Wagoll Personal Statement 1 Anonymised PDF

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Wagoll Personal Statement 1 Anonymised...

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To me, the quote ‘the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, but the great teacher inspires’ is the epitome of why the very best teaching is important. You are not simply imparting knowledge on your pupils – you are getting to know them, engaging their minds and inspiring them to grow up and desire to do something that will have an impact. The learning environment must be safe, fun and accessible for all, where pupils of all learning types, with all kinds of additional needs, can flourish. The teacher must be a motivator, a challenger and have enthusiasm and passion for what they do. It is our obligation to make children want to learn more, to deepen their knowledge and achieve their goals to the best of their abilities. As a teacher, I want children to know both the importance of why and the power of yet – school may be difficult in places, more challenging for some than others, but it is ultimately an experience they must make the most of. I want to make sure all children go through primary school feeling they can achieve the same as their peers and I want to ensure all pupils know their own worth. I am dedicated to creating an inclusive learning environment where all pupils are respected, encouraged and feel confident in their own abilities, regardless of their additional needs. The classroom should be a safe space with a clear ethos, where pupils can flourish equally in the emotional, social and academic aspects of their school life. This is all underpinned by Rights Respecting values and the importance of emotional literacy, where children understand their own emotions and have respect for themselves and others. During my second School Experience placement, I worked in a school with a very high percentage of EAL pupils, some of which had low English fluency. It was my goal to demonstrate to these pupils that their English fluency was not the sole deciding factor in their academic and social success – the important factors were how they viewed themselves as equal to others, how they could approach the learning in a way that suited them, and how they could acquire English skills without sacrificing their first language. My own knowledge of languages allowed me to engineer learning objectives that relied less heavily on English literacy and more on creativity, collaboration and resilience; meeting National Curriculum statements without overlooking the pupils who needed extra support. In my third School Experience placement, I was introduced to the idea of constant, continuous reflection of one’s own views, achievements and actions. My Teacher Tutor noted that ‘XXXX always reflects clearly, purposefully and thoughtfully on all of her teaching’. I will always encourage this mind-set, regardless of the type of school I am in. I think it is crucial for children to be reflective, respectful and open to new concepts; it promotes an environment where all ideas are celebrated and all pupils can flourish. Through my university course I have studied all curriculum subjects, but it is my specialism in Geography where my knowledge is strongest. I hope I would add specific expertise and an in-depth knowledge of the primary curriculum to the teaching of this subject. The specialism allowed me to deepen my subject knowledge as well as how to deliver teaching of historical skills and concepts at a primary age, and the role and responsibilities behind teaching being a history subject leader. My passion in this area led me to undertake dissertation research ‘exploring the effect of artefacts on engagement for learning in Geography’, where I examined the links between a kinaesthetic/visual/tactile teaching approach and engagement for learning in EAL children. My research found that the engagement for learning of all pupils, regardless of their additional needs, was improved by this approach, the implications of which I will definitely apply to my own future teaching. My findings can also be applied across the curriculum, where all subjects can be delivered with an object as a stimulus to ‘hook’ the children in and inspire a real desire to be responsible for their own learning. Throughout my studies at the University of Winchester, I have had opportunities to work in a variety of schools, with pupils of all ages, backgrounds and needs. My first year placement was in Year 1 in a one-form entry village school, my second placement was in Year 6 in a large urban three-form entry primary school, and my third and final year placement is currently in a mixed Year 3/4 class in a two-form entry Church of England primary school. I have also undertaken self-directed experience in the Early Years Foundation Stage

and in Key Stage 3 (the Geography department at a secondary school). The variation of my placements provided me with the opportunity to see the progression of National Curriculum learning in action, allowing me to develop my practice across Key Stage 1 and 2 and greatly improve my behaviour management and strategies and assessment for learning techniques. I have also developed my own teaching pedagogy, vision and ethos as a teacher, taking part in transition days and school trips to commit to the wider community of a school. Most recently, I resourced and planned a whole-school ‘crime scene in the library’ activity for World Book Day, where all teachers from Year R to Year 6 took part and used my differentiated tasks. In addition to this, I took part in a TEFL language course through the university, extending my French skills (previously studied for GCSE and A Level). These skills allowed me to work with French-speaking EAL children throughout my second placement, including 1:1 work of improving their English phonics, spelling and vocabulary skills, whilst also using my higher-level French knowledge to set extra homework that encouraged the use of their first language. These experiences were invaluable to how I approached the teaching and learning of pupils with additional needs. My experience in schools has also made me aware of the other needs of children in school, and the range of differentiation and interventions that can be used. I have worked with children with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and, of course, EAL, as well as children who struggle with anger management, emotional literacy and global delay. To overcome these barriers, I have been continuously observing how teachers I have worked with approach an intervention, for example: in the class of my current third placement, there are two children who have more severe needs than any I have previously worked with. Child A is Year 3 but works towards Year R objectives, and needs heavily differentiated teaching when they are involved with the usual Year 3/4 curriculum. Through discussion with the class teacher and Child A’s 1:1 TA, I devised a scheme of learning in the English curriculum to meet their needs whilst allowing them to access the same topic of learning. For Child B, I have been heavily involved in processes including CAMHS referrals, EHCP provisions and collaboration with child psychologists. The whole experience has opened my eyes to the high-scale interventions sometimes needed in school, but also how to work positively with a child with severe needs. To help Child B, I created a brand-new reward system that they work with and bought them a scrapbook to help them improve their emotional literacy and resilience through artwork and visual stimuli. As a teacher, I know that I must be a positive role model for my pupils, promoting a caring, respectful ethos whilst also showing the importance of having fun and wanting to actively learn. In my current placement, I took part in the ‘ECO Waste project’, an e-waste topic funded by the University of XXXX that culminated in a performance to many parents and members of the public. I have never been involved in such a project and it was amazing seeing the combined effort of the teachers, pupils and parents to make it happen. Additionally, in this experience, I attended parents’ evening; seeing it from the side of the teacher rather than the pupil for the first time. Being able to discuss the achievements and progress of my pupils with the parents reinforced my belief that an open communication between home and school is a crucial bond that cannot be lost. My desire to become a great primary school teacher stems both from my personal negative experience at a primary age and my positive experiences in primary schools since, and my most recent placement, has only strengthened my love of teaching. I have the strong desire to help all pupils achieve their best across the curriculum and will achieve this through creative, enthusiastic and encouraging teaching. As an NQT, I will bring my own skills to your school but will also embrace every opportunity I am given to develop my teaching further in every aspect of the curriculum. I am a caring, attentive and collaborative worker with full attendance throughout my degree and every placement, and I deliver all my lessons with equal enthusiasm and positivity. I engage myself fully with wider school life and would be delighted with the opportunity to run extracurricular activities or clubs at your school. I look forward to discussing my application with you at interview....