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Primary PGCE (Maths and Science) Personal Statement
A teacher has a wonderful influence on a child’s learning. A teacher that has passion for the subject that they are teaching will inspire the children to learn. This is why I believe a love for a subject is won or lost at Primary School. A maths or science teacher has extra influence in this regard. People often have the opinion that maths and science are for intelligent people, and they cannot do it, as they are not smart enough. I do not think that this is true. With enough motivation and support, I believe anyone can succeed at maths or science. They may not be the next Einstein but they can still succeed. I want to be the teacher that helps those children to achieve success. As a teacher I hope to inspire and motivate the next generation to be as good as they can (and better than they thought they could be).
Taking a small group of children for a maths lesson during my 3 weeks in a school as part of the Student Associate Scheme showed me how important group work was in a subject like mathematics. The children who understood the topic helped the children who didn’t understand, which in turn helped to cement their knowledge – as it is well known that teaching someone, and helping them understand is one of the best ways to help yourself learn. During my A Levels, I regularly helped at the local primary school with the reception class and the School’s Breakfast Club. During my hours with the reception class I mainly helped the children with their reading – listening to them read, helping where they were stuck or going over their word lists. Over the year I spent with the class I saw some of the children come on in leaps and bounds, and others muddle along, just getting by. From this it is obvious to see that not all techniques work for all children, so an ability to structure a lesson, with flexibility and extra support for children of a lesser ability, or those who learn in a different manner is an important skill for a teacher.
During my time at University I have been an active member of the Folk Society, and am now the Treasurer. I enjoy attending their ‘Beginner’s Sessions’ where people have the opportunity to try new instruments (such as bagpipes) and play folk music. Although I am not in a band or orchestra, I find this useful for keeping up my piano and flute skills. I regularly help at the University’s Open Days, helping prospective students and their parents with any queries or problems they might have – although I find the parents often need more help than the students themselves! I hope to help at a Gifted and Talented Workshop for Science, held in Exeter, in November or December.
I can think of nothing other than teaching that would give me the same exhilaration and sense of achievement that the school based work in the SAS scheme gave me. The dedication that the teachers in the school showed awed me – I hope that one day I can become as inspirational a teacher as they are.
Universities Applied to:
- Exeter (Maths)
- Exeter (Science)
Grades Achieved:
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