I am currently studying at the University of Greenwich, and I am in the accelerated 2-year Bachelor’s Degree programme at this particular University. From the start, I have felt nothing but excitement and passion for what I am learning at university. I have always been good at working with children, but lately I have been trying to attend all the lectures and hands-on practicums that are available so that I can refine my skill set. I know that two years is not a long time, so I have to make sure that I am completely prepared when I go into my graduate programme.
Applying for my PGCE will be the next step after the completion of this goal. The PGCE will give me the experience and certification necessary to teach in the United Kingdom; it will also give me the experience and skills necessary to teach abroad, and will likely help me get a better position when I do complete the certification. I have accomplished a number of things, including excellent results in my A levels, but the completion of my teaching certificate will be the most important and exciting milestone in my life so far.
After the PGCE course, I want to become a teacher. It was my work experience in a nursery that helped me discover that I have a passion for teaching. I am extremely good with children—I always have been—but the passion for teaching was something that I did not realise that I had until I began working in the nursery. I have also worked hard to maintain my marks and polish my study skills so that I can be an excellent student.
After my course, when I apply for my PGCE, I will be much closer to my overall goal of becoming a teacher. There are many achievements that I am proud of, but I believe that achieving my goals of getting my Bachelor’s and then entering a PGCE programme will be the thing that makes me proudest in my life. It will be a step towards my end goal of becoming a teacher and helping students excel inside and outside of the classroom. Through my studies, I have learned that being a teacher is incredibly hard work, but it is also one of the most rewarding things that I have ever experienced.
Outside the classroom, I try to get as much information as I can about teaching English as a Foreign Language. My in-classroom coursework does not focus on ESL or EFL, so I have been consuming many different journal articles about the newest techniques used to teach primary school children EFL. I particularly enjoy the ELT Journal, because this journal focuses on techniques that are specifically for teachers who are working with children whose first language is not English. I have learned a lot from these journals, especially because there are problems that EFL and ESL teachers face that I would never have thought of without reading the literature.
Working with children makes me feel as though I can actually make a significant impact in their lives. I feel passionate about helping students improve their lives in every way I can, and I know that teaching is one of the primary ways that I can impact the people around me. Through my coursework and my teaching, I will be able to help students acquire the skills they will need to succeed in their lives. This is also why I want to be a primary school teacher: I want to create opportunities for students to excel from their earliest experiences in school, and help elicit a passion for learning for students from a very young age.
Bibliography
Cabrera, M. (2001). The effects of repetition, comprehension checks, and gestures, on primary school children in an EFL situation. ELT Journal, 55(3), pp.281-288.
Denby, N., Butroyd, R., Swift, H., Price, J. and Glazzard, J. (2008). Masters level study in education. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Johnston, J., Halocha, J. and Chater, M. (2007). Developing teaching skills in the primary school. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education.
McKay, P. (2000). On ESL standards for school-age learners. Language Testing, 17(2), pp.185-214.
Stein, P. (2000). Rethinking Resources in the ESL Classroom: Rethinking Resources: Multimodal Pedagogies in the ESL Classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), p.333.
