Insight Participant Review

I thought the Insight Programme with Teach First was incredibly enlightening and provided so much more than I expected. They made their vision very clear from the get go; not only saying what the problem was but how we could get involved. They showed that we could tackle the problem of educational disadvantage from so many different angles, which I found very interesting! The second week was an insight into teaching in a challenging school. This made me fall in love with teaching even more, it was so much fun! I highly recommend the Teach First Insight Programme to anyone who is thinking about teaching. It is an amazing opportunity for anyone considering the education/teaching route. The skills learnt from just this two weeks on the Teach First Insight were phenomenal, so what I'll learn doing the main scheme is so exciting!

I felt that Teach First saw us an individuals and valued each and every one of us. They went to the limits to make sure we had any problems we knew that we could go to them. They were very quick to respond to problems no matter their size. I felt like one of the team!

Lots! the first week consisted on the different schemes that Teach First offer, how they help the problem of educational disadvantage if all sorts of different ways. As well as providing sessions on how to plan lessons, and how to put yourself across in the class room. Every session had support from different 'ambassadors' (Teach First graduates) who have all been through the same process. So you know they know what they are talking about.

I believe that every competency that Teach First require for you to take their Insight and LDP scheme were tested during those two weeks. These are all very essential for all aspects of professional and personal life. E.g. Leadership, problem solving and organisational skills were all tested and developed which I'm sure we can all agree can be directly applied to our degrees and beyond!

Very well structured. About a week before the programme began we were given a timetable for what will be going on for the time we spent in London conferences. These timetables consisted of what the session was about, who was giving the talk, the length of time that the session was going on for, the competencies developed during that session etc etc. So it was very detailed and structured in that sense. With regards to the actual teaching part of the programme it depended upon which school you got placed in because it was up to them to organise what you would be doing. Personally I was very lucky in having a school which was very organised and seemed to value our presence! We got well structured and detailed timetables containing what lessons we would be observing, when we would be teaching, when we would have meetings with certain members of staff etc, We also got our lesson objective in advance which was very useful! So for me the insight was very well structured, also for others it could have been a bit iffy in the second week depending on which school they got assigned to!

The atmosphere was fun, engaging but simultaneously professional. Although sometimes the conferences could have been a bit boring... sorry! I suppose it can't be all fun?

The first week was all about training. They made sure we knew the vision of Teach First and how they are helping to tackle the problem as well as telling us how we could get involved. They made sure we were ready for our second week of teaching by providing workshops on how to deliver a lesson, what to look out for, different types of learning style, how to plan a lesson etc etc! All of this was given during conferences which lasted Mon-Fri 9am-5pm during the first week and then the Friday of the second day 9am-4pm. It must have taken a lot of organising!

Obviously only spending 4 days within a challenging school and only delivering 2 lessons is not an accurate representation of a teachers life, however Teach First made a point of providing as many people who had been through the scheme and experienced its ups and downs as possible for us to talk to. So I feel that I had a good idea of what it would be like.

From day one they are hammering in that vision and making you familiar with their competencies! Its all about the vision and the competencies! Oh... I suppose the teaching and the reduction of educational inequality as well.

I'm pretty set on becoming a teacher now. So they must have done something right!

You are given £500 toward the costs associated with the two weeks (not including accommodation). This however is an over estimate so you're likely to get a bit of a profit... but shush, don't tell TF that!

Lots and lots! Conferences with with other participants and other people who had taken the course. Lots of opportunity to network and meet at various points during the day!

They were good! Normally accompanied with a pint!

I kinda got the impression that for the first year teachers don't really have a life... but erm I also don't think that that is very relevant.

Yes, yes, yes!