BA (Hons) Primary Education

Emily

I've wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. (Well, apart from when I went through a brief period around the age of 11 of wanting to be a paramedic or a marine biologist. Fears of seaweed and needles soon put a stop to those ambitions). My brother is 10 years younger than me and  trust me, trying to persuade a nine year old boy to stop playing on the PlayStation and sit down to do his homework is not the easiest thing in the world. I really enjoyed having to come up with creative and fun ways to present his homework to him, and that’s what revived my dream of being a teacher.

So now I find myself about to start my second year at the University of Greenwich studying Primary Education. My first year has flown by in a flurry of rocket balloons, hilarious dance lessons and a lot of nursery rhymes. I still remember how nervous I was on my first day, but everybody was so welcoming the nerves didn't last long. We spent our first week, or ‘Induction Week’ as they call it, playing games and getting to know everyone in our classes. We even had guitar lessons at one point! Then the hard work began and we were set our first essay about the value of outdoor learning. I was quite surprised at the difference between the requirements of University level essays and A-level essays, and if there is one piece of advice I can give you it would be to read as many books as possible in preparation for your essays. Trekking across campus with so many books you feel like your back could give out at any moment may not seem very appealing now, but the more evidence you have to back up your arguments, the better your essay will be.

In a way, our timetable is similar to that of a pupil going to primary school. During the first year, we had lessons in PE, English, science and maths. The lessons are very interactive and hands-on – in science, we had to create our own rocket balloons whilst in English we had to perform poetry to each other. This hands-on approach really helps give a solid foundation for your essays, and the tutors are always willing to offer help and advice.

All of this of course was building up to our first block placement – a period of 5 weeks spent in a school with you gradually taking on more and more responsibility within the class. I was placed in a nursery school, something I was initially extremely nervous about as I had always wanted to teach key stage two, but I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding and enjoyable first placement. I was surprised by my own confidence, something which will definitely develop during your first year here! At the start of the year, even the thought of standing in front of a group of people and speaking was enough to get my nerves going – by the end of my placement I was quite happy standing up in front of a class of 25 children and singing! (I’m not quite sure the children enjoyed my singing as much..)

I have loved my first year, and can’t wait to begin my second. If you’re thinking about studying Primary Teaching then go for it, no day is the same. At times it can be hard work, but if you put enough effort in, it’s definitely worth it.