and out of the classroom.