For me finishing my PGCE and starting my NQT year was my first foray into full time work, after completing my degree and moving straight onto the teacher training course. This in itself was a daunting prospect especially as teaching is never out of the media now; workloads, raising standards, examination changes and behaviour being constant trending topics. How could anybody cope taking on all this pressure, experienced teachers were beginning to voice their concerns at managing, how was I a newly qualified 22-year old teacher going to cope?!

The answer lay in finding a job that really suited me. I applied for many roles, but the school that hired me felt right. That might seem a cliché but I feel that had I not found a school that matched what I wanted it would have made my NQT year far more difficult. For me that was a Roman Catholic 11-18 school. The school had clear expectations and an outstanding reputation; I did my research and ensured that I took everything out of my interview and tour to ensure I was making the right decision.

For me the transition from Teacher Trainee to NQT was easier than I thought. I made the most of the NQT mentors at school often emailing them with any concerns; always ask if you are unsure of anything. Don’t feel that you only have to ask them either, heads of departments, members of the senior leadership team, and other teachers have all been NQTs and remember how hard it can be at the beginning. No question is a stupid question.

Workload was a big concern but careful time management and organisation helped to maintain a work-life balance. It didn’t happen immediately; it took a few weeks for me to find my feet and become more pragmatic. The first term is always difficult; it’s the longest but after Christmas the time really does fly! Luckily the Mathematics department at my school is close knit, every Monday and Tuesday 3-4pm we sit down together and plan out the week, we share resources and lessons between us. This meant the rest of my evenings after school were just a case of differentiating the lessons for my classes, and making them more suited to my teaching style. This meant that most evenings I don’t work past about 7pm, and my weekends are freed up!

A top tip which was shared by a member of staff in my first few weeks was to plan marking into your timetable, and stick to it! In each of my free periods in my timetable I decided which books would be marked, it meant I didn’t waste the time and again helped to leave evenings and weekends free.

During my NQT year I was given both a year 11 and year 13 class; which brought added pressure but also some of the most enjoyable teaching. Building strong relationships with these classes helped to motivate and keep them working when exams were approaching; it was rewarding to see them become more independent.

My top tip is to be you. Part of teaching is acting but keeping that up all year, every lesson can be exhausting. Make your expectations and routines clear from the beginning, and stick to them. For me I could never be a “dragon” my nervous smile would give me away. Humour works for me, and teaching my classes what I expect from them helps to keep classes motivated and engaged.

Being trained at the University of Manchester gives you the best start to your career, but the training never ends. Have confidence in yourselves, and don’t be afraid to try strange and wacky ideas; it could just work!

Related