Graduating class of 2023



So I’m officially a trained primary school teacher! I finished in July and had the summer to reflect and plan. I’m excited to say I have found a job and look forward to teaching a year 5 class.

 

I feel like I have renewed hope and have been able to see some real change within the schools I have worked in. Obviously, there is still more work to be done but as I was going through my reading corner it was uplifting to see a variety of faces, cultures and voices. I still couldn’t resist creating my own mini library of books with faces and authors of colour, my own little collection of diverse voices and stories from around the globe. I want to ensure I continue championing a variety of voices, and having a collection of books will support this mission.

 

I have been busy planning my classroom, how I want things to look and how I can make an accessible and safe space for all my pupils. I have created a calm box that has breathing exercises and other mindfulness activities to help my learners. I don’t know how effective it will be, but we will see it in the first term. I have created a botanical-themed classroom with a big focus on class belonging and the children feeling part of that space and having some pride and ownership over it.

 

Looking forward we have Black History Month coming up, I have already started thinking about how I could feature this within the children's learning, not just for the month but year-round.

 

I cannot express my excitement for Wednesday when the children enter the classroom for the first time. My own class is what I have been working towards all year! So what next? I will continue writing about my experiences in education from the viewpoint of an ECT (early career teacher). Stay tuned!

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