I have to start this blog by saying this is a new challenge for me as a newbie to blogging. I am really excited to go out on my first placement but utterly terrified at the same time. I have spent some time volunteering in schools and loved the experience. The staff within the schools were warm, welcoming, enthusiastic to help and share their experiences with me. I thought it had given me a good insight into what takes place within the classroom environment. My first few weeks at UWS have turned these assumptions on there head and I am beginning to appreciate the enormity of my learning journey. I have already started to reflect on where I feel my weaknesses and strengths lay in regards to literacy and mathematics. Coming into the BA Education programme I felt comfortable with my mathematics knowledge but have always doubted my literacy capabilities despite having a passion for reading and enjoying language. I have quickly understood that having a knowledge of subjects is valuable but only the beginning and the real challenge is getting the knowledge and ideas across to our young learners. I have a feeling the next 4 years will be a rollercoaster of emotions with my confidence going up and down.

For my first placement my hopes are to observe and learn as much as I can now that my eyes have been opened to what I am looking for! I want to get as much experience from the two week placement as possible through my interactions with the pupils, teachers and school staff. I’m relieved that I will be sharing this experience with a partner and that we will be working together, it is comforting to know there is someone going through the same emotions and self doubts that I will be having but also that we have each other to support and encourage through the experience.