Dear future pupils

I'm writing to share my view of what it was like to do work experience. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn’t nervous because I was; I remember not sleeping the night before the first day as I was so excited but SUPER stressed. I chose to go to my old primary school as I was already familiar with the work place, which made things less stressful. However, I was extremely nervous about how I was going to fit in and work with children, as I didn’t know what year I was going to help or what would happen.

On the first day of work experience I was given a tour around the whole school and I was given safety precautions and a booklet. Everything was explained thoroughly, all the Do’s and Don’ts.

I was assigned to work with foundation children and the part timers; they were so adorable and cute (not to mention so clingy LOL). It was extremely hard not to hug them but I had to pull through; the teachers treated me like a responsible adult which made me feel less vexed; it actually made my work experience even more enjoyable…to cut things short, I won't narrate my whole work experience story as that would take me ages … but I'm just here to tell all of you that it is going to be nerve-wracking as time's getting closer but just trust yourself and the process… enjoy every second.. its worth it all in the end!! As long as you know you can be mature and responsible but fun and crazy at the same time, that’s all you need to be honest. Good luck!

The staff support that I received during my time at work experience was truly amazing, so much so that it made me question whether teaching was the right path for me. After a full week of watching the teachers be nothing but patient with the primary students, a newfound respect towards teachers was formed, not just from me but I’m sure many of my peers would agree.

My time working in a primary school was one of the best experiences and I cannot put into words how grateful I am that Nottingham Girls’ Academy offered us all this experience. I arrived at 8am and left at 6pm for 3 out of 5 evenings because I was dedicated to my temporary role as a TA. Not only was I allowed to do general teacher requirements such as marking books and teaching lessons (I taught math) but I was able to design and create a board for the back of the classroom that showcased the students dedication to presenting their hard work to us teachers. I also guided 10 reading sessions for year 4 students that needed that extra support to meet their needs, I became more aware of people’s abilities and how resilient many students are who have needs different to my own. For this I want to thank all of the staff that I worked with and all of the staff who allowed me to experience this while growing as a person because this will definitely impact my future career.