Author Archives: Marco Valente

Reflection TDT

I think one of the most important moment of semester one that will hopefully play a role in my development as a teacher was when my ‘working together’ group met and started to interact. This doesn’t seem like much but I feel this was the start to some bonds I would develop with fellow teachers, social workers, and community educators. The reason why I think this incident could be critical to my development is because hopefully when I need another point of view or help from a different profession I can contact someone from my group. However, this may not happen. For external reasons, it may happen because someone decides to go on a different path that they’ve chosen now. I understand that ‘things’ can happen withouit any meaning or control but in the same way, I may not make that move and contact someone else – but by this way, this could’ve been by developing different bonds. I feel that in teaching, you need to make friends with many different people to ensure you get the best outcome for yourself and for the kids in your class. Because at the end of the day, the kids in your class should be the main focus for you.

Why I want to be a Teacher

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From the start of my high school career, I wanted to be a PE teacher. My great aunt and uncle were both PE teachers, my cousin was studying at Uni to be a PE teacher. I wanted to follow in their footsteps. Up until around fourth year I was adamant this is what I wanted to do in life, but something changed. I didn’t want to teach PE. I wanted to do primary teaching – the ‘next generation’.

I started a placement at my primary school – Dunnikier PS in Kirkcaldy – and I began working in the classroom. I shadowed the CT and watched what she done and I learned. I then went from P2 to P7 – a big jump in ages and learning. It was in this class that I started to consolidate my ambitions.

This was the class I had to look after when I was in P7. We already had a bond, they remembered me and I remembered them. We worked hard in class and with my P5 and 6 teacher the CT, we had a bond too. Everything was in place for me to progress… and I did. It came to their Leavers’ Service and I had helped them along the way with their planning and preparation. One of the biggest cliché I’ve heard about teaching is that it’s the ‘most rewarding job in the world’ – but I felt that on that day. They were singing their songs and I felt something. I felt something inside that made me think “I know this is what I want to do”.

From then I kept going to Dunnikier every Wednesday afternoon up until my sixth year exams in May. I experienced Primaries 1, 3 and 5 in that time. I loved my time at the school so much and they loved having me in as a helper. This initiated a plan that I would go full-time in June into the same Primary 5 class. I took lessons, overseen the CT (a former UoD student) and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the classroom setting. I built relationships with the pupils and felt that they enjoyed having me there.

The teachers enjoyed having me and found that I was helpful and good to have around the school. The SLT also thought I was helpful towards the teachers and within the classrooms, so much, it was agreed that I would go back after the Summer as well before I started University. I went back to the school for the In-Service Days and for the first few weeks and helped in the two P2 classes. I was learning a lot and loved doing it – even the long hours I was doing. Working full-time at a school consolidated my urge to become a teacher. I now cant wait to qualify and have a class of my own.