Krystian McInnis, Teach Wimbledon Secondary Lead, recently met with Teach Wimbledon graduate, Lisa Hodgson, to find out why she decided to pursue a career in teaching, with Teach Wimbledon.

• What inspired you to apply to train to teach with Teach Wimbledon?

I first heard about Teach Wimbledon at a train to teach event, they gave me lots of really useful advice on the best ways to get into teaching as I had no prior experience of working in a school. Teach Wimbledon was really helpful at putting me in touch with schools in my local area to allow me to gain some experience as a TA before starting my PGCE which has truly helped me in becoming the teacher I am today.

• What advice would you give to someone considering a career in teaching?

​It’s hard work but it’s most certainly worth it! Being able to see the children develop and have real ‘light bulb’ moments is what makes it all so worthwhile and rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy the feeling that I’m making a real difference to a child’s futures and showing them they can be anything they put their mind to.

• How did you find your training year?

My training year was a real shock to the system, going back to university to complete my PGCE after deciding on a career change. Initially it was all quite daunting as I had no experience working in a school before, compared to other trainees on the course. Nevertheless, I was extremely lucky to have amazingly supportive mentors at my school who guided me through everything. Before teaching my first few lessons I was really nervous, but as soon as I got into the swing of it and built relationships with the children in the class it all started to feel natural. It was a great feeling at the end of the year seeing how far the children had progressed and that I had contributed to their success.

• What did you gain from the course, aside from a teacher training qualification?

The chance to share and hear about other students’ experiences in schools was really beneficial. I was able to pick up different strategies and things to try in my own teaching that I would never have thought of myself. It really allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and try lots of different creative ways to present my ideas in the classroom, ensuring the children felt engaged and excited in their learning.

• Looking back, what would you say to yourself at the start of the programme, and what is your advice for future trainees?

Enjoy it, don’t stress about the little things and be prepared for things not always going how you planned them too, but always noting, that isn’t always a bad thing! Some of my best lessons have been when the initial idea didn’t work and I had to adapt what we were doing. Every day is going to be a different adventure and if you are passionate about what you are teaching, then the children will be passionate about it too!

Applications to train to teach with Teach Wimbledon are open now. To find out more, please visit www.teachwimbledon.com.