It is that time of year again when I prepare to head out on placement for 6 weeks. For this year’s placement, it is all about ‘Learning From Life’ and taking the opportunity to do something outside of a Scottish primary school. As I have been unsure of teaching as a career, I decided it would be most valuable to still do a teaching placement. This time in Northern Ireland at the primary school I attended over 15 years ago. Hezlett Primary is only 6 miles away from my hometown which means no 6.45am starts or 40 minute bus journeys to get to placement on time!
I have chosen this setting for my placement as I have had many doubts over teaching especially after having a tough placement with Primary 6 in first year. I am unsure if teaching is the right profession for me and very much felt that going to a non-primary school setting would simply add to my confusion. I decided that it would be best for me to go into a primary school and work with a younger class as I have always felt I prefer working with younger children. As the placement had to be outside of Scotland, I believed that going home to NI would be the best option to allow me to focus solely on placement without the addition of household tasks and long, public transport journeys. I hope that by the end of the placement I will know if I wish to pursue teaching and continue my studies of Primary Education in Dundee.
Without a doubt, I expect there to be many benefits from this placement. I believe that it will give me a broader picture of what teaching involves and how well I can cope with it. As I had a rough placement, my confidence in my own ability has decreased and I believe that going to a familiar environment back home will help me to regain this confidence. I think it will challenge me as we haven’t had as many specific inputs for early years’ placement as we did last year before our upper years’ placement so I must ensure that I am ready solely through my own preparation. Getting the opportunity to work alongside Northern Irish teachers and within a Northern Irish school will help me to gain an understanding of how the education system works and compares to the Scottish system. Ultimately, I believe it will help me to make an informed decision on whether I feel I am suited to teaching or not, which for me is crucial to decide before I enter third year.
As I have already completed one 6-week placement, I believe I have a basic understanding of the importance of lesson planning and the role of teachers which will only grow with this placement. I will be able to bring the perspective of a Scottish Primary Education student and compare the techniques used. This is a rare occurrence in this school as most placement students study at Stranmillis in Belfast. I have started to develop the teacher mindset and am looking forward to learning more during this placement.
