Historians at Work: Teaching – Cara Hall
15th July 2024
This series of posts showcases examples of our students undertaking work experience or volunteering as part of their studies. It demonstrates the range of experiences open to them at the University of Gloucestershire, the range of possible career paths that History students have, and the transferrable skills they develop as part of their degrees. This post comes from second-year student Cara, who volunteered at Saint Gregory the Great primary school in Cheltenham as part of the module HM5400 History in Practice.
From February to May 2024, I undertook a work placement at a local primary school, volunteering two days a week. Although I worked with 150 children in total spanning three different year groups, most of my time was spent in year six, helping pupils prepare for their upcoming SATs exams. My main responsibilities included reading with the children, shadowing lessons, working as a 1-2-1 mentor, and eventually teaching my own lessons.
I was inspired to take up this placement to trial a teaching profession since I have been considering a career in education for some years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I homeschooled my younger brother which I found to be fulfilling, particularly when exploring subjects which sparked my interest such as History and English. I believe that a career dedicated to shaping young minds and inspiring students to develop interests in subjects which I am passionate about would bring personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. From the placement, I hoped to clarify if education was the right career path for me, my preferred age to teach, and explore the skills required to be a successful teacher.
One of the initial challenges which I encountered was securing a work placement. Out of the eight schools to which I applied, only one could offer me work experience, with most not responding to my queries. Although I did not realise this initially, I was competing against Primary Education and PGCE students, and would have applied sooner if I had known this to be the case. While the uncertainty of securing a school placement was stressful, it taught me to be resilient and not feel downhearted by rejection; I also realised the importance of staying persistent, a skill which will be useful when applying for future roles.
One of my main tasks at the school has consisted of shadowing lessons. Whilst I found active participation to be more beneficial in the long term, shadowing was particularly helpful at the beginning of my placement, when I lacked the confidence and knowledge for more direct contributions. Research shows that shadowing lessons is imperative for gaining insights into teachers’ responsibilities and reflecting upon their different teaching styles.[1] I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to shadow multiple teachers throughout my work experience, allowing me to compare their different approaches to communicating with the children. This proved useful when learning how to effectively engage with each age group, as the younger pupils required a gentler approach and more collaborative learning as they were typically less independent.
A key skill which I gained from my placement was discovering effective techniques for classroom engagement. From observing lessons, I noted that when teachers asked a class a question, they typically did not select someone to answer immediately, even if multiple children had their hand raised. Instead, the teacher would continue expanding on the question, prompting more children to consider the answer and raise their hand; this was effective as it encouraged classroom participation and enthusiasm for learning. Pupils who actively contributed to the class were also rewarded with ‘dojo’ points, which further encouraged active engagement. From my experience, I found that the children learnt best through creative and interactive sessions. Whilst working in year five, I had the opportunity to teach several History lessons. I made sure to thoroughly prepare as these sessions were about the Anglo-Saxons, a subject which I was initially unfamiliar with.
My placement has been invaluable work experience, providing a well-rounded impression of the teaching career through the various tasks which I have completed. Despite my initial struggles with confidence, I have developed key skills which will help me when applying for future opportunities. I plan to apply for a similar placement in a secondary school, to compare the differences and decipher which I would prefer to progress into. I left the school on the note that I had made a ‘real difference’ to the children’s learning, which felt immensely rewarding.
[1] University of Cambridge, Personal and Professional Development (Online: University of Cambridge, 2014) <https://www.ppd.admin.cam.ac.uk/professional-development/job-shadowing/benefits-shadowing> [Accessed 9th May. 2024].